MARCUS  LEE  HANSEN 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

325.2485 


v.l 
cop.  2 


I.H.S. 


HISTORY 

OF   THE 

SWEDES  OF   ILLINOIS 


TKe    Linne    Monument,   Lincoln    ParK,   Chicago 


HISTORY 


OF   THE 


PART  I 


EDITED   BY 

ERNST  W.  OLSON 

IN    COLLABORATION    WITH 

ANDERS  SCHON  AND  MARTIN  J.  ENGBERG 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 
The  Engberg-Holmberg  Publishing  Company 

1908 


Copyright  1908 
by  The  Engberg-Holmberg  Publishing  Company 


A/,1 


,  «'«™»r;> 

<J 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PART  I 

Introduction  . 7 

Chapter          I.     Summary  of  the  History  of  Illinois 9 

Chapter        II.     The  City  of  Chicago 86 

Chapter       III.     The  First  Swedes  in  Illinois 172 

Chapter       IV.     The  Bishop  Hill  Colony 197 

Chapter        V.     Other  Karly  Settlements 271 

Chapter      VI.     The  Swedish  Methodist-Episcopal  Church    .    .    .  356 

Chapter     VII.     The  Swedish  Episcopal  Church 412 

Chapter  VIII.     The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church 423 

Chapter      IX.     The  Swedish  Baptist  Church 544 

Chapter        X.     The  Swedish  Mission  Church 583 

Chapter      XI.     The  Swedes  in  the  Civil  War 625 

Chapter    XII.     Music  and  Musicians 705 

Chapter  XIII.     Press  and  Literature 760 

Chapter  XIV.     Art  and  Artists 843 

Chapter     XV.     Organizations 888 

Bibliographical  References 916 

Acknowledgments 918 

Index 919 

PART  II 

Biographical  sketches,  Chicago 7 

Index 409 

PART   III 

Biographical  sketches,  Counties  at  Large 5 

Index 264 


\ 0 1 7882 


\UllliU 


INTRODUCTION 


HEN  in  the  forties  of  the  last  century  the  great  influx 
of  Swedish  immigrants  to  the  United  States  began,  by 
far  the  largest  number  settled  in  Illinois.  Even  at  that 
early  period  Swedes  had  begun  to  form  sporadic  settle- 
ments in  the  territory  to  the  north  and  west,  but  these 
were  of  little  consequence  as  compared  to  the  populous  Swedish  com- 
munities that  sprang  up  in  the  soil  of  the  Prairie  State. 

The  Swedes  of  Illinois,  therefore,  rank  as  the  pioneers  of  this 
great  migratory  movement.  In  later  years  they  have  been  out- 
numbered by  the  Swedes  of  Minnesota,  and*  nearly  all  the  western 
and  many  of  the  eastern  states  now  have  each  a  very  considerable 
Swedish  population,  yet  the  Illinois  Swedes  retain  pre-eminence  from 
a  historical  point  of  view. 

Illinois  was  the  central  point  from  which  the  Swedish  population 
spread  in  various  directions,  chiefly  to  the  west  and  the  northwest. 
The  Swedish  settlements  in  the  eastern  states  and  on  the  Pacific 
slope  are  of  more  recent  date  and  have  no  direct  connection  with  the 
pioneer  history  of  Illinois. 

In  intellectual  culture  as  well  as  in  material  development  the 
Swedes  of  this  state  led  the  way  for  their  countrymen  in  other  parts. 
In  Illinois  we  meet  with  the  first  properly  organized  Swedish  churches 
— the  mother  churches  of  no  less  than  five  distinct  denominations. 
In  Illinois  was  founded  the  first  Swedish-American  newspaper  of 
permanence,  and  the  great  bulk  of  the  Swedish  publishing  business 
in  this  country  has  always  been  done  here.  In  Illinois  was  founded 
the  first  Swedish-American  institution  of  learning,  followed  in  later 
years  by  a  score  of  others,  but  still  remaining  the  foremost  educational 
institution  among  the  Swedish  people  of  the  United  States.  In  Illinois 
were  put  forth  their  first  endeavors  in  the  literary  field,  which, 
although  modest,  yet  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  distinct  literature.  In 
the  cultivation  of  the  fine  arts  of  music  and  painting  as  well  as  in 
manufacture,  craftsmanship,  invention  and  industrial  art,  the  Swedes 
of  Illinois  also  led,  and  in  the  succeeding  pages  will  be  found  the 
names  of  Swedish  pioneers  in  a  variety  of  fields. 

In  public  life  Swedes  have  been  active  in  this  state  principally 
after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  In  that  conflict  large  numbers  of 
them  fought  as  volunteers,  contributing  skillful  commanders  and 
brilliant  tacticians  as  well  as  gallant  soldiers  in  the  ranks.  Their 


UHtlll 


military  history  goes  back  not  only  to  the  Civil  and  Mexican  Wars, 
for  there  were  Swedes  also  among  the  Illinois  troops  in  the  War 
of  1812.  In  the  politics  of  this  state  a  Swede  made  his  mark  while 
Illinois  was  still  a  territory. 

Chicago  being  one  of  the  first  points  settled  by  the  Swedes  and 
having  gradually  grown  to  be  their  greatest  center  of  population, 
also  became  the  center  of  culture,  and  this  city  is,  in  a  figurative  sense, 
the  Swedish-American  capital. 

Illinois  having  thus  become,  from  the  first,  the  seat  of  culture  as 
well  as  the  fountain-head  of  material  development  among  the  Swedish- 
Americans  in  general,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  Swedes  of  this  state 
in  the  past  sixty  years  have  exerted  an  appreciable  influence  not  alone 
upon  their  fellow-countrymen  elsewhere,  but  also  upon  the  civic  life 
of  the  state  and  the  nation. 

The  story  of  the  Swedes  of  Illinois,  showing  the  part  they  have 
played  in  the  making  of  this  commonwealth,  is  here  told  for  the  first 
time  in  the  English  language  and  thus  placed  within  ready  access  of 
the  general*public. 


CHAPTER    I 


Summary  of  the   History  of  Illinois 

Early  French  Explorations  in  North  America 

OT  long  after  the  discovery  of  the  West  Indies  by 
Christopher  Columbus,  in  1492,  and  the  successive  dis- 
coveries of  Central  and  South  America,  those  regions 
were  explored  and  settled  by  Europeans,  while  the 
colonization  of  the  North  American  continent  was  accom- 
plished only  by  slow  degrees.  Although  re-discovered  in  1497  by  John 
Cabot,  after  having  been  found  originally  by  Leif  Eriksson  and  his 
Norse  followers  about  five  hundred  years  earlier,  and  explored  during 
the  first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  by  parties  landing  here  and  there 
on  the  southern,  eastern  and  western  coasts  and  penetrating  into  the 
interior,  it  was  not  until  ;he  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  that 
the  European  nations  obtained  a  firm  foothold  in  this  part  of  the  New 
World.  So  slow  was  their  westward  progress  that  the  discovery  of  the 
Pacific  coast  was  practically  without  results  up  to  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  finally  the  first  successful  colonies  were 
founded. 

The  Spanish,  the  French,  the  English,  and  to  a  slight  extent,  the 
Dutch  share  the  credit  for  the  discovery  and  exploration  of  the  various 
parts  of  the  North  American  Continent.  The  Spaniards  directed  their 
energies  principally  to  the  South,  the  Southwest  and  the  West,  the 
French  traversed  and  colonized  the  extreme  eastern  part,  the  region  of 
the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi,  the  English  settled  the  eastern 
coast  from  Maine  to  South  Carolina  and  the  Dutch  a  limited  area  on 
the  Hudson  River. 

Sweden  also  claims  a  chapter  in  the  colonial  history  of  this 
country.  Through  the  colony  of  New  Sweden,  founded  in  1638,  extend- 
ing over  part  of  the  present  territory  of  Delaware,  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey,  and  conquered  by  the  Dutch  in  1655,  Sweden  contributed 


10  HISTORY   OF   ILLINOIS 

a  noteworthy  share  toward  the  earliest  development  of  North  American 
civilization. 

The  discovery  and  primary  colonization  of  the  territory  now 
forming  the  state  of  Illinois  was  the  work  of  the  French  explorers  and 
pioneers.  Before  narrating  these  events,  let  us  view,  in  retrospect, 
their  causes  and  the  historical  factors  leading  up  to  them. 

As  early  as  1504  the  French  began  to  frequent  the  banks  of  New 
Foundland,  attracted  by  the  abundance  of  fish  in  these  waters.  These 
fishing  expeditions  have  continued  to  this  day,  and  but  for  them  the 
French  government  might  never  have  had  its  attention  directed  to  this 
part  of  America.  King  Francis  I.,  in  1524,  sent  an  Italian  traveler, 
John  Verrazani,  to  explore  these  regions.  He  sailed  along  the  coast 
from  the  present  site  of  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  to  Nova  Scotia 
and,  without  founding  any  colonies,  took  possession,  in  the  name  of  the 
French  crown,  of  the  entire  territory  termed  New  France. 

Ten  years  later,  in  1534,  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  John  Cartier, 
discovered  the  St.  Lawrence  Eiver  and  on  his  second  expedition  sailed 
up  the  river  as  far  as  the  present  city  of  Montreal.  On  his  third 
expedition,  in  1541,  he  founded  Quebec,  a  fort  which  formed  the  center 
of  a  penal  colony,  recruited  from  the  French  prisons.  In  1541  a  French 
nobleman  by  the  name  of  Francois  de  la  Roque  had  been  appointed 
viceroy  of  New  France.  He  arrived  and  took  up  his  duties  two  years 
later,  but  finding  his  province  a  wilderness  and  his  subjects  deported 
criminals,  he  returned  to  France  within  a  year. 

During  the  next  fifty  years  the  public  mind  of  France  was  entirely 
engrossed  with  the  strife  between  the  nobility  and  the  royal  house  on 
the  one  hand  and  the  equally  bitter  conflict  between  the  Calvinists  and 
the  Catholics  on  the  other ;  meanwhile  the  colonial  interests  in  the  New 
World  were  well-nigh  forgotten.  Not  until  the  beginning  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  the  project  was  revived.  Samuel  Champlain,  a  noted 
naval  officer,  having  explored  anew  the  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
(1603),  Sieur  de  Monts,  a  Calvinist,  received  a  large  portion  of  this 
territory  as  a  grant  from  the  government.  Two  years  later  he  founded 
Port  Royal,  which  rapidly  grew  to  be  a  large  and  flourishing 
settlement. 

In  the  meantime  the  cause  of  converting  the  Indians  of  New  France 
to  the  Christian  faith  was  taken  up  in  the  mother  country,  and  numer- 
ous missionaries,  many  of  them  Jesuits,  were  sent  among  the  natives, 
gaining  great  prestige  among  them  in  a  short  time,  owing  to  their 
judicious  methods.  Missionaries,  fur  traders,  settlers  and  soldiers  soon 
found  a  basis  of  operation  in  the  settlement  of  Quebec  (1608)  and  that 
of  Montreal  (1641),  from  which  points  they  gradually  pushed  on  along 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  into  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  through 


MARQUETTE  AND  JOIJET  l  x 

the  Mississippi  basin,  planting  the  Catholic  standard  of  the  Cross  and 
the  flag  of  the  fleur  .de  lis  in  the  Indian  villages  as  far  down  as  the 
Mississippi  delta.  In  a  short  time  France  laid  claim  not  only  to  all  of 
Canada,  but  to  Maine,  Vermont,  New  York,  the  two  Carolinas,  as  well 
as  the  entire  territory  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi. 

It  was  during  this  gradual  conquest  of  the  West  and  the  South 
that  Illinois  was  first  seen  and  traversed  by  white  men.  As  early  as 
1641  French  missionaries  had  penetrated  to  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior, 
and  in  1658  traders  had  visited  the  western  end  of  the  lake.  Among 
French  missions  founded  in  these  distant  regions  after  the  year  1660 
was  one  at  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  established  in  1669,  and  named  after  St. 
Francis  Xavier. 

The  French  learned  through  the  Indians  at  this  and  other  missions 
that  a  journey  of  several  days  would  bring  them  to  the  banks  of  a  great 
river,  known  among  the  natives,  on  account  of  its  size,  as  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  Father  of  Waters.  This  fact  was  reported  to  the  French 
governor  at  Quebec,  who  determined  to  take  possession  of  the  river 
and  adjacent  regions.  In  order  to  carry  out  this  enterprise  without 
molestation,  it  was  necessary  to  obtain  the  friendship  and  co-operation 
of  the  tribes  dwelling  along  its  banks.  For  this  purpose  Nicholas  Perrot 
was  dispatched  westward  in  1671,  with  instructions  to  assemble  the 
surrounding  tribes  in  council  at  Green  Bay.  After  this  meeting  Perrot 
set  out  with  an  escort  of  Pottawatomie  Indians  on  his  journey  south- 
ward, traversing  what  is  now  Illinois  and  visiting,  among  other  points, 
the  present  site  of  Chicago,  then  included  in  the  territory  of  the  Miami 
Indians.  Perrot  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  European  to  have  set  foot 
on  Illinois  soil. 

In  the  following  year  two  Jesuit  fathers,  Claude  Allouez  and 
Claude  Dablon,  left  the  Green  Bay  mission  on  a  journey  to  western  and 
northern  Illinois,  visiting  the  Fox  Indians  along  the  Fox  River  and  the 
Masquotin  tribe  that  dwelt  at  the  mouth  of  the  Milwaukee  River.  These 
missionaries  claimed  to  have  extended  their  explorations  as  far  as  Lake 
Winnebago. 

E-xplorations  of  Marquette  and  Joliet 

Father  Jacques  Marquette  and  Louis  Joliet,  a  fur  trader,  were 
subsequently  commissioned  to  continue  the  exploration  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  the  territory  through  which  it  flows.  In  the  spring  of  1673 
they  entered  upon  their  task,  accompanied  by  five  other  Frenchmen  and 
two  Indian  guides,  and  supplied  with  two  canoes.  Starting  from  the 
St.  Ignace  mission,  opposite  Mackinaw  Island,  they  followed  the  north 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  They  soon  reached  Green  Bay  and  the  St. 
Francis  Xavier  mission,  the  uttermost  outpost  of  French  civilization 


12 


HISTORY  OF 


The  Departure  of  Marquette  and  Joliet  on  Their  First  Voyage  to  Illinois 

westward  and  southward.  Here  the  party  rested  until  June,  and  then 
pressed  on  into  the  wilderness.  They  traveled  up  the  Fox  River  as  far 
as  the  ridge  forming  the  Wisconsin  watershed,  and,  carrying  their 
canoes  across,  proceeded  down  the  Wisconsin  River  to  their  sought-for 
goal,  arriving  the  17th  of  June  on  the  banks  of  the  majestic  Mississippi. 
Enraptured  by  its  grandeur,  and  mindful  of  the  divine  protection  of 


Jacques  Marquette 


Louis  Joliet 


the  Virgin  throughout  his  perilous  journey,  Father  Marquette  in  her 
honor  named  it  Conception  River. 

The  exploring  party  took  a  short  rest  on  the  banks  of  the  great 
river,  but  soon  embarked,  more  eager  than  ever.  Floating  down  with 
the  current,  they  had  on  either  hand  vast  stretches  of  prairie,  where 
the  bison  roamed  in  countless  herds,  but  not  a  human  being  did  they 
see.  It  was  like  traveling  through  a  mysterious  land  whose  inhabitants 


MARQUETTE  AND  JOUET 


"  We  are  Illini" 

some  strange  power  had  spirited  away.  The  mouth  o£  the  Des  Moines 
River  was  reached  June  25th.  On  these  shores  human  footprints  were 
discovered  at  last.  Following  up  the  tracks  for  about  two  leagues,  the 
party  came  upon  three  Indian  villages,  beautifully  located  on  the  banks 
of  the  Des  Moines,  belonging  to  the  Peoria  tribe. 

As  soon  as  the  natives  noticed  the  strangers,  four  chiefs  set  out  to 
meet  them.  ''Who  are  you?"  demanded  Father  Marquette,  in  the 
Algonquin  dialect.  "We  are  Illini,"  one  of  the  chiefs  replied.  The 
Peorias  belonged  to  a  coalition  of  tribes,  including  also  the  Moingwenas, 
the  Kaskaskias,  the  Tamaroas  and  the  Cahokias.  The  name  Illini  meant 
simply  men,  and  had  been  adopted  by  these  tribes  to  distinguish  them 
from  their  hereditary  foes  to  the  eastward,  the  Iroquois,  whom  they 
abhorred  on  account  of  their  cruel  and  bloodthirsty  disposition,  deem- 
ing them  no  better  than  brutes.  In  course  of  time  the  name  Illini  was 
altered  by  means  of  the  French  suffix  -ois,  and  finally  this  name  was 
applied  not  only  to  the  Indian  tribes  but  to  all  the  newly  discovered 
region.  When  in  recent  years  this  tract  was  made  a  territory  of  the 
United  States,  this  name  was  made  official,  and  later  on  naturally  passed 
to  one  of  the  states  parcelled  out  of  the  territory. 

The  fearless  little  band  still  pressed  on,  arriving  in  July  at  the 
junction  of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi.  They  shortly  passed  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio  River,  reaching  the  confluence  of  the  Arkansas  River 
and  the  Mississippi  a  few  days  later,  and  found  there  several  Indian 
villages.  From  that  point  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  was  to  be 
reached  in  a  short  time,  yet  Marquette  and  his  party  hesitated  to  pro- 
ceed farther,  fearing  a  conflict  with  the  Spaniards,  who  laid  claim  to  all 
the  surrounding  territory  by  right  of  discovery  by  Ferdinand  de  Soto 
in  1541.  Geographically,  further  progress  was  unnecessary,  Marquette 
being  already  convinced  that  the  Mississippi  emptied  neither  into  the 
Atlantic,  nor  the  Pacific,  but  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  On  July  19th, 
therefore,  he  turned  back,  retracing  his  course  as  far  as  the  mouth  of 
the  Illinois  River,  which  he  entered  and  continued  up  this  waterway. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


The  Death  of  Marquette 

At  one  of  the  villages  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians,  near  the  present  site 
Utica,  La  Salle  county,  the  party  halted.  The  French  named  the  village 
La  Vantum,  and  before  departing,  Marquette  baptized  the  village  chief 
Cassagoac,  together  with  several  leading  tribesmen.  Continuing  up  the 
entire  length  of  the  Illinois,  the  party  entered  its  tributary,  the  Des 
Plaines  River,  carried  their  canoes  across  the  watershed  between  this 
and  the  Chicago  River,  and  finally  by  way  of  the  south  branch  of  the 
latter  reached  Lake  Michigan.  Here  they  rested  for  several  days,  then 
pursued  their  way  along  the  west  shore  northward  to  Green  Bay, 
returning  thither  before  the  end  of  September  the  same  year.  Thus  was 
the  Illinois  River  traversed  for  the  first  time  by  whites,  and  the  sur- 
rounding territory  brought  within  the  sphere  of  civilizing  influences. 

Joliet  immediately  returned  to  Quebec  in  order  to  report  to  Fron- 
tenac,  then  governor  of  New  France,  the  results  of  the  expedition,  while 
Marquette  was  compelled  by  illness  to  remain  at  the  Green  Bay  mission. 

In  spite  of  ill  health  Marquette  a  year  later,  on  the  25th  of  October, 
1674,  revisited  the  Kaskaskia  village,  accompanied  by  two  young 
Frenchmen,  Pierre  and  Jacques,  together  with  a  number  of  Indians. 
Retracing  the  course  of  the  journey  northward,  they  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  River  December  4th.  Here  Marquette 's  condition 
suddenly  grew  worse,  forcing  the  party  to  tarry.  Near  the  head  of  the 
south  branch  of  the  river  his  companions  erected  a  block-house,  which 
sheltered  them  until  early  spring,  when  Marquette  was  so  far  restored 
that  they  could  continue  their  journey,  arriving  at  their  destination  on 
the  8th  of  April. 

In  this  wilderness,  with  no  sanctuary  but  the  primeval  forest,  no 
choristers  but  the  winged  songsters,  Father  Marquette,  with  all  the 
solemnity  that  the  occasion  afforded,  performed  the  Catholic  mass  and 
subsequently  proclaimed  the  sovereignty  of  France  ever  the  explored 
territory  in  the  name  of  the  Savior,  the  Holy  Virgin  and  all  the  saints. 
In  the  same  year  he  made  another  tour  along  the  Illinois,  exploring 
thoroughly  its  banks  and  adjacent  regions. 

Divining  that  his  end  was  near,  Marquette  with  his  companions 


LA  SALLE— FRENCH  FORTS  !5 

started  on  his  way  back  to  Canada,  following  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  but  was  overtaken  by  death  in  the  vicinity  of  present  Sleep- 
ing Bear  Point,  in  the  state  of  Michigan,  and  was  buried  on  the  shore 
by  his  companions.  The  next  year,  however,  Indians  exhumed  his 
remains,  which  were  brought  thence  to  the  St.  Ignace  mission  and 
solemnly  interred  in  the  mission  chapel.  After  death,  Marquette  was 
long  revered  almost  as  a  saint,  to  whom  the  sailors  on  Lake  Michigan 
would  pray  for  deliverance  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

Journeys  of  La  Salle— French  Forts  Ejected  in  Illinois 

At  this  time  there  lived  at  Fort  Frontenac  (now  Kingston),  located 
at  the  point  where  the  St.  Lawrence  River  forms  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Ontario,  a  former  Jesuit  named  Robert  de  La  Salle,  who  had  emigrated 
to  New  France  in  1667.  Devoting  himself  to  fur  trading,  his  vessels 
visited  almost  all  the  bays  of  Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie.  In  1675  he  was 
knighted  and  received  Frontenac  as  a  grant  from  the  crown  on  con- 
dition that  he  erect  a  fort  there.  He  was  rapidly  accumulating  wealth 
through  agriculture,  cattle  raising  and  a  lucrative  Indian  trade,  when 
Joliet  on  his  visit  to  Quebec  brought  him  the  first  report  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Mississippi.  This  enterprising  man  immediately  conceived 
the  idea  of  founding  French  settlements  in  the  Southwest  and  opening 
up  mercantile  communications  between  France  and  the  Mississippi 
region. 

In  pursuance  of  this  purpose  he  returned  to  France  without  delay, 
submitted  his  plan  to  the  government,  and  was  authorized  to  continue 
the  exploration  begun  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  obtaining  also  the 
exclusive  right  to  the  trade  in  buffalo  hides.  He  returned  to  New 
France  in  1678,  together  with  an  Italian  veteran  by  the  name  of  Tonti, 
a  Franciscan  monk,  Louis  Hennepin,  and  carried  with  him  a  number  of 
artisans  and  sailors  and  a  large  cargo  of  chandlers'  supplies  and  mer- 
chandise for  the  Indian  trade.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  a  small  vessel 
with  a  capacity  of  ten  tons  was  built  near  Fort  Frontenac.  In  this  ship 
La  Salle  and  his  followers  soon  sailed  across  the  Ontario  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Niagara  River  where  a  small  fort  was  erected  as  a  protection  for 
a  trading  post.  Above  the  falls,  on  the  shores  of  the  Erie,  he  built  a 
sailing  vessel  with  a  tonnage  of  120,000  pounds,  named  it  the  Griffin 
and  freighted  it  with  chandlery  and  ironware,  designed  for  the  fitting 
out  of  another  vessel  to  be1  built  on  the  Illinois  River.  The  Griffin  was 
launched  August  7,  1679,  with  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  singing  of 
songs.  This  was  the  first  sailing  vessel  to  plow  the  waves  of  Lake  Erie. 
With  it  La  Salle  and  his  crew  crossed  the  lake,  passed  the  straits  into 
Lake  St.  Claire,  sailed  thence  across  Lake  Huron  and  through  the 
straits  of  Mackinaw,  where  another  trading  post  was  established,  and 


i6 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


finally  down  Lake  Michigan  to  Green  Bay.    Here  the  cargo  was  trans- 
ferred to  smaller  boats  for  further  transportation  down  the  Illinois 


Rene  Robert  Cavelier  de  La  Salle 

River,  while  the  Griffin  took  a  cargo  of  furs  and  returned  to  the  starting 
point. 

La  Salle  and  his  crew  navigated  Lake  Michigan  as  far  as  St. 
Joseph,   Mich.,  where  a  trading  post   was   established,   protected  by 


!8  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

palisades  and  known  as  Fort  Miami.  They  waited  until  December  for 
the  return  of  the  Griffin,  but  were  disappointed,  the  vessel  having  gone 
ashore  on  its  way  back  to  Niagara.  Then  they  prepared  to  continue 
their  voyage.  There  were  two  routes  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the 
Illinois  Kiver,  used  by  the  Indians  from  time  out  of  mind,  the  one  being 
that  taken  by  Marquette  and  Joliet  on  their  return,  the  other  leading 
up  the  St.  Joseph  River  to  the  turning-point  near  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and 
thence  across  the  watershed  to  the  Kankakee  and  down  that  river  to 
the  Illinois.  La  Salle  chose  the  latter.  His  company  consisted  of  Tonti, 
Hennepin,  two  Franciscan  monks,  besides  thirty  sailors  and  colonists. 
Reaching  the  aforesaid  Kaskaskia  Indian  village,  and  finding  it  aban- 
doned, they  continued  the  journey -.down  the  Illinois,  not  stopping  until 
they  reached,  on  January  1,  1680$  that  expansion  of  the  river  called 
Lake  Peoria.  Here  they  found  Illini  Indians,  with  whom  La  Salle  en- 
tered into  a  treaty  of  friendship,  obtaining  also  permission  to  build  a 
fort,  which  was  located  on  the  east  shore  of  the  river,  near  the  south 
end  of  Lake  Peoria. 

The  situation  of  La  Salle  was,  however,  far  from  enviable.  Fifteen 
hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  French  outpost,  his  followers  despair.- 
ing  of  a  successful  issue  of  the  enterprise  and  anxious  to  return,  he  was 
doubtless  himself  in  deep  distress,  as  evidenced  by  the  name  given  to 
this  stronghold,  viz.,  Fort  Crevecreur,  meaning  Broken  Heart. 

In  spite  of  untoward  circumstances,  La  Salle  did  not  lose  heart,  but 
set  about  building  the  intended  vessel.  The  work  had  not  advanced 
far  when  several  of  his  men  deserted  him,  forcing  a  temporary  delay 
and  necessitating  his  return  to  Fort  Frontenac  to  secure  other  work- 
men. With  three  companions  he  started  March  1st,  reaching  the 
objective  point  May  6th,  after  many  hardships  and  perils. 

Meanwhile  Hennepin  and  two  other  Frenchmen,  Du  Guy  and 
Michael  d'Accault,  journeyed  down  the  Illinois  to  the  point  where  it 
empties  into  the  Mississippi,  and  then  started  on  a  new  exploring  tour 
up  that  river.  They  pressed  on  as  far  as  the  present  site  of  Minneapolis 
and  discovered  the  great  falls,  named  from  St.  Anthony  of  Padua, 
their  patron  saint,  the  St.  Anthony  Falls.  A  cross  having  been  erected 
here,  a  mass  was  held  and  possession  claimed  in  the  name  of  France. 
All  that  summer  they  tarried  in  this  delightful  region,  returning  in  the 
fall,  not  to  Illinois,  but  to  Green  Bay. 

Tonti,  who  had  been  requested 'to  build  a  stronghold  on  a  high  cliff 
on  the  south  shore  of  the  Illinois,  which  is  now  known  as  Starved  Rock, 
had  left  Fort  Crevecoeur  simultaneously  and  started  for  that  point. 
The  fort  was  completed  and  received  the  appropriate  name  of  Rockfort. 
While  Tonti  was  engaged  in  this  work  nearly  all  the  remaining  French- 
men fled,  after  having  razed  Fort  Crevecoaur  and  thrown  all  its  supplies 


LA  SALLE— FRENCH  FORTS 


. 


HENRI   TONTI 


into  the  river.     Only  six  men  of  the  garrison,  including  two  priests, 
remained  faithfully  at  their  post.    To  complete  the  disaster,  a  band  of 
Iroquois  Indians  arrived  Sept.  10th,  threatening  the  fortress  with  anni- 
hilation.    The  remaining  French- 
men fled.   At  Rockfort  Tonti  was 
taken  prisoner  and  upon  his  re- 
lease returned  to  Mackinaw. 

Upon  his  return  the  following 
year  with  the  advance  guard  of 
his  newly  recruited  force  of  men, 
La  Salle,  to  his  dismay,  found  both 
fortresses  deserted.  He  returned 
with  his  men  to  Fort  Miami,  where 
he  met  the  main  body  of  the  new 
expedition,  and  quartered  it  there 
for  the  winter. 

In  furtherance  of  his  plans,  La 
Salle  promoted  a  defensive  alli- 
ance between  the  Miami  and  the 
Illinois  Indians  against  their  old 
enemies  the  Iroquois.  In  December 
he  called  a  council  of  tribesmen  at 

Fort  Miami,  choosing  eighteen  out  of  their  number  who,  together  with 
his  twenty-three  Frenchmen,  were  to  accompany  him  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  In  the  meantime  Tonti 's  whereabouts  had  been 
revealed,  he  was  sent  for  and  put  at  the  head  of  the  expedition,  which 
started  southward  Dec.  21st.  The  supplies  were  carried  on  sleds  to 
the  Illinois  and  there  stowed  into  canoes,  in  which  the  expedition 
embarked  for  the  desolated  Fort  Crevecceur. 

The  half  finished  vessel  was  found  almost  intact.  It  was  quickly 
completed,  whereupon  the  expedition  set  sail  for  its  destination.  The 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi  was  reached  April  6,  1682.  At  length,  La 
Salle  had  thus  reached  the  goal  for  which  he  had  strived  untiringly  for 
several  years.  The  French  possessions  in  America,  which  had  been 
bounded  by  the  Great  Lakes,  were  now  extended  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Nor  was  La  Salle  slow  in  taking  possession  of  this  vast  territory  with 
the  customary  ceremonies,  consisting  of  the  erection  of  a  cross,  the 
holding  of  a  mass,  and  the  planting  of  a  standard,  bearing  the  royal 
arms  of  France.  All  of  this  new  territory  was  named  Louisiana,  in 
honor  of  Louis  XIV. 

The  expedition  returned,  doubling  on  its  former  course,  and  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois,  Tonti,  with  a  few  men,  remained  to  establish  the 
claims  of  France  by  actual  possession.  His  first  work  was  to  erect  a 
fort  as  a  protection  against  the  Iroquois  tribes  and  a  nucleus  for  the 


20  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

contemplated  settlements  in  these  parts.  In  December,  1682,  Starved 
Rock  was  for  the  second  time  selected  as  the  site  of  a  fort,  and  the  new 
stronghold  was  named  Fort  St.  Louis.  The  necessity  for  protection 
against  the  Iroquois  was  all  the  more  urgent,  as  these  savage  tribes 
were  furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition  by  the  English  colonial 
governor  at  Albany,  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  sent  westward  to  harass 
the  French  and  destroy  their  lucrative  Indian  trade  in  the  region  of 
the  Great  Lakes. 

La  Salle  now  returned  to  Quebec  in  order  to  obtain  authority  to 
colonize  the  newly  explored  territory.  Unfortunately,  he  found  that 
Gbvernor  Frontenac  had  been  recalled  and  replaced  by  La  Barre,  who 
was  his  personal  enemy  and  antagonistic  to  his  plans.  In  vain  he 
pleaded  with  La  Barre  to  co-operate  with  him  in  realizing  the  coloniza- 
tion plans.  Where  he  had  expected  to  find  sympathy,  he  was  met  with 
derision.  La  Salle  then  resolved  to  return  to  France  in  order  to  obtain 
the  privileges  denied  him  by  the  governor,  and  embarked  in  the  autumn 
of  1683.  In  the  meantime,  La  Barre  sent  a  man  named  De  Baugis  to 
Illinois  to  assume  the  command  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  which  was  cheerfully 
relinquished  by  Tonti.  Although  deprived  of  the  command,  Tonti  soon 
afterwards  bravely  beat  back  a  savage  attack  by  the  Iroquois. 

A  better  location  than  Starved  Rock  the  experienced  frontiersman 
could  scarcely  have  found  for  the  building  of  a  fort.  It  consists  of  an 
isolated  and  almost  inaccessible  rock  130  to  140  feet  in  height.  The 
side  facing  north  toward  the  Illinois  River  is  almost  perpendicular,  the 
opposite  side  forming  a  steep  slope.  The  rounded  top  has  an  area  of 
three-fourths  of  an  acre.  About  a  mile  to  the  southward  was  the  main 
village  of  the  friendly  Illinois  Indians,  called  La  Vantum  and  number- 
ing at  that  time  6,000  or  7,000  inhabitants.  With  these  he  expected  to 
carry  on  a  profitable  trade,  while  depending  upon  them  to  assist  in 
repelling  the  attacks  of  their  mutual  enemies,  the  Iroquois.  Further- 
more, a  fort  at  this  point  would  form  the  strategic  key  to  this  part  of 
the  lower  Illinois  valley  as  well  as  the  Mississippi  valley. 

Fort  St.  Louis  consisted  of  earthworks  and  palisades,  surrounding 
a  storehouse  and  also  a  blockhouse,  serving  the  double  purpose  of  trad- 
ing station  and  barracks  for  the  garrison.  By  means  of  a  windlass 
water  was  hoisted  from  the  river.  Two  small  brass  cannon,  mounted 
on  the  breastworks  in  such  a  position  as  easily  to  dominate  both  the 
river  on  the  north  and  the  plain  on  the  south,  completed  the  armament. 
The  fort  was  solemnly  dedicated  by  one  Father  Membre  and  soon 
became  the  favorite  rendezvous  of  the  natives  of  La  Vantum  and  the 
surrounding  country. 

Although  anticipating  subsequent  events,  the  history  of  Starved 
Rock  may  as  well  at  this  point  be  told  to  the  end.  Fort  St.  Louis  was 


LA  SALLE-FRENCH  FORTS 


21 


garrisoned  until  1702,  when  the  garrison  was  withdrawn.  As  a  trading 
post  the  fort  was  still  maintained  until  1718,  when  it  was  captured  and 
burned,  supposedly  by  the  common  enemy,  the  Iroquois  Indians.  The 
Illinois  were  thenceforth  left  in  peace  until  1722,  when  the  Foxes  made 
an  unsuccessful  attack.  In  order  to  avoid  further  molestation  the 


The  La  Salle  Monument  in  Lincoln  Park 


remainder  of  the  dwellers  about  the  fort  removed  to  their  tribesmen 
that  dwelled  along  the  Mississippi.  The  few  that  stayed  behind  fell  an 
easy  prey  to  their  enemies.  In  the  year  1769  they  were  attacked  by 
tribes  from  the  north,  and,  being  severely  pressed,  sought  refuge  on  the 
high  rock  formerly  covered  by  Fort  St.  Louis.  Here  they  were  besieged 
by  the  enemy  for  twelve  days,  and  then,  exhausted  from  lack  of  food  and 
water,  made  a  desperate  night  attack  with  the  hope  of  breaking  through 
the  lines.  The  attempt  failed  totally,  all  but  one,  an  Indian  half-breed, 


22  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

being  slaughtered  and  scalped.  Long  afterwards,  when  the  whites 
again  began  to  settle  here,  human  bones  lay  thickly  scattered  on  and 
about  the  rock,  as  grewsome  evidences  of  that  savage  battle,  and  to 
this  day  bones  are  said  to  be  found  here  and  there  in  the  accumulated 
soil.  It  was  this  siege  and  the  starving  out  of  the  captives  that  gave  the 
name  to  the  historic  landmark,  known  ever  afterwards  as  Starved  Rock. 

Having  thus  briefly  sketched  the  history  of  Fort  St.  Louis  and  its 
famous  site,  we  return  to  the  story  of  La  Salle  and  his  colonization  of 
Illinois. 

La  Salle  had  better  success  with  the  king  of  France  than  with  his 
obstinate  representative  at  Quebec.  The  government  set  aside  a  suitable 
sum  to  defray  the  expenses  of  colonizing  the  western  territory,  and  in 
July,  1684,  La  Salle  was  able  to  return  to  America  with  a  flotilla  of  four 
ships,  laden  with  all  the  necessaries  of  the  prospective  settlements  and 
carrying  280  colonists.  Of  this  number  one  hundred  were  soldiers,  the 
remainder  farmers  and  their  families,  sailors,  and  members  of  monastic 
orders.  The  bulk  of  these  emigrants,  however,  had  been  picked  up  hap- 
hazard in  the  cities  and  proved  to  be  poor  material  for  colony  building. 

After  a  long  stay  on  the  island  of  San  Domingo,  the  expedition  at 
length  entered  the  Gulf  and  arrived  in  the  first  part  of  January,  1685, 
off  the  Mississippi  delta,  where  Tonti  with  twenty  Frenchmen  and  thirty 
Indians  awaited  his  arrival.  The  expedition,  however,  by  some  miscal- 
culation, sailed  past  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  when  La  Salle  dis- 
covered the  mistake,  he  was  unable  to  persuade  Beaujeu,  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  fleet,  to  turn  back.  He  obstinately  held  to  westward 
until  they  reached  the  Matagorda  Bay,  where  they  landed  in  boats. 
When  the  vessels  subsequently  entered  the  bay,  the  supply  ship  struck 
a  shoal.  Part  of  the  cargo  was  landed  during  the  day,  but  the  following 
night  a  severe  gale  wrecked  the  vessel  and  scattered  the  great  bulk  of 
its  cargo  over  the  waves.  To  add  to  the  disaster,  the  Indians  of  the 
surrounding  region  flocked  to  the  shore,  intent  on  plundering  the  stores 
saved  from  the  wreck.  A  fight  ensued  in  which  several  natives  were 
killed.  Two  of  the  remaining  ships  immediately  set  sail  for  France, 
leaving  La  Salle  and  230  Frenchmen  behind,  "to  shift  for  themselves  as 
best  they  might,"  according  to  the  obstinate  Beaujeu. 

After  having  searched  the  region  in  all  directions  without  finding 
any  of  the  channels  of  the  Mississippi  delta,  La  Salle  determined  to 
found  a  colony  with  fortifications  on  an  eminence  west  of  Matagorda 
Bay.  The  purpose  was  accomplished  and  the  settlement  named  St. 
Louis.  The  stores  landed  would  have  sufficed  for  several  years,  had 
the  colonists  been  industrious,  provident  and  peaceful  among  them- 
selves. Being  quite  the  reverse,  the  colonizing  scheme  thus  forced 
upon  La  Salle  by  circumstances  proved  a  complete  failure. 


FRENCH  MISSIONS  23 

In  December,  1685,  La  Salle  undertook  another  expedition  in  search 
of  the  Mississippi,  but  failed  again.  In  April  of  the  following  year, 
accompanied  by  twenty  men,  he  made  an  expedition  to  New  Mexico 
in  search  of  gold,  but  again  Fortune  frowned  upon  his  undertaking. 
On  his  return  the  discouraging  news  awaited  him  that  the  colonists 
had  been  reduced  to  the  number  of  forty,  the  remaining  ship  lost,  and 
the  last  of  the  provisions  consumed. 

Still  undaunted,  La  Salle  determined  to  bring  recruits  and  pro- 
visions from  Canada.  On  January  12,  1687,  with  a  company  of  sixteen, 
he  started  on  a  march  northeast  through  the  boundless  wilderness.  In 
this  party  he  had  a  stanch  friend  in  a  relative  of  his,  a  young  man  by 
the  name  of  Moranget,  but  also  two  secret  enemies,  Duhaut  and 
L'Archeveque,  who  held  La  Salle  responsible  for  the  loss  of  all  their 
property,  which  they  had  risked  in  his  enterprise.  At  one  of  the  tribu- 
taries of  the  Trinity  River  these  men  killed  Moranget  in  a  quarrel,  and 
then  lay  in  ambush  for  La  Salle  himself,  who  on  his  arrival  at  the  spot 
was  shot  down  by  Duhaut.  The  slayer  and  his  accomplice  then  plun- 
dered the  corpse  and  left  it  on  the  prairie,  a  prey  to  the  wild  beasts. 
Thus  ended  the  strenuous  career  of  a  brave  and  illustrious  explorer. 

Shortly  after  the  foul  deed  the  murderers  and  the  rest  of  the  party 
became  involved  in  a  fight  among  themselves,  in  which  Duhaut  fell, 
whereupon  his  sympathizers  joined  an  Indian  tribe.  The  remnant  of 
the  expedition,  a  small  group,  numbering  seven  men,  reached  Canada 
after  an  arduous  journey,  replete  with  privation  and  peril. 

The  colony  thus  founded  by  La  Salle  in  Texas,  though  originally 
intended  for  Illinois,  was  destroyed  soon  afterward  by  Spaniards  from 
Mexico,  who  invaded  this  region  and  established  their  claim  on  Texas 
territory. 

French  Missions  and  Colonies  in  Illinois 

Marquette's  visit  to  the  Kaskaskia  Indian  village,  near  the  present 
site  of  Utica,  and  the  baptism  of  Chief  Cassagoac  was  the  first  step 
towards  christianizing  Illinois.  During  his  second  visit  in  1675,  this 
zealous  missionary  of  the  church  established  the  mission  of  the  Im- 
maculate Conception  and  built  a  chapel  of  logs  and  bark,  the  first  house 
of  worship  in  Illinois.  This  missionary  work  was  resumed  April  27, 
1677,  by  the  aforesaid  Jesuit  priest,  Father  Claude  Allouez,  who  in  1686 
took  up  permanent  residence  at  the  mission.  He  died  in  1690  and  was 
succeeded  by  Father  James  Gravier  who  in  1693  succeeded  in  establish- 
ing the  mission  post  on  a  more  permanent  basis.  A  small  French  settle- 
ment grew  up  gradually  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Indian  village. 

When  the  French  in  1699  founded  a  settlement  at  Biloxi  in  the 
present  state  of  Mississippi,  several  Indian  tribes  of  Illinois  prepared 


24  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

to  move  there  and  locate  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  colony.  Among 
those  that  actually  broke  camp  were  the  Kaskaskias  who,  however, 
traveled  southward  only  as  far  as  the  river  that  bears  their  name.  Here 
they  settled  down,  about  six  miles  above  its  confluence  with  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  built  a  village,  to  which  the  old  Kaskaskia  mission  also  was 
removed,  both  retaining  the  old  name.  At  the  head  of  the  mission  at 
this  time  was  a  priest  named  Francis  Pinet.  A  -French  colony  was 
gradually  formed,  which  as  early  as  1721  had  attained  such  develop- 
ment and  importance  that  the  Jesuits  deemed  it  expedient  to  found  a 
convent  and  a  school  at  that  point.  Four  years  later  the  village  was 
incorporated  as  a  town  by  permission  of  King  Louis  XV.  of  France. 

The  reason  why  the  French  colonies  were  attracted  to  southwestern 
Illinois  is  supposed  to  be  a  desire  to  locate  near  the  thoroughfare 
between  the  French  settlements  in  Canada  and  those  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  Travelers  and  traders  alike  had  now  practically 
abandoned  the  route  via  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Chicago  River  for  the 
one  along  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  to  the  Mississippi.  Kaskaskia, 
in  its  most  prosperous  days,  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
numbered  2,000  to  3,000  inhabitants.  Toward  the  end  of  the  century 
this  number  gradually  lessened,  amounting  in  1765,  when  the  town  was 
taken  by  the  English,  to  only  450.  Of  the  fate  of  this  town  we  will 
have  occasion  to  speak  in  subsequent  pages. 

A  few  months  prior  to  the  founding  of  the  new  Kaskaskia,  certain 
French  Jesuits  established  nearby,  at  or  near  the  present  location  of 
Cahokia,  St.  Clair  county,  a  mission,  around  which  there  sprang  up  a 
settlement  which  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  earliest  permanent 
French  colony  in  Illinois.  In  1701  the  mission  work  here  was  left  in  the 
hands  of  priests  educated  at  the  French  seminary  in  Quebec.  These 
eventually  limited  their  endeavors  to  the  French  settlers,  leaving  the 
spiritual  care  of  the  natives  to  the  Jesuits.  They  continued  their  work 
at  Cahokia  until  that  point  was  surrendered  to  the  English.  After 
that  event  this  old  town  also  began  to  decrease  in  population  and  im- 
portance. Farther  on  in  the  course  of  the  narrative  it  will  again  claim 
our  attention. 

After  the  destruction  of  Fort  Crevecceur,  friars  of  the  Recollect 
Order  began  a  mission  on  the  same  site,  but  the  work  was  soon  aban- 
doned. In  1711  we  find,  however,  a  French  missionary  station  located 
on  the  western  bank  of  the  river  and  surrounded  by  French  settlers. 
These  were  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  present  city  of  Peoria.  It  is 
positively  know  that  there  was  a  colony  at  this  point  in  1725. 

Other  French  colonies  grew  up  around  the  original  three  heretofore 
mentioned,  such  as  St.  Philip,  forty-five  miles  south  of  Cahokia,  Prairie 
du  Rocher,  northwest  from  Kaskaskia,  and  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in 


FRENCH   MISSIONS 


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tr 
o 

I 

1 


the  present  state  of  Missouri,  St.  Louis  and  St.  Genevieve.  As  early  as 
the  second  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century  France  thus  possessed  a 
considerable  colony  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  midway  between  its 
Canadian  settlements  and  those  founded,  also  in  the  early  part  of  the 
same  century,  near  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  About  the  year  1730  these 
Mississippi  settlers  numbered  140  French  families  and  about  600  con- 
verted Indians,  together  with  quite  a  number  of  traders.  For  the  pro- 
tection of  their  midland  possessions  the  French  in  1718-20  erected  Fort 
Chartres,  sixteen  miles  northwest  from  Kaskaskia.  The  fort  was  built 
of  limestone  from  an  adjacent  hill  on  a  very  low  site,  near  the  river 
bank.  The  ground  plan  was  an  irregular  rectangle  formed  on  three 
sides  by  stone  walls  of  a  thickness  of  2  feet  and  2  inches  and  on  the 
fourth  by  a  ravine  which  the  spring  freshets  filled  with  water.  This 


26  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

was  the  seat  of  government  in  Illinois  during  the  French  colonial 
period.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  1756,  the 
fort  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  a  million  French  crowns  and  was  then 
considered  the  strongest  fortress  on  the  North  American  continent. 
Its  story  will  be  continued  in  succeeding  pages. 

The  Fox  tribe  of  Indians  vacillated  between  the  English  and  the 
French  in  disposing  of  their  peltries.  They  had  control  of  the  portages 
of  the  St.  Joseph  and  Des  Plaines  rivers  to  Lake  Michigan  and  exacted 
toll  from  the  French  traders.  To  remove  this  barrier  to  commerce, 
the  French  determined  their  destruction,  and  one  branch  of  the  Foxes 
was  exterminated  in  1712  by  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies. 
Massacres  followed  in  1716  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  the  Foxes  were 
driven  away  in  1728.  In  1730  they  were  on  their  way  east  to  seek 
protection  from  the  Wea  Miamis  in  northern  Indiana.  They  were  over- 
taken by  the  French  under  the  command  of  St.  Ange,  the  commandant 
at  Fort  Chartres,  and  by  the  Kickapoo,  Mascoutin  and  Illinois  tribes. 
The  Foxes  took  refuge  at  the  Big  Creek  of  the  Rock  River,  in  Kendall 
county,  and  built  a  fort.  But  they  and  their  enemies  were  both  starved, 
and  a  part  of  the  besieging  force  deserted.  On  September  8,  1730,  a 
violent  storm  arose,  during  which  the  Foxes  made  their  escape.  The 
next  day  they  were  overtaken  and  300  warriors  were  killed  or  taken 
prisoners,  their  women  and  children,  numbering  one  thousand,  also 
falling  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies.  The  facts  about  this  massacre 
were  until  recently  buried  in  the  archives  of  France 

To  the  history  of  the  French  in  Illinois  may  be  added  that  slavery 
was  introduced  by  them  at  this  time.  The  first  slave  trader  was  Pierre 
F.  Renault,  who  about  1722  sold  a  number  of  slaves  to  settlers  at 
Kaskaskia.  Henceforth,  slavery  continued  in  Illinois  for  120  years. 
The  constitution  of  1818,  when  Illinois  was  granted  statehood,  forbade 
the  bringing  of  slaves  into  the  state,  yet  such  were  found  up  to  the  year 
1840,  when  they  disappeared,  at  least  from  the  census  records. 

Illinois  Under  English  Rule 

With  envious  eye  England  watched  the  extension  of  the  French 
possessions  toward  the  west  and  the  south,  while  its  own  were  limited  to 
a  comparatively  narrow  tract  along  the  Atlantic  coast.  Before  long, 
disputes  arose  over  the  boundary  lines  between  the  English  and  the 
French  possessions,  resulting  in  a  war  which  materially  reduced  the 
French  dominion  in  America.  The  territory  thus  ceded  to  England 
included  the  present  state  of  Illinois. 

The  first  cause  of  dispute  was  the  chartering  of  a  colonizing  syn- 
dicate, entitled  The  Ohio  Company,  consisting  of  eight  members,  among 
whom  George  Washington,  the  man  who  was  to  play  such  a  decisive 


THE  ENGLISH  PERIOD  27 

part  in  the  shaping  of  the  civic  destinies  of  the  North  American  con- 
tinent. The  charter  gave  this  company  the  right  to  colonize  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  the  present  state  of  Ohio.  In  order  to  obtain  possession, 
the  company  began  erecting  a  fort  on  the  present  site  of  Pittsburg, 
but  the  men  engaged  in  building  it  were  driven  away  by  a  large  force 
of  Frenchmen  and  Indians.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  French  and 
Indian  War,  one  of  the  bloodiest  conflicts  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

The  war  lasted  from  1754  to  1759,  simultaneously  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Seven  Year's  War  in  Europe.  In  the  colonial  war  the 
Indian  tribes  of  Canada,  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Ohio 
basin  fought  on  the  side  of  the  French,  while  the  Iroquois,  the  Dela- 
wares,  the  Shawnees,  the  Miamis,  the  Wyandottes  and  various  other 
Indian  tribes  took  up  the  cause  of  the  English.  The  French  colonists 
who  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English  or  their  savage  allies  were  treated 
with  the  utmost  cruelty.  The  war  was  carried  on  with  ever  changing 
fortunes,  until  the  English  finally  gained  the  upper  hand.  The  last 
decisive  battle  was  fought  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  south  of  Quebec, 
Sept.  12,  1759,  where  the  English  commander,  General  Wolfe,  with  a 
well  trained  army  corps  of  5,000  men  utterly  defeated  the  French  army 
under  General  Montcalm,  which,  though  numerically  equal,  consisted 
chiefly  of  militiamen.  Of  these  500  fell  and  1,000  were  taken  prisoners. 
The  English  loss  was,  however,  almost  as  great,  600  men  being  killed  or 
wounded.  Both  generals  fell.  Five  days  after  the  battle  Quebec,  the 
main  stronghold  of  New  France,  capitulated,  whereby  the  key  to  the 
French  possessions  in  America  fell  into  the  hands  of  Great  Britain. 

The  preliminary  peace  protocol  was  signed  at  Montreal,  Sept.  8, 
1760,  by  General  Amherst,  the  British  commander-in-chief,  and 
Governor  de  Vaudreuil  of  New  France.  Thereupon  the  English  im- 
mediately began  to  take  possession  of  the  conquered  domains.  This, 
however,  proved  no  easy  task.  From  generation  to  generation  the 
Indians  had  become  warmly  attached  to  the  French  and  had  fought  side 
by  side  with  them  in  the  war  just  ended.  No  Englishman  had  hereto- 
fore settled  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River;  the  Indians  still  held  posses- 
sion without  the  slightest  fear  of  being  dispossessed  by  the  English. 
They  were  willing,  as  before,  to  carry  on  commerce  with  English 
traders,  but  this  was  the  extent  of  their  courtesies. 

On  Nov.  29,  1760,  the  British  under  Major  Robert  Rogers  captured 
Detroit.  The  following  summer  they  took  possession  of  Michilimackinac, 
at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior,  also  Green  Bay,  St.  Joseph  and  San- 
dusky,  which  with  their  fortifications  had  remained  intact  during  the 
war.  This  was  true  also  of  Forts  Vincennes  and  Ouatanon  on  the 
Wabash  River,  as  well  as  of  the  French  villages  and  forts  in  Illinois. 
Far  distant  as  these  were  from  the  arena  of  war,  they  had  not  been 


28  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

threatened  with  attack.  But  before  any  steps  had  been  taken  to  sub- 
jugate these  points,  the  western  tribes  determined  to  drive  out  the 
English  from  the  strongholds  already  captured.  The  brave  Chief 
Pontiac,  their  leader,  headed  a  secret  conspiracy  to  attack  and  re- 
capture at  a  preconcerted  moment  all  the  strongholds  lost  to  the 
English.  The  plan  was  carried  out  and  all  the  forts  recaptured,  with 
the  exception  of  Detroit  and  Fort  Pitt  (Pittsburg).  The  Indians  were 
again  undisputed  masters  of  the  entire  Northwest.  They  kept  up  the 
siege  of  Detroit  until  August  26,  1763,  when  General  Bradstreet  with 
a  large  force  of  Englishmen  came  to  the  relief  of  the  garrison  and  dis- 
persed the  Indians,  who  for  one  whole  year  kept  the  place  so  completely 
blockaded  that  no  provisions  could  be  smuggled  in.  Fort  Pitt  was 
similarly  besieged  until  General  Bouquet,  about  the  time  of  the  relief 
of  Detroit  by  Bradstreet,  came  to  the  rescue.  Nothing  more  remained 
for  the  English  to  do  to  fulfill  the  terms  of  the  protocol  but  to  capture 
Forts  Vincennes  and  Ouatanon  and  subdue  Illinois. 

Four  years  had  elapsed  since  the  signing  of  the  protocol,  and  still 
the  English  made  no  show  of  penetrating  into  the  wilderness,  hesitating, 
no  doubt,  on  account  of  the  vast  areas  of  forest  and  plain  which 
stretched  between  the  English  colonies  in  the  East  and  the  French 
settlements  in  Illinois.  Their  first  attempt  was  the  sending  of  a  numer- 
ous expedition  by  boat  up  the  Mississippi  in  order  to  preclude  attacks 
by  Indians  with  French  sympathies.  The  expedition,  numbering  300 
men,  was  led  by  Major  Loftus.  In  flat-bottomed  boats  they  left  the 
English  fort,  Bayou  Manchae,  on  the  Gulf,  and  proceeded  up  the  river. 
They  were,  nevertheless,  soon  attacked  by  natives  of  the  Tonica  tribe, 
encamped  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  Major  Loftus  had  no  recourse 
but  to  return. 

Meanwhile,  peace  had  been  declared  between  France  and  England, 
also  other  participants  in  the  Seven  Year's  War,  and  the  treaty  of 
Paris,  signed  in  1763,  advanced  the  frontier  of  the  English  dominion  in 
America  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi,  thereby  subjecting  Illinois, 
nominally  at  least,  to  British  rule. 

While  waiting  for  the  final  treaty  of  peace,  French  traders  in 
Illinois,  as  heretofore,  carried  on  their  commerce  in  hides  and  furs  with 
the  Indians,  disposing  of  their  stock  in  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans  at 
high  prices.  This  put  new  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  final  ratification 
of  the  peace  treaty,  for  as  soon  as  this  was  done  the  English  traders 
would  supersede  the  French  and  the  commerce  would  seek  a  channel 
over  the  Great  Lakes  instead  of  the  Mississippi,  and  England  deemed 
the  Indian  trade  of  Illinois  of  so  great  importance  that  Sir  William 
Johnson,  superintendent  of  the  British  Indian  Bureau,  was  authorized 
to  secure  control  of  it  at  once.  To  gain  this  end,  Sir  William  Johnson 


THE  ENGLISH  PERIOD  29 

appointed  George  Crogan,  an  accomplished  officer  and  a  man  of  ex- 
perience in  similar  matters,  as  his  special  commissioner.  Crogan  set 
out  from  Fort  Pitt  for  Illinois  in  May,  1765.  After  various  Indian 
skirmishes,  a  delegation  of  natives  under  the  leadership  of  the  haughty 
Chief  Pontiac  met  him  in  council  in  the  month  of  July,  this  being  the 
first  time  the  Indians  would  meet  the  British  in  peaceful  negotiations. 
After  Pontiac  had  agreed  to  cease  hostilities,  to  use  his  influence  for 
peace  with  kindred  tribes,  and  in  their  behalf  to  guarantee  the  British 
undisputed  possession  of  Illinois,  Crogan  had  no  further  purpose  in 
proceeding  westward,  but  turned  back  and  visited  Detroit,  where 
another  council  with  the  Indians  was  held.  Thence  he  returned  to 
Sir  William  Johnson,  whose  headquarters  were  on  th^,  Mohawk  River, 
and  reported  the  successful  outcome  of  his  mission. 

In  accordance  with  the  original  plan,  the  British  military  forces 
started  from  Fort  Pitt  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  to  take  formal 
possession  of  Illinois.  It  consisted  of  120  men  of  the  Forty-second 
Highlanders  under  Captain  Stirling.  The  company  arrived  at  Fort 
Chartres  near  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  on 
October  10th.  The  same  day  the  French  flag  was  hauled  down  and 
the  British  colors  hoisted  in  its  stead.  Henceforth  Illinois  was  British 
territory  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name. 

The  first  official  act  after  the  occupation  of  ^Fort  Chartres  was 
the  issuance  of  a  proclamation  guaranteeing  to  the  inhabitants  civil 
and  religious  liberty.  The  latter  was  all  that  these  Frenchmen  coveted, 
holding,  as  they  did,  that  hardly  anything  could  bo  done  to  extend 
their  political  freedom.  But  the  idea  of  reorganizing  their  communities 
along  British  lines,  with  various  office  holders,  did  not  enter  their 
mind.  They  continued  their  patriarchal  form  of  village  government, 
with  the  priest  as  chief  advisor  in  worldly  as  well  as  spiritual  affairs. 

Three  months  after  his  arrival  at  Fort  Chartres,  Captain  Stirling 
died  and  Major  Frazier  succeeded  him  as  governor  of  Illinois.  Though 
under  British  rule,  the  French  pioneers  continued  so  peaceful  and  law- 
abiding  that  the  British  troops  in  the  spring  of  1766  were  sent  away 
as  superfluous.  The  soldiers  departed  by  way  of  th^  Mississippi,  des- 
tined for  Pensacola,  Florida,  whence  they  sailed  for  Philadelphia, 
arriving  June  15th. 

One  Colonel  Reed  succeeded  Frazier  as  governor,  but  his  despotic 
manner  brought  him  into  such  disfavor  with  the  people,  that  he  was 
soon  in  turn  succeeded  by  Colonel  Wilkins,  who  arrived  at  Kaskaskia 
Sept.  5,  1768.  The  21st  of  that  month  the  new  governor  was  ordered  by 
General  Gage,  his  superior,  to  establish  a  court  at  Fort  Chartres.  Seven 
judges  were  consequently  appointed  and  on  Dec.  9th  of  that  year  the 
first  English  court  of  law  in  Illinois  opened  its  sessions.  After  existing 


3o  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

for  a  century  without  a  court  of  law,  the  French  had  established  such 
a  court  in  1722. 

The  principles  of  British  territorial  government  were  clearly  set 
forth  in  the  proclamation  of  Oct.  24,  1765,  by  King  George  the  Third, 
and  in  the  successive  proclamation  of  1772.  In  these  acts  private 
ownership  of  realty  was  forbidden,  which  fact  leads  one  to  believe  that 
the  government  purposed  to  divide  the  land  in  large  estates  to  be 
granted  to  favorites  by  the  crown.  Fortunately,  British  supremacy 
in  Illinois  did  not  last  long  enough  to  bring  about  a  system  so  dangerous 
to  the  future  development  of  the  territory. 

June  2,  1774,  the  British  parliament  adopted  an  act,  known  as  the 
Quebec  Bill,  by  which  the  boundaries  of  Canada  were  extended  so  as  to 
embrace  all  of  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  This  was  the  first 
action  of  parliament  that  aroused  actual  dissatisfaction  among  the 
colonists,  principally  those  of  Virginia.  It  encroached  upon  the  terri- 
tory of  that  colony,  whose  original  grant  stretched  across  the  Ohio,  and 
was  particularly  odious  to  the  private  colonizing  companies  which  at 
that  time  planned  to  direct  emigration  into  the  valley  of  the  Ohio. 
Certain  acts  of  Lord  Dunmore,  the  last  colonial  governor  of  Virginia, 
angered  the  people  on  the  frontier,  and  they  made  their  displeasure 
known  in  a  way  that  unmistakably  presaged  a  coming  uprising,  long 
before  any  revolutionary  tendencies  could  be  discerned  in  Boston  and 
Philadelphia. 

Captain  Hugh  Lord  seems  to  have  been  the  last  of  the  English 
governors  of  Illinois,  and  no  more  troops  were  sent  there.  The  popu- 
lation, now  made  up  of  half-breeds  as  well  as  French  and  Indians,  was 
left  to  govern  itself  under  the  direction  of  Philippe  Francois  de  Rastel, 
Chevalier  de  Rocheblave,  in  the  capacity  of  military  commander,  terri- 
torial governor  and  judge  of  the  provincial  council.  Rocheblave  was 
the  last  commander  in  Illinois  under  British  sovereignty,  continuing  in 
that  capacity  until  the  Americans  claimed  possession. 

Fort  Chartres  remained  the  seat  of  government  until  1772,  when 
one  side  of  the  fort  was  destroyed  by  a  Mississippi  flood.  On  a  hill 
near  the  Kaskaskia  River,  opposite  the  town  of  the  same  name,  the 
English  erected  Fort  Gage  the  same  year,  making  this  the  administra- 
tive headquarters.  Fort  Gage  was  built  entirely  of  wood,  being  in- 
ferior to  the  former  stronghold  now  left  to  fall  into  ruin.  The  river 
floods  have  long  since  completed  the  work  of  demolition,  leaving  no 
vestige  of  this  whilom  proud  and  forbidding  citadel. 

The  American  Occupation 

The  Continental  Congress,  made  up  of  representatives  of  the 
thirteen  colonies,  assembled  in  Philadelphia  Sept.  5,  1774.  This  con- 


THE  AMERICAN  OCCUPATION  3I 

gress  soon  set  about  forming  an  American  home  government  to  take 
the  place  of  the  British,  which  had  became  oppressive  and  odious. 
On  June  13th  of  the  following  year  three  Indian  departments  were 
instituted,  viz.,  the  Southern,  the  Northern  and  the  Central,  the  last 
named  embracing  Illinois.  As  its  officers  were  chosen  Benjamin  Frank- 


Brigadier  General  George  Rogers  Clark 

lin  and  James  Wilson  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Patrick  Henry  of  Virginia. 
Owing  to  the  remoteness  of  the  territory  under  their  supervision  no 
practical  benefits  accrued  to  it,  the  plan  simply  denoting  the  first 
official  act  in  the  acquirement  of  the  western  territory. 

On  April  10,  1776,  Col.  George  Morgan,  a  former  trader  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  was  appointed  Indian  Agent  for  this  department  to  succeed 


32  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Franklin  and  Wilson.  He  resided  at  Fort  Pitt,  but  his  office  required 
him  to  visit  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  West  for  the  purpose  of  befriend- 
ing them.  The  British  agents,  however,  had  already  obtained  their 
friendship,  and  Morgan's  efforts  proved  needless. 

In  the  meantime  the  revolutionary  movement  made  great  strides. 
Among  its  most  enthusiastic  promoters,  and  those  who  made  the 
greatest  sacrifices  in  its  support,  were  the  people  on  the  Virginia 
frontier.  Prominent  among  them  was  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark, 
himself  a  Virginian.  He  was  one  of  a  number  of  men  who  had  founded 
settlements  in  Kentucky,  but  had  returned  Oct.  1,  1777,  to  submit  to 
Governor  Patrick  Henry  of  Virginia  a  plan  for  the  occupation  of  Illi- 
nois. After  repeated  representations  the  governor  finally  approved  the 
plan,  and  Col.  Clark  prepared  to  carry  it  out. 

The  utmost  precaution  was  needed,  for  had  the  British  learned 
of  the  enterprise,  they  would  have  immediately  sent  troops  from 
Detroit  to  interrupt  the  Clark  expedition  and  prevent  further  progress, 
and  in  all  likelihood  would  have  reinforced  Fort  Gage  with  a  strong 
garrison.  The  expedition  embarked  at  Pittsburg,  following  the  Ohio 
River  down  to  a  point  near  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  whence 
it  proceeded  overland  to  Kaskaskia,  then  a  town  of  about  1,000  in- 
habitants. 

In  the  evening  of  July  4,  1778,  Clark  and  his  men  arrived  at  Fort 
Gage.  No  English  were  found  there,  only  a  handful  of  French  doing 
garrison  duty  under  the  command  of  Rocheblave.  The  inhabitants  of 
Kaskaskia  were  completely  taken  by  surprise  by  the  Americans,  and 
no  resistance  was  offered.  A  Pennsylvanian  who  chanced  to  be  among 
the  occupants  of  the  fort  secretly  admitted  the  Americans  at  night. 
So  complete  was  the  surprise  that  the  commandant  himself  was  found 
by  the  entering  enemy  soundly  asleep  by  his  wife's  side,  and  was 
rudely  awakened  only  to  be  put  in  irons,  as  were  also  a  number  of  his 
men,  while  the  remainder  of  the  population  were  forbidden  to  leave 
their  houses,  on  penalty  of  being  shot  without  mercy.  To  add  to  the 
alarm  of  the  peaceful  citizens,  the  Americans  patrolling  the  streets 
marched  back  and  forth,  making  night  hideous  by  noise  and  shouting. 

Rumor  had  portrayed  the  American  soldiers  as  a  band  of  rowdies. 
Clark,  knowing  this,  determined  to  take  advantage  of  the  fact.  His 
purpose  was  at  first  to  strike  terror  into  the  inhabitants  by  stern, 
relentless  severity,  and  afterwards  gain  their  friendship  and  confidence 
by  merciful  and  considerate  treatment.  He  succeeded  admirably. 
Before  they  had  any  inkling  of  his  purpose,  the  inhabitants  sent  a 
delegation  headed  by  their  priest,  Father  Gibault,  with  a  humble 
request  that  they  be  permitted  to  assemble  once  more  at  church  to  bid 
each  other  a  last  farewell  before  being  scattered  in  various  directions, 
as  they  feared.  Their  request  was  granted  on  the  specific  condition 


THE  AMERICAN  OCCUPATION 


33 


.& 


*LE*?& 


i.    ft  vi  :i  3. 

I    llr- 


<\  rw 


I  -fc. ' '  H  I1-  if*  'i  ?   ;-  Vi-  ^^v  ^\    n  4* 

L  W^-^l^  ^^^Wl  V  ^ 

P_  -^    -r  H,    >•  5.      ;:  !     s.     C/ 


•,    •     fc     »  ! 
/  .-si*  r*;  t* 


34 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


that  no  one  leave  the  town.  After  the  meeting  in  the  church  Father 
Gibault  and  a  committee  again  called  on  Clark,  praying  that,  as  they 
were  about  to  be  exiled  from  their  homes,  they  might  be  permitted  to 
take  with  them  provisions  and  other  necessities,  and  that  mothers  might 
not  be  separated  from  their  children.  Clark  listened  to  their  supplica- 
tions with  visible  surprise  and  then  exclaimed:  "What!  Do  you  take 
us  for  savages?" 

It  were  needless  to  say  that  the  reverend  father  and  his  com- 
panions were  equally  surprised  and  elated  at  this  good-natured  retort. 
Then  this  fierce  colonel  and  his  band  of  Americans  had  not  come  to 
drive  them  from  their  abodes  and  deprive  them  of  their  property  and 
religious  freedom !  On  the  contrary,  they  had  come  merely  to  institute 
the  new  government  and  place  Illinois  under  its  protection,  the  settlers 
learning  now  for  the  first  time  and  to  their  satisfaction  that  this 
government  had  been  officially  recognized  by  France.  Cahokia  and  the 
other  French  villages  in  Illinois  willingly  recognized  the  authority  of 
Clark,  and  Illinois  had  thereby  all  but  nominally  ceased  to  be  a  British 
dependency. 

Clark's  position  was,  however,  rather  precarious.  Fort  Pitt,  the 
only  point  from  which  he  could  obtain  reinforcements  in  an  emergency, 
was  situated  five  hundred  miles  away,  with  the  French  village  of 
Vincennes  and  Fort  Sackville,  still  held  by  the  British,  intervening 
between  him  and  his  military  base  of  supplies.  It  was,  therefore,  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  this  point  be  taken  and  that  the  British  be 
prevented  from  sending  reinforcements  from  Detroit.  Father  Gibault 
and  one  Captain  Helm,  together  with  a  small  number  of  men,  offered 
to  go  to  Vincennes  and  persuade  the  French  to  take  up  the  American 
cause.  Their  mission  succeeded,  and  Captain  Helm  was  made  com- 
mandant at  Fort  Sackville,  but  all  too  soon  the  fears  of  Col.  Clark 
were  realized.  On  Dec.  15th,  Henry  Hamilton,  the  English  governor 
at  Detroit,  appeared  outside  of  Vincennes  with  a  force  of  thirty  British 
soldiers,  fifty  French  volunteers  and  four  hundred  Indian  warriors. 
At  the  fort  Captain  Helm  stood  ready  to  fire  what  appears  to  have  been 
the  only  cannon  of  the  fort.  When  Hamilton  and  his  soldiers  had 
arrived  within  hearing  distance,  Helm  shouted  a  thundering  "Halt!" 
To  this  Hamilton  replied  with  a  demand  on  Helm  to  capitulate.  This 
Helm  agreed  to  do,  on  condition  that  he  might  depart  without  the 
customary  military  honors.  Hamilton  consented,  and  out  marched  the 
commandant  and  the  entire  garrison — one  lone  soldier. 

This  made  Clark's  position  more  perilous  than  ever,  but  he  proved 
himself  master  of  the  situation.  Having  been  informed  in  January, 
1779,  that  Hamilton  had  somewhat  reduced  the  garrison  at  Fort 
Sackville  by  sending  a  small  force  to  blockade  the  Ohio  River  in  order 
to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  Americans,  the  fearless  Col.  Clark  deter- 


THE  AMERICAN  OCCUPATION 


35 


36  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

mined  to  take  the  fort  by  surprise.  Forming  a  company  of  French 
volunteers,  which  raised  his  fighting  strength  to  170  men,  he  marched 
on  Fort  Sackville,  while  a  vessel  under  John  Rogers'  command,  with 
a  crew  of  46  and  a  cargo  of  supplies,  was  dispatched  down  the  Missis- 
sippi and  up  the  Ohio  and  Wabash  rivers  to  co-operate  with  the  land 
forces.  It  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  Clark  and  his  men 
succeeded  in  crossing  the  swollen  Wabash.  The  vessel  failing  to  arrive 
on  time,  he  temporarily  provisioned  his  forces  at  an  Indian  village  and 
advanced  bravely  on  Fort  Sackville.  They  arrived  Feb.  24th,  and 
after  a  hard-fought  battle  of  twenty-four  hours,  the  fort  surrendered. 
This  was  practically  the  only  battle  incident  to  the  conquest  of  Illinois 
by  the  Americans. 

Previous  to  this  battle,  the  Americans  had  made  preparations  for 
a  system  of  government  for  the  territory.  The  legislative  assembly  of 
Virginia  in  October,  1778,  resolved  to  institute  a  temporary  govern- 
ment, and  on  this  act  Col.  John  Todd,  second  in  command  under  Clark, 
based  a  proclamation,  issued  June  15,  1779,  declaring  the  entire 
territory  a  county  of  Virginia,  to  be  known  as  the  county  of  Illinois. 
The  same  year  a  fort  was  erected  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  designed  to  protect  the 
territory  against  the  Spanish,  who,  besides  other  extensive  possessions 
in  the  New  World,  since  1762  claimed  the  entire  territory  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  Col.  Todd  fell  in  the  battle  of  Blue  Licks,  Kentucky, 
August  18,  1782,  and  was  succeeded  by  Timothy  Montbrun,  a  French- 
man, as  commandant  of  Illinois. 

An  old  trading  post  named  Fort  Massac  was  established  about  1700 
by  the  French  in  southern  Illinois,  on  the  Ohio  River.  In  1758  they 
rebuilt  it  as  a  bulwark  against  the  English  during  the  French  and 
Indian  War.  After  having  been  ceded  to  the  British  in  1765,  the  fort 
was  left  unoccupied.  This  made  it  possible  for  Gen.  Clark  to  float  down 
the  Ohio  River  unmolested.  The  fort  was  rebuilt  in  1794  and  was 
occupied  by  an  American  garrison  until  after  the  War  of  1812,  when  it 
was  abandoned.  As  late  as  1843  it  was  decided  to  build  an  arsenal 
here,  but  this  was  instead  established  at  Rock  Island.  Earthworks  still 
mark  the  site  of  the  fort,  which  is  now  a  state  park. 

In  1782  the  first  American  settlement  in  Illinois  was  founded 
in  present  Monroe  county  and  significantly  named  New  Design.  The 
settlers  were  James  Moore,  Shadrach  Bond,  James  Garrison,  Robert 
Kidd  and  Larken  Rutherford,  the  last  two  having  served  in  Clark's 
little  band  of  soldiers.  In  the  summer  of  1781  these  men  came  with 
their  families  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  boarded  a  river  vessel 
in  Pittsburg,  and  were  carried  down  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi,  and 
up  this  river  to  the  point  selected  for  the  settlement. 

By  the  treaty  of  Paris,  Sept.  3,  1783,  England  recognized  the  inde- 


TERRITORY  AND  STATE 


37 


pendence  of  the  United  States.  The  territory  thereby  ceded  to  the 
new  republic  included  Illinois,  and  after  the  ratification  of  the  treaty 
of  peace  by  the  congress  at  Philadelphia,  on  Jan.  14,  1784,  Illinois 
became  an  integral  part  of  the  United  States  and  passed  into  a  new 
d,nd  important  epoch  of  development. 

Illinois  as  a  Territory  and  a  State  in  the  Union 

On  July  13,  1787,  congress  passed  the  Northwest  Ordinance,  by 
which  all  the  region  north  of  the  Ohio  River  was  organized  as  the 
Northwest  Territory.  October  5th  of  the  same  year  Arthur  St.  Glair, 


The  Old  Cahokia  Court  House  (1795) 


an  officer  of  prominence  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  was  appointed 
governor.  July  9th  of  the  following  year  he  arrived  at  Marietta,  a 
newly  founded  settlement  on  the  Muskingum  River,  designated  as  the 
seat  of  government.  The  first  county  in  Ohio  was  organized  under 
the  name  of  Washington.  In  June,  1790,  Hamilton  county  was  or- 
ganized, and  a  few  weeks  later  the  governor  together  with  Winthrop 
Sargeant,  the  territorial  secretary,  made  a  journey  to  Kaskaskia  and 
organized  the  settled  portions  of  Illinois  as  a  county,  named  St.  Clair 
in  honor  of  the  governor.  A  court  was  established  at  Cahokia,  and  & 
justice  of  the  peace  appointed  in  each  village.  Five  years  later  the 


3 8  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

increase  in  population  necessitated  the  organization  of  another  county, 
which  was  named  Randolph. 

By  an  act  of  congress  May  7,  1800,  the  Northwest  Territory  was 
divided  in  two,  the  one  comprising  Ohio,  the  other  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Wisconsin  and  portions  of  Michigan  and  Minnesota.  Simultaneously, 
William  Henry  Harrison  was  appointed  governor  and  John  Gibson 
secretary  of  the  latter,  called  Indiana  Territory.  Vincennes  was  chosen 


Ninian    Edwards,  Territorial    Governor    1 809-1 8. "-'i  United   States   Senator    1818-24. 

Third  Governor  1827-30. 

capital  and  the  new  governor  arrived  Jan.  10,  1801.  By  order  of  the 
governor  a  territorial  legislature  was  elected  Jan.  3,  1805,  and  assem- 
bled at  Vincennes.  Shadrach  Bond  and  William  Biggs  were  elected 
representatives  of  St.  Clair  county  and  George  Fisher  representative 
of  Randolph  county.  These  three  men,,  the  first  members  of  a  legisla- 
tive body  in  Illinois,  met  for  their  first  session  July  29th  of  the  same 
year. 


TERRITORY  AND  STATE  39 

Previously,  however,  Indiana  Territory  had  already  been  divided 
by  an  act  of  congress,  passed  Jan.  11,  1805,  the  lower  Michigan  penin- 
sula forming  a  separate  territory.  Four  years  later,  in  February, 
1809,  a  second  division  took  place,  making  a  new  territory,  named 
Illinois,  out  of  the  present  states  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  and  the  upper 
peninsula  of  Michigan.  Kaskaskia  was  made  its  capital  and  Edwards, 
the  first  governor,  entered  upon  his  administration  the  following  llth 
of  June.  The  census  of  1810  showed  a  population  of  12,282  in  the 


Old  Kaskaskia  house,  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
is  said  to  have  met  in  1812 

territory.  Three  new  counties,  Madison,  Gallatin  and  Johnson,  were 
organized,  and  the  territorial  privileges  were  gradually  enhanced. 
Thus  it  was  given  a  seat  in  congress  in  1812,  Shadrach  Bond  being  the 
first  territorial  delegate. 

In  January,  1818,  Nathaniel  Pope  being  the  delegate,  the  territorial 
assembly  petitioned  congress  for  statehood.  The  petition  was  granted, 
and  out  of  the  aggregation  of  small  and  widely  scattered  settlements 
was  formed  a  state  of  the  Union  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
thereunto  appertaining.  The  boundaries  then  fixed  have  remained 
intact.  The  following  summer  a  constitutional  convention  was  held 
at  Kaskaskia,  with  attending  delegates  from  all  the  counties  then 
existing,  viz.,  St.  Clair,  Kandolph,  Madison,  Gallatin,  Johnson,  Ed- 
wards, White,  Monroe,  Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Wash- 


40  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

ington  and  Franklin.  The  constitution  was  adopted  in  August  and 
the  first  state  election  took  place  in  September,  resulting  in  the  unan- 
imous election  of  Shadrach  Bond,  the  only  candidate,  as  governor, 
Pierre  Menard  as  lieutenant  governor,  and  Elias  Kent  Kane  as  secre- 


Shadrach  Bond,  First  Governor  of  Illinois 

tary  of  state.  These  entered  upon  their  duties  the  6th  of  October 
following. 

In  1820  Vandalia  became  the  capital  of  the  new  state,  and  Kaskas- 
kia  from  that  time  began  to  fall  off  in  population  and  importance. 
Today  only  a  small  group  of  dilapidated  buildings  bear  evidence  of 
its  former  dignity. 

A  similar  fate  befell  the  still  older  community  of  Cahokia.  Both 
places  having  for  a  time  shared  the  functions  of  county  seat  in  St. 
Clair  county,  Cahokia,  after  the  organization  of  Randolph  county,  held 


TERRITORY  AND  STATE  4I 

that  distinction  alone  until  1814,  when  Belleville  became  the  adminis- 
trative center.  This  meant  the  passing  of  Cahokia.  In  1890  the  place 
had  but  100  inhabitants,  a  considerable  number  of  whom  were  descend- 
ants of  the  early  French  settlers  at  that  point. 

Vandalia  became,  as  stated,  the  capital  of  the  new  commonwealth. 
The  first  capitol  building  was  a  plain  two-story  frame  structure.  The 
first  story  contained  a  single  room,  used  as  the  assembly  hall  of  the 
House  of  Eepresentatives.  The  upper  story  was  divided  into  two 
rooms,  the  one  occupied  by  the  Senate,  the  other  by  the  Council  of 
Revision.  For  the  use  of  the  secretary  of  state,  the  treasurer  and  the 
state  auditor  individual  offices  were  rented  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capitol. 
The  state  archives  at  the  time  of  removal  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vandalia 
comprised  a  single  wagonload  of  documents.  The  legislature  at  its 
first  session  in  Vandalia  resolved  that  this  city  be  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment for  twenty  years,  beginning  Dec.  1,  1820. 

This  modest  capitol  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  Dec.  9,  1823, 
whereupon  a  larger  and  more  commodious  brick  edifice  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $15,000,  the  citizens  of  Vandalia  contributing  $3,000  towards 
this  amount.  Regardless  of  the  resolution  pertaining  to  the  location 
of  the  capitol,  agitation  was  begun  the  very  same  year  in  favor  of 
selecting  another  capital  city,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  northern  part 
of  the  state  had  become  so  densely  populated  that  Vandalia  was  no 
longer  the  central  point.  At  the  legislative  election  in  August,  1834, 
the  question  was  submitted  to  a  popular  vote,  the  city  of  Alton  receiv- 
ing the  largest  number  of  votes,  with  Springfield  second.  One  of  the 
reasons  urged  in  favor  of  a  removal  was  that  the  capitol  building, 
though  little  over  ten  years  old,  did  not  meet  the  growing  requirements. 
The  enterprising  mayor  of  the  capital  was  opposed  to  the  plan,  and  to 
stop  all  talk  of  removal  on  account  of  the  inadequacy  of  the  structure, 
in  the  summer  of  1836  set  about  tearing  down  the  old  building  without 
reference  to  the  will  of  the  legislature,  and  subsequently  put  up  a  new 
building,  utilizing  the  old  and  adding  new  material  at  a  cost  of  $16,000. 
This  coup  proved  of  no  avail,  however,  for  on  Feb.  28,  1837,  the  legis- 
lature, disregarding  the  popular  vote  of  1834,  resolved  to  make  Spring- 
field the  capital  city.  The  legislature  assembled  in  the  state  house  at 
Vandalia  in  December,  1838,  for  the  last  time,  thereupon  'turning  the 
rebuilt  structure  over  to  Fayette  county  for  a  courthouse  and  school 
building.  Remodeled  in  1858-9,  this  same  structure  today  serves  as  the 
county  courthouse. 

For  the  capitol  building  in  Springfield  the  legislature  appropriated 
the  sum  of  $50,000  and  the  city  contributed  an  equivalent  amount, 
whereupon  the  cornerstone  was  laid  with  appropriate  ceremonies  July 
4,  1837.  On  the  same  day  two  years  later  the  administration  moved 
into  the  new  statehouse,  which,  however,  was  not  completed  until 


42  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1853,  when  it  had  cost  the  state  $260,000  or  more  than  double  the 
original  estimate  of  $120,000.  The  building  was  considered  a  master- 
piece of  architecture  as  well  as  a  structure  of  extravagant  magnitude, 
yet  fifteen  years  after  its  completion  the  enormous  growth  of  the  state 
had  shrunk  it  into  inadequacy.  The  legislature,  therefore,  on  Feb. 
25,  1867,  resolved  to  sell  it  to  the  city  of  Springfield  and  the  county 
of  Sangamon  at  a  price  of  $200,000  and  to  erect  a  new  capitol,  the 


The  State  Capitol  at  Springfield 

fifth  in  the  history  of  the  young  state.  The  cost  was  fixed  at  a  max- 
imum of  three  million  dollars.  The  cornerstone  was  laid  Oct.  5,  1868, 
and  twenty  years  were  required  to  complete  the  building.  It  then 
represented  an  expenditure  of  about  $4,500,000.  During  this  long 
period  the  tax  payers  had  repeatedly  found  fault  with  the  extreme 
laxity  in  building  operations  as  well  as  the  unwarranted  waste  of  the 
funds  of  the  state.  At  all  events,  a  capitol  worthy  of  the  state  was 
erected.  It  is  a  worthy  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  a  commonwealth 
that  had  so  suddenly  sprung  from  an  isolated  territory  to  become  one 
of  the  most  flourishing  and  influential  states  of  the  Union. 

Among  the  early  problems  that  pressed  for  a  solution  was  the 
question  of  improved  transportation  facilities.  The  state  had  a  number 
of  navigable  waterways,  such  as  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  the  W  abash, 


TERRITORY  AND  STATE 


43 


the  Illinois  and  the  Rock  rivers,  yet  the  vast  stretches  of  prairie  that 
intervened  were  traversed  only  with  great  difficulty.  The  old  commer- 
cial route,  leading  from  Lake  Michigan  along  the  Desplaines  and 
Illinois  rivers  to  the  Mississippi,  again  came  into  extensive  use  as  the 
white  population  increased,  but  carrying  merchandise  in  canoes  and  on 
horseback  was  now  considered  too  slow  a  mode  of  transportation.  The 
idea  of  connecting  the  Mississippi  with  Lake  Michigan  by  means  of  a 
canal  suggested  itself,  and  the  first  step  in  the  realization  of  the  plan 
was  the  organization  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  Association 
in  1825.  The  following  year  a  memorial  was  sent  to  congress  by  the 
legislature,  requesting  a  grant  of  land  by  the  government  toward  de- 
fraying the  expense  to  be  incurred  by  the  project.  In  1827  congress 
appropriated  224,322  acres  of  land  for  this  purpose.  In  1836,  nine 
years  later,  the  work  of  digging  was  begun,  and  twelve  years  later  the 
canal  was  completed.  This  waterway  remained  for  many  years  one  o'f 
the  principal  transportation  routes  in  the  state. 

During  the  construction  of  the  canal,  an  epidemic  of  speculation 
raged  throughout  the  state.  Villages,  towns  arid  cities  sprang  up — on 
paper,  and  lots  sold  rapidly  at  exhorbitant  prices.  It  proved  the  golden 
age  of  the  real  estate  agents  and  promoters.  Finally,  in  1836,  the  fever 
spread  to  the  legislature  itself.  The  lawmakers  devised  a  plan  for  the 
improvement  of  transportation  facilities  which,  in  point  of  extensive- 
ness,  challenges  comparison.  Bills  were  passed  looking  to  the  building 
of  no  less  than  1,300  miles  of  railways  crossing  one  another  in  every 
direction.  Large  amounts  were  set  aside  for  the  improvement  of  rivers 
and  the  building  of  canals.  Counties  not  affected  by  these  public 
enterprises  were  set  at  rest  by  means  of  an  appropriation  of  $200,000 
to  be  parcelled  out  among  them.  The  legislature  was  in  such  a  state 
of  excitement  that  it  gave  orders  for  beginning  work  at  both  ends  of 
the  projected  railroads  simultaneously.  The  appropriations  for  the 
enormous  enterprises  amounted  to  a  grand  total  of  $12,000,000  and 
commissioners  were  sent  out  to  negotiate  loans  to  that  amount.  Con- 
sidering that  the  railway  was  still  in  its  infancy  and  was  locked  upon 
as  the  greatest  of  luxuries,  that  there  were  entire  counties  that  could 
scarcely  boast  a  single  settler's  cabin,  and  that  the  entire  population 
of  the  state  numbered  less  than  400,000,  the  legislature  of  the  young 
state  certainly  expended  a  tremendous  amount  of  energy  in  its  efforts 
to  develop  the  resources  of  the  commonwealth.  Meanwhile  the  legis- 
lature established  new  state  banks,  the  earnings  of  which  were  to  be 
used  to  defray  part  of  the  expense  for  the  new  lines  of  transportation. 
This  forced  and  abnormal  development  was  soon  followed  by  the 
inevitable  crash.  This  came  in  the  form  of  the  great  financial  panic 
of  1837  which,  while  it  affected  the  entire  country,  yet  caused  the  most 
serious  disturbance  in  this  state.  Business  was  practically  stagnant  and 


44 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


all  public  enterprises  had  to  be  abandoned  for  the  time  being.  The 
state  banks  discontinued  cash  payments,  and  the  credit  of  the  state  was 
still  further  impaired  during  the  next  few  years  by  a  vigorous 
propaganda  in  favor  of  repudiating  the  public  debt.  So  great  was  the 
financial  embarrassment  that  state  bonds  offered  at  14  cents  on  the 
dollar  went  begging  in  the  money  markets.  Taxes  and  state  revenues 
narrowly  sufficed  to  defray  current  expenditures.  After  August,  1841, 
no  further  efforts  were  made  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  state  debt,  and 
in  the  early  part  of  the  following  year  the  state  banks  went  out  of  bus- 
iness entirely.  The  state  debt  at  this  time  amounted  to  $14,000,000,  an 
enormous  sum  for  a  young  state  with  a  small  population  and  with  its 
natural  resources  still  undeveloped. 

In  1842  Illinois  thus  stood  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy.  From  such 
a  catastrophe  it  was  saved  by  Governor  Thomas  Ford,  an  energetic 
man,  through  whose  endeavors  a  plan  for  the  payment  of  the  state 
indebtedness  was  formed  and  successfully  carried  out.  This  marked 
the  beginning  of  a  gradual  improvement  in  the  finances  of  the  state. 

Long  before  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  was  opened  for 
traffic,  the  first  steamboat  had  appeared  on  the  Illinois  River.  This 
was  in  1826,  but  several  years  elapsed  before  steamboats  came  into 
general  use  for  river  traffic.  In  the  late  thirties  railway  building  was 
begun  in  Illinois  as  well  as  in  the  eastern  states.  The  first  railway  in 
the  state  was  the  Northern  Cross,  with  Jacksonville  and  Meredosia  as 
its  terminal  points.  This  stretch  of  road,  which  proved  the  beginning 
of  the  great  Wabash  Railway  system,  was  completed  in  1839,  the  first 
locomotive  having  been  imported  the  foregoing  year.  This  railway  was 
built  at  state  expense. 

In  1847  work  was  begun  on  the  first  railway  out  of  Chicago, 
namely,  the  Galena  and  Chicago  Union,  which  had  been  chartered 
eleven  years  before.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  great  North- 
Western  Railway  system,  which  has  contributed  so  largely  to  the 
material  development  of  the  state.  The  Chicago  and  Rock  Island 
Railway  was  built  in  the  early  fifties,  opening  an  important  thorough- 
fare from  Chicago  to  the  Mississippi  and  the  West. 

In  the  financial  crisis  of  1837,  Illinois  was  one  of  the  states  which 
suffered  the  greatest  loss.  Business  was  at  a  standstill  and  all  public 
enterprises  were  indefinitely  postponed.  Business  operations  were 
resumed  by  slow  degrees,  however,  and  Illinois  swung  again  into  the 
path  of  progress.  A  new  period  of  prosperity  was  inaugurated  in  1850 
by  an  act  of  Congress  appropriating  extensive  land  grants  for  the 
completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railway.  Immigrants  came  in  great 
numbers,  and  towns  and  villages  sprang  up  quickly  along  this  railroad 
as  it  neared  its  completion  in  1856.  The  public  debt  of  the  state  had 


TERRITORY  AND  STATE  45 

increased  enormously  during  the  panic  of  1837  and  grew  continually, 
reaching  its  highest  point,  $16,724,177,  in  1853. 

Another  great  stride  in  the  development  of  the  state  was  taken  in 
1848,  when  the  telegraph  system,  established  a  few  years  prior,  was 
extended  into  Illinois. 

At  this  point  we  may  fitly  mention  an  event  in  the  early  history 
of  Illinois  which  at  the  time  was  considered  very  noteworthy.  In  the 
spring  of  1825,  at  the  initiative  of  Governor  Coles,  the  renowned 


General  Lafayette 
• 

General  Lafayette  of  revolutionary  fame  paid  a  visit  to  Illinois.  The 
governor  had  formed  the  general's  acquaintance  in  Paris,  and  when 
the  latter  was  about  to  visit  the  young  republic  which  he  had  so  mater- 
ially helped  to  establish,  the  governor  insisted  that  the  journey  ought 
to  be  extended  to  what  was  at  that  time  known  as  the  far  West. 
Lafayette's  visit  to  Illinois  was  hailed  with  the  utmost  enthusiasm  by 
the  Americans  and  not  least  by  the  descendants  of  the  old  French 
settlers.  The  expenses  of  the  trip  were  paid  out  of  the  state  treasury, 
amounting  to  $6,743,  or  one  third  of  the  tax  revenue  for  the  year. 

While  long  and  bloody  conflicts  were  raging  between  the  whites 
and  the  Indians  in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  Illinois  was  spared  the  ravages 
of  Indian  warfare,  owing  largely  to  the  French  element,  which  had 
early  gained  the  confidence  of  the  redskins  and  long  exercised  a  dom- 


46 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


mating  and  wholesome  influence  over  the  Indians  and  the  population 
in  general.  During  the  war  of  1812  between  England  and  the  United 
States,  the  Indians  as  allies  of  the  British  committed  certain  outrages, 
which  were,  however,  of  small  significance  as  against  the  cruelties 
perpetrated  before  and  after  in  other  western  territories. 

The  most  serious  conflict  of  this  kind  in  Illinois  was  the  Black 
Hawk  War  of  1832.  Black  Hawk,  who  in  1788  had  succeeded  his  father 
as  chief  of  the  Sac  Indians,  sedulously  guarded  the  interests  of  his  tribe 
against  the  inroads  of  the  whites. 
Bitter  rage  filled  the  chieftain's 
heart,  when  certain  other  chiefs 
of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  in  1804 
disposed  of  their  lands,  comprising 
a  stretch  of  700  miles  along  the 
Mississippi,  to  the  whites  for  an 
indefinite  amount  payable  in  an- 
nual instalments  of  $1,000.  He 
held  that  his  fellow  chiefs  must 
have  been  drunk  when  signing 
such  an  agreement.  Nevertheless, 
Black  Hawk  himself  renewed  the 
agreement  in  1816.  Having  thus 
become  homeless  on  their  former 
domains  east  of  the  Mississippi, 
the  tribesmen  were  compelled  to 
withdraw  in  great  numbers  to  the 
government  reservation  opened 

to  them  in  1823  in  Iowa,  near  the  present  site  of  Des  Moines.  Black 
Hawk  and  a  number  of  others,  however,  remained  on  their  native  soil.* 
In  1831  the  last  tract  occupied  by  the  Indians  was  sold  to  white  settlers. 
When  these  began  to  plow  up  the  little  patches  already  planted  by  the 
Indians,  the  anger  of  the  savage  chief  and  his  followers  knew  no 
bounds  and  they  swore  bloody  vengeance.  To  prevent  an  outbreak, 
the  state  militia  was  called  out,  and  Black  Hawk  and  his  warriors  were 
forced  to  retreat  beyond  the  Mississippi  under  promise  not  to  return 
to  Illinois  without  permission.  He  soon  broke  his  promise  and  invaded 
the  state  in  the  spring  of  1832,  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  fifty  warriors, 
but  was  met  and  repulsed  by  the  militia.  The  band  was  broken  up  into 
small  groups  that  attacked  the  white  settlers  wherever  found,  killing, 
scalping  and  devastating.  General  Scott  was  sent  with  a  small  force 
to  put  a  stop  to  the  savagery,  but  his  operations  were  hampered  by  an 
outbreak  of  cholera  among  the  soldiers.  The  Indians  were  at  last 
driven  up  to  the  Wisconsin  Eiver  where  General  Dodge  dealt  them  a 
telling  blow  on  July  21st  and  General  Atkinson,  on  August  2nd,  totally 


BLACK    HAWK 


MORMONS  AT  NAUVOO  47 

defeated  them.  Chief  Black  Hawk  was  taken  prisoner,  and  a  treaty 
was  made  by  which  the  remainder  of  the  lands  claimed  by  his  tribe 
were  sold  and  the  remaining  tribesmen,  about  3,000  in  number,  were 
transferred  to  the  aforesaid  reservation  in  Iowa.  The  chief  himself, 
two  of  his  sons  and  seven  warriors  who  were  held  as  hostages  by  the 
government  for  some  time,  were  taken  through  a  number  of  the  larger 
cities  in  the  East  and  finally  imprisoned  at  Fort  Monroe.  They  were 
liberated  June  5,  1833,  and  permitted  to  rejoin  their  tribe.  This 
famous  chief  of  a  dwindling  tribe  died  at  the  reservation  on  the  Des 
Moines  Kiver  on  Oct.  3,  1838,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy. 

The  Mormons  at  Nauvoo 

Peace  had  scarcely  been  restored,  when  a  new  disturbance  aroused 
the  inhabitants.  This  time  the  Mormons  were  the  disturbing  element. 
In  the  state  of  New  York  Joseph  Smith  had  proclaimed  the  alleged 
revelation  of  the  hidden  tablets  of  gold,  by  the  aid  of  which  he  had 
written  a  book  embodying  a  new  religion.  In  April,  1830,  he  had 
organized  a  small  band  of  followers  who  were  called  Mormons  after 
that  weird  fabric  of  truth  and  falsehood,  the  Book  of  Mormons.  Joseph 
Smith  and  his  faithful  settled  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  where  the  sect  grew 
so  rapidly  that  Smith  and  his  assistant,  Sidney  Rigdon,  soon  were 
obliged  to  select  a  larger  tract  farther  west  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  colony.  A  suitable  location  was  found  at  Independence,  Jackson 
county,  Missouri,  and  here  they  determined  to  found  a  New  Jerusalem 
and  build  their  temple.  Smith  and  Rigdon  returned  to  Kirtland  and 
set  about  raising  the  funds  needed  for  the  removal.  They  decided  to 
establish  a  bank  as  the  easiest  means  to  that  end,  but  omitted,  as  use- 
less, the  formality  of  obtaining  banking  privileges  from  the  govern- 
ment. While  issuing  bank  notes  of  highly  questionable  value,  they 
provided  for  the  numerical  growth  of  the  sect  by  sending  out  mission- 
aries to  various  parts  of  the  country.  In  January,  1838,  the  bank  was 
forced  to  close,  while  Smith  and  Rigdon  escaped  being  imprisoned  as 
swindlers  by  leaving  the  city  by  night  and  making  their  way  toward 
Missouri  with  numerous  creditors  on  their  tracks. 

In  the  meantime,  large  numbers  of  Mormons  assembled  there,  the 
influx  being  marked  by  sharp  friction  with  the  inhabitants,  who,  with 
or  without  cause,  charged  the  strangers  with  robbery,  incendiarism 
and  murder.  After  numerous  conflicts  with  enraged  mobs,  they  were 
driven  from  one  county  to  another  and  settled  at  last  in  the  town  of 
Far  West,  in  Caldwell  county,  where  Smith  and  Rigdon  rejoined  them. 
The  conflicts  with  the  Missourians  continued,  while  an  internal  feud 
threatened  disintegration  among  the  Mormons  themselves.  This  strife 
was  quickly  settled,  whereupon  the  colony  again  presented  a  united 


48  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

front  to  their  neighbors.  Toward  the  close  of  1838  the  conflict  had 
assumed  the  proportions  of  a  rebellion.  The  Mormons  armed  themselves 
and  assembled  in  large  numbers  in  fortified  villages,  openly  challenging 
the  authorities.  Finally  the  governor  was  forced  to  call  out  the  militia, 
and  Smith  and  Rigdon  were  arrested,  charged  with  fomenting  a  revolt. 

Realizing  the  fruitlessness  of  armed  opposition  to  the  people  of 
the  entire  state,  the  Mormons  now  submitted  to  the  authorities  and 
agreed  to  leave  the  state.  To  a  number  of  15,000  they  crossed  over 
into  Illinois  in  1839,  receiving  a  friendly  welcome  in  spite  of  reports 
of  the  trouble  they  had  caused  in  the  neighboring  state.  Smith  mean- 
while fled  from  prison  and  here  reunited  with  his  flock  and  his 
comrade  Rigdon,  who  had  been  released  through  habeas  corpus  pro- 
ceedings. On  a  tract  of  .land  in  Hancock  county,  placed  at  their 
disposal  on  speculation  by  one  Doctor  Isaac  Gralland,  the  Mormons 
began  to  build  the  town  of  Nauvoo.  By  sharp  transactions  in  real 
estate  Smith  amassed  a  fortune  in  a  few  years. 

On  the  strength  of  an  alleged  new  revelation,  Joseph  Smith  issued 
a  decree  to  his  followers  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  commanding 
them  to  assemble  in  Nauvoo,  whereby  the  population  of  the  town  in- 
creased by  thousands  in  a  short  time.  A  charter  was  issued  by  the 
legislature,  entitling  the  city  to  certain  exceptional  privileges,  which 
placed  Smith  and  Rigdon,  together  with  other  leaders,  in  a  position  to 
assume  almost  unlimited  power  over  the  community.  Among  other 
privileges  was  that  of  organizing  a  military  force.  This  resulted  in  the 
forming  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion,  comprising  nearly  all  ablebodied  men 
in  the  town.  Smith  assumed  the  chief  command  with  the  title  of 
Lieutenant  General.  Besides  this,  he  was  mayor  of  the  city  and 
president  of  the  Mormon  denomination.  Having  thus  united  in  his 
own  person  the  civil,  the  military,  and  the  ecclesiastical  power,  he  was 
not  slow  to  exercise  the  prerogatives  voted  him  by  his  own  followers 
and  a  short-sighted  state  legislature.  He  had  purposely  so  worded  the 
Nauvoo  city  charter  as  to  deprive  the  state  authorities  of  almost  every 
vestige  of  jurisdiction  within  its  limits.  It  was  a  proud  moment  for 
Joseph  Smith,  when  on  April  6,  1841,  at  the  head  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion 
and  surrounded  by  a  glittering  military  staff,  he  performed  the  pomp- 
ous ceremony  of  laying  the  cornerstone  of  the  temple,  designed  to  be 
the  civil  and  religious  shrine  of  the  dreamed-of  Mormon  empire. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Mormons  had  sustained  fairly  peaceful  rela- 
tions with  the  people  of  the  state,  but  when  Smith  in  1843  announced  a 
new  revelation  instituting  polygamy,  the  situation  was  at  once  changed. 
The  leaders  publicly  disclaimed  and  denounced  the  doctrine  but  to  no 
avail,  for  it  was  generally  known  that  Smith  himself  had  lived  in  plural 
marriage  since  1838.  Certain  men,  whose  wives  Smith  had  approached 
seeking  to  induce  them  to  enter  into  illegal  relations  with  him,  estab- 


MORMONS  AT  NAUVOO 


49 


lished  a  newspaper,  the  "Expositor,"  which  mercilessly  exposed  the 
immoral  life  of  the  prophet.  The  result  was  that  on  May  6,  1844,  a 
number  of  Smith's  faithful  attempted  to  destroy  the  office  and  property 
of  the  paper.  The  perpetrators  were  ordered  arrested  but  refused  to 
follow  the  officer  of  the  law  who  read  the  warrant,  fortifying  them- 
selves by  the  charter  of  special  privileges,  and  the  officer  was  driven 


The  Mormon  Temple  at  Nauvoo 

out  of  town  by  force.  The  county  authorities  called  for  military  aid 
in  preserving  law  and  order;  the  Mormons  also  took  up  arms  and 
bloodshed  seemed  imminent.  This  was  prevented  by  the  governor, 
who  persuaded  Smith  and  his  brother  Hyrum  to  submit  to  a  trial.  They 
were  taken  to  the  prison  in  Carthage  where  guards  were  posted  for 
their  protection.  In  the  evening  of  June  27th  the  prison  was  attacked 


50  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

by  a  mob;  the  guards  were  overpowered,  shots  were  fired  at  the 
prisoners  through  doors  and  windows,  and  Hyrum  Smith  fell  dead 
on  the  spot.  The  prophet  returned  the  fire,  defending  his  own  life 
with  a  revolver  until  his  ammunition  was  spent,  then  made  a  dash  for 
safety  through  a  window,  but  was  hit  by  a  bullet  and  fell  dead  in  his 
tracks.  This  ended  the  career  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  religious 
adventurer. 

Profiting  by  past  experience,  the  legislature  annulled  the  charter 
of  the  city  of  Nauvoo  the  following  year,  and  the  Mormons  were  forced 
to  seek  new  quarters.  A  considerable  number  broke  camp  in  Febru- 
ary, 1846,  and  gathered  in  Council  Bluffs,  whence  they  travelled  afoot 
across  the  plains  and  mountains  to  Utah.  The  remaining  Mormons 
had  a  second  conflict  with  their  neighbors.  In  September,  1846,  the 
city  was  fired  into  for  three  consecutive  days  and  the  inhabitants  were 
finally  driven  out  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  In  the  year  following 
there  was  another  exodus  to  Utah,  but  not  until  May,  1848,  did  the 
main  body  of  the  Mormons  break  up  from  Nauvoo  and  follow  in  the 
path  of  the  advance  guards.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  their  destina- 
tion was  reached.  In  Utah  the  Mormons  soon  founded  the  city  of 
Salt  Lake  and  various  other  important  communities.  Judging  from 
the  continued  history  of  the  Mormons,  particularly  that  of  the  fifties, 
the  state  of  Illinois  is  to  be  felicitated  upon  its  fortunate  riddance, 
after  but  a  few  years,  of  this  lawless  and  obstinate  element. 

The  Icarian  Community 

When  the  Mormons  evacuated  Nauvoo  in  1846,  the  place  was  im- 
mediately occupied  by  a  party  of  French  settlers,  known  as  Icarians, 
who  formed  a  community,  the  story  of  which  has  a  peculiar  interest. 

Etienne  Cabet,  born  at  Dijon,  France,  the  son  of  a  cooper,  became 
in  the  time  of  Louis  Philippe  one  of  the  leading  French  jurists  and 
ultimately  attorney-general  during  the  Second  Republic.  He  was  a 
novelist  of  some  note,  his  best  known  works  being  entitled,  respectively, 
"Voyage  to  Icaria"  and  "The  True  Christianity."  Having  lived 
through  the  horrors  of  the  revolution,  Cabet  founded  the  Icarian  Com- 
munity, based  on  ideas  advanced  by  Victor  Hugo  in  a  novel  called 
"Icaria."  A  number  of  his  adherents  preceded  him  to  America,  landed 
at  New  Orleans  and  planted  a  colony  in  Texas,  on  the  Red  River, 
opposite  Shreveport.  La.  Finding  the  climate  unfavorable,  they  re- 
turned to  New  Orleans,  where  they  were  joined  by  Cabet,  who  ap- 
pointed a  committee  of  three  to  sail  up  the  Mississippi  to  select  a  site 
for  final  settlement.  This  committee  visited  Nauvoo  and  agreed  to 
purchase  about  twelve  acres  of  the  Mormons'  property,  on  which  the 
party  subsequently  located. 


THE   ICARIAN  COMMUNITY  5! 

On  leaving,  the  Mormons  tried  to  burn  their  temple,  a  handsome 
structure  built  largely  of  massive  stone,  with  the  upper  portion  and 
steeple  of  frame.  The  fire  destroyed  only  the  upper  parts,  which  the 
Icarians  set  about  reconstructing.  A  terrific  storm  undid  their  work 
and  also  tore  down  part  of  the  masonry,  whereupon  they  used  what 
was  left  of  the  temple  in  erecting  other  buildings.  The  principal  ones 
were  a  large  structure,  the  lower  part  of  which  contained  one  vast 
hall,  which  served  the  double  purpose  of  dining  room  and  auditorium, 
the  upper  story  containing  living  rooms.  The  hall  accommodated  1,200 
diners,  who  were  all  served  almost  at  the  same  time.  The  next  largest 
building  in  Icaria  was  a  schoolhouse. 

The  administration  consisted  of  president,  secretary,  treasurer  and 
seven  directors,  styled  ministers,  all  elected  yearly  by  the  members 
of  the  community,  females  of  eighteen  and  males  of  twenty-one  being 
entitled  to  vote.  They  also  elected  a  General  Assembly,  a  legislative 
body  which  held  session  every  Saturday  evening.  Pere  Cabet,  the 
founder  of  the  community,  was  its  president  for  many  successive  terms. 
Admission  into  the  community  was  conditioned  by  the  payment  of  300 
francs.  The  applicant  was  put  on  probation  for  three  months,  then 
voted  on  and,  failing  of  election,  his  money  was  returned.  If  elected, 
the  applicant  was  required  to  turn  over  all  his  property  to  the  com- 
munity. The  colony  was  strictly  communistic  in  every  detail. 

There  was  a  general  director  of  work,  with  special  foremen 
appointed  monthly  for  each  line  of  employment,  and  each  man  or 
woman  could  select  the  work  desired,  with  the  privilege  of  changing 
occupation  at  times  to  relieve  the  monotony.  The  children  were  put 
in  school  at  seven  and  kept  there  until  adjudged  competent.  In  the 
highest  classes  the  sciences,  astronomy,  geometry,  etc.,  were  taught  to 
both  sexes.  The  instruction  was  liberal  in  the  extreme.  So  good  was 
the  school  considered  that  outsiders  went  there  to  receive  their  educa- 
tion. In  religion  they  were  also  liberal,  most  of  them  being  free 
thinkers;  but  church  affiliation  was  no  bar  to  membership.  Sundays 
were  generally  set  aside  for  recreation.  After  dinner  the  great  hall 
was  cleared  and  given  over  to  discussion  or  to  music,  an  excellent 
orchestra  of  fifty  pieces  being  maintained.  On  Sunday  evenings  in 
winter  the  colonists  were  usually  regaled  with  some  play,  there  being 
several  actors  of  talent  and  a  stage  at  one  end  of  the  hall.  After  the 
show,  adults  and  children  indulged  in  dancing.  There  were  hospitals 
for  the  sick,  an  athletic  field  for  public  sports  and  playgrounds  for  the 
children.  Civil  cases  and  cases  of  misdemeanor  were  tried  by  the  assem- 
bly. Criminal  cases,  if  any,  were  turned  over  to  the  municipal  author- 
ities, for  the  colonists  were  loyal  subjects  of  the  United  States.  They 
had  a  periodical,  the  "Icarian,,"  issued  more  for  proselyting  purposes 
than  for  the  news  it  contained.  Copies  circulated  in  France  from  time 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 


5 2  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

to  time  won  new  members,  particularly  from  the  communistic  party. 
When  Napoleon  III.  ordered  the  arrest  of  the  communists,  many  fled 
to  America  and  a  number  joined  the  Icarians  at  Nauvoo. 

The  Icarians  were  largely  skilled  workmen,  such  as  mechanics, 
tailors  and  shoemakers.  To  dispose  of  the  overproduction  by  the  latter 
two  crafts,  a  store  was  opened  in  St.  Louis  for  the  sale  of  clothing  and 
shoes.  Other  surplus  products  were  sold  in  Keokuk,  la.  The  colony 
had  flour  mills,  sawmills,  a  cooper  shop,  a  wagon  factory  and  a 
distillery.  Much  of  their  textile  goods  was  manufactured  at  home. 

All  told,  there  were  about  1,800  Icarians  during  their  sojourn  in 
Nauvoo,  but  never  more  than  1,200  at  one  time.  Most  of  the  members 
were  French,  with  a  sprinkling  of  other  nationalities.  Early  in  the 
fifties,  forty-eight  of  the  colonists  were  sent  to  pre-empt  government 
lands  near  Council  Bluffs,  la.,  and  acquired  some  8,000  acres,  the  com- 
munity apparently  foreseeing  the  day  when  its  present  quarters  might 
become  too  cramped.  In  the  course  of  time  the  serpent  of  disruption 
entered  the  Icarian  Eden.  Though  most  economically  managed,  the 
maintenance  being  but  iy2  cents  daily,  per  capita,  the  colony  was  going 
slowly  but  surely  to  the  wall.  To  reduce  the  constantly  growing 
indebtedness,  the  more  practical  members  urged  that  the  plan  of  keep- 
ing skilled  workmen  on  a  plane  with  common  laborers  should  be 
abolished  and  the  former  set  to  work  in  manufacturing  goods  on  a 
larger  scale  for  the  general  market,  enabling  the  colony  to  liquidate 
the  debt.  This  clashed  with  the  theory  of  "Father  Cabet,"  who  held 
that  commerce  and  intercourse  with  the  outside  world  would  spoil 
community  life.  He  also  claimed  the  position  of  supreme  dictator  for 
life.  When  at  the  next  election  he  was  defeated  for  president,  he 
withdrew  in  disappointment,  going  to  Cheltenham,  near  St.  Louis,  with 
his  minority  of  about  200  colonists.  He  did  not  long  survive  the 
defeat;  his  adherents  disbanded  or  joined  the  settlement  in  Iowa;  the 
community  property  was  sold  to  pay  the  debts.  Today  the  only  trace 
left  of  the  Icarian  community  is  a  group  of  some  forty  members, 
engaged  in  fruit  farming  in  California. 

Having  in  the  foregoing  pages  followed  the  material  development 
of  Illinois  through  its  successive  stages,  we  turn  now  to  a  brief  review 
of  its  constitutional  history.  The  successive  territorial  governments 
were  similarly  organized,  consisting  of  governor,  secretary  and  judge, 
appointed  by  the  president.  This  same  organization  was  retained 
when  in  1809  Illinois  was  separated  from  Indiana  and  became  a  distinct 
territory.  The  governor  was  clothed  with  almost  unlimited  power  in 
the  matter  of  appointments,  the  only  official  not  appointed  by  him 
being  the  secretary.  The  legislative  power  lay  in  the  hands  of  the 
governor  and  three  judges  appointed  by  the  president.  This  tribunal 


CONSTITUTIONAL  CHANGES 


53 


met  June  16,  1809,  and  framed  a  code,  embodying  the  principal  laws 
in  force  up  to  that  time.  , 

This  administrative  system  obtained  until  1812,  when  congress 
entitled  the  territory  of  Illinois  to  local  self-government,  implying  the 
right  of  the  people  to  elect  their  own  county  and  town  officials,  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature,  and  the  territorial  representative  in  congress. 
The  franchise  was  granted  every  citizen  who  paid  taxes  to  the  territory. 
The  legislature  comprised  two  houses,  called  the  Legislative  Council 
and  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  made  up  o.?  five  and  seven 
members  respectively.  The  governor  had  absolute  veto  power,  en- 
abling him  to  set  at  naught  every  act  of  the  legislature  at  his  own 
discretion.  The  first  members  elected  to  the  assembly  met  in  Kaskaskia 
Nov.  25,  1812,  and  ratified,  during  their  first  session,  all  the  laws  passed 
to  date  by  the  Indiana  legislature  and  the  governor  and  judges  of 
Illinois. 

In  the  year  1818,  as  we  have  seen,  Illinois  was  raised  to  the  dignity 
of  statehood.  The  state  constitution  then  adopted  was  a  brief  docu- 
ment, patterned  after  the  constitutions  of  Kentucky,  Ohio,  New  York 
and  Indiana.  A  proper  distinction  was  drawn  between  the  legislative, 
the  executive  and  the  judicial  authorities,  the  maximum  of  power  being 
lodged  in  the  first-named  branch  of  government,  while  to  the  second 
was  allotted  a  comparatively  small  share.  The  governor,  the  lieutenant 
governor,  the  sheriffs,  the  coroners,  the  county  commissioners  and,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  the  members  of  the  legislature  and  the  state 
representatives  in  congress,  were  elected  by  the  people.  The  secretary 
of  state  was  appointed  by  the  governor  with  the  advice  and  consent  of 
the  legislature.  Almost  all  other  officials  were  directly  or  indirectly 
chosen  by  the  legislature,  which  designated  them  either  for  appointment 
by  the  governor  or  election  by  the  citizens  of  the  various  counties.  The 
governor's  veto  was  replaced  by  a  Council  of  Revision,  consisting  of 
the  governor  and  the  members  of  the  state  supreme  court.  This  tribunal 
was  empowered  to  examine  all  acts  of  the  legislature  and  resubmit 
all  disapproved  legislation  for  further  action.  An  absolute  majority 
was  required  for  the  passage  of  any  bill  or  act  over  the  veto  of  the 
Council  of  Revision. 

The  ever  growing  demand  for  local  self-government  soon  forced 
the  legislature  to  surrender  part  of  its  appointive  power  to  the  people. 
Thus  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  of  constable  were  filled  by 
election  after  Dec.  12,  1826,  and  that  of  probate  justice  of  the  peace  in 
a  similar  manner  after  March  4,  1847. 

The  right  to  vote  was  the  prerogative  of  every  white  male  citizen 
having  attained  to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  resided  six  months 
in  the  state.  General  elections  were  held  every  four  years.  All  voting 


54 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


was  done  viva  voce.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  this,  the  first  consti- 
tution of  the  state,  was  never  submitted  to  the  people  for  ratification. 

As  the  commonwealth  grew  and  developed  apace  and  new  exigen- 
cies arose,  the  need  of  a  new  constitution  became  imperative.  This  was 
spoken  of  as  early  as  1824  and  again  in  1842,  but  not  until  April,  1847, 
were  delegates  to  a  constitutional  convention  chosen.  The  convention 
met  in  June  of  that  year  and  completed  its  work  in  August.  The  new 
constitution  was  submitted  to  a  vote  at  the  next  election,  March  6, 
1848,  was  then  ratified,  and  went  into  effect  on  the  first  day  of  April 
the  same  year.  The  idea  of  local  self-government  which  had  steadily 
gained  ground  throughout  the  country  since  1818,  was  asserted  in  the 
new  constitution  through  a  curtailment  of  the  extensive  appointive 
power  of  the  legislature.  This  power  was  transferred  to  the  people, 
who  were  given  the  right  to  fill  the  great  majority  of  offices  at  the 
general  elections,  while  the  right  of  local  self-government  was  made 
almost  absolute.  The  ballot  was  given  to  all  white  males  who  had 
attained  their  majority  and  had  resided  one  year  in  the  state.  To 
the  governor  was  given  the  right  of  veto,  formerly  exercised  by  the 
Council  of  Revision.  Even  in  other  respects  the  prerogatives  of  the 
legislature  were  curtailed.  The  financial  experiences  of  the  last  decade 
which  had  cost  the  state  dearly,  caused  the  insertion  of  a  clause  strictly 
forbidding  the  legislature  to  use  the  credit  of  the  state  to  further 
building  operations  or  for  other  purposes.  Henceforth,  such  public 
works  devolved  upon  the  various  communities  singly  or  in  common. 
Every  county  was  granted  the  right  to  subdivide  itself  into  townships, 
this  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  the  people  of  the  northern  part  of 
the  state,  who  had  come  largely  from  New  York  and  the  New  England 
states. 

During  the  rapid  industrial  development  from  1850  to  1860  new 
problems  arose,  which  could  not  be  solved  under  the  constitution  of 
1848.  The  increasing  number  and  power  of  the  corporations  was  gen- 
erally considered  a  serious  public  menace,  in  the  absence  of  restrictive 
legislation  on  that  point.  It  was  feared  that  these  would  abuse  their 
power  in  an  effort  to  procure  special  legislation  in  their  behalf,  hence 
the  desire  to  place  them  under  state  control.  A  proposed  constitution, 
formulated  by  the  constitutional  convention  of  1862,  was  deemed 
inadequate  and  failed  of  ratification  at  the  subsequent  election;  but 
the  need  of  a  new  constitution  remained  and  caused  the  calling  of  a 
fourth  constitutional  convention  in  1869.  This  convention  labored 
with  better  success  than  its  predecessor,  and  on  May  13,  1870,  sub- 
mitted the  draft  of  a  new  constitution,  which  was  accepted  at  an 
election  held  on  the  second  day  of  July  following,  and  went  into  effect 
August  8th  of  that  year.  It  augmented  the  veto  power  of  the  governor, 
prohibited  special  legislation  in  favor  of  corporations,  limited  the 


THE  SLAVERY  QUESTION  55 

bonded  debt  of  state,  county  and  municipality  to  amounts  not  to  over- 
burden the  taxpayers,  enlarged  the  influence  of  the  people  on  legisla- 
tion, while  limiting  in  a  measure  the  authority  of  the  legislature, 
added  to  the  responsibility  of  the  judicial  executives,  and  placed 
restrictions  upon  the  operations  of  railroads  and  other  business  cor- 
porations. 

The  Slavery  Q\iestion 

A  remarkable  chapter  in  the  history  of  Illinois  is  that  dealing  with 
slavery  and  the  attitude  of  its  people  toward  that  question  from  time 
to  time. 

To  the  French  the  credit  is  due  for  the  discovery  and  exploration 
of  Illinois  and  the  founding  of  its  earliest  colonies ;  theirs  is  the  blame 
for  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  its  territory.  Shortly  after  the 
establishment  of  the  first  French  settlements,  certain  Frenchmen, 
acting  on  the  supposition  that  all  kinds  of  valuable  ores  were  to  be 
found  here,  organized  two  companies  with  a  view  to  exploiting  the 
ore  fields.  The  second  established  headquarters  in  the  St.  Phillips 
settlement,  with  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Philip  Francis  Renault 
as  its  representative. 

In  1720  Renault  purchased  500  negroes  in  San  Domingo  and 
brought  them  here  to  work  in  the  prospective  mines.  No  ore  beds  could 
be  found,  however,  and  part  of  the  slaves  were  put  to  work  in  the 
lead  mines  discovered  near  the  present  city  of  Galena,  as  early  as  the 
year  1700,  also  near  the  site  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  in  similar  mines 
in  present  Missouri,  while  the  remainder  were  sold  to  French  settlers 
in  Illinois.  This  event  marked  the  beginning  of  the  slave  trade  in  the 
state.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  the  English 
and  the  Americans  in  turn  invaded  Illinois,  protection  of  life,  liberty 
and  property  was  guaranteed  to  the  French  settlers  and  their  rights 
and  privileges  were  safeguarded.  The  slaves  were  naturally  classed 
as  property.  In  the  Northwest  Ordinance  of  1787,  by  which  all  the 
tract  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River  was  made  one  territory,  slavery 
was  expressly  forbidden  within  its  borders,  yet  the  inhabitants,  par- 
ticularly the  French  and  Canadian  settlers,  by  exemption  were  per- 
mitted to  follow  their  established  customs.  This  stipulation  was 
commonly  interpreted  to  mean  that,  while  the  statutes  prohibited 
traffic  in  slaves  and  the  extension  of  slavery  in  the  territory,  they 
implied  that  the  slaves  already  in  the  territory,  and  their  descendants, 
were  to  remain  in  bondage  forever.  However,  protests  were  raised, 
questioning  the  validity  of  this  stipulation  in  the  ordinance  on  the 
ground  that  congress,  in  passing  it,  had  exceeded  its  authority.  Others 
maintained  that  all  children  born  to  slaves  after  1787  were  free.  Still 


56  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

another  group  insisted  that  no  material  prosperity  would  be  possible 
without  slavery.  In  the  course  of  time  a  considerable  number  of 
inhabitants  inclined  to  this  view.  After  the  division  of  the  Northwest 
Territory  in  1800,  the  slave  question  grew  more  serious  than  ever,  the 
adherents  of  slavery  obtaining  strong  support  in  William  Henry 
Harrison,  governor  of  Indiana  Territory.  A  convention  to  discuss  the 
question  was  called  by  him  at  Vincennes  in  1804.  Then  and  there  a 
petition  to  congress  was  drawn  up,  demanding  that  the  section  in  the 
ordinance  of  1787  prohibiting  slavery  in  the  Northwest  Territory  be 
rescinded  or  modified.  The  congressional  committee  to  which  this 
petition  was  first  referred,  reported  adversely,  but  a  second  committee 
recommended  that  the  slavery  clause  be  suspended  for  a  period  of  ten 
years.  Congress,  however,  took  no  action  in  the  matter.  In  1807  a 
counterpetition  with  a  great  number  of  signatures  was  sent  to  congress, 
where  it  met  the  same  fate.  In  the  meantime  the  advocates  of  slavery 
kept  up  a  vigorous  agitation  and  succeeded  in  having  a  territorial 
law  passed  which,  under  certain  limitations,  authorized  the  bringing 
in  and  enslavement  of  negroes  and  mulattoes  over  fifteen  years  of  age. 
According  to  the  same  law,  slaves  under  fifteen  years  of  age  could  be 
procured  and  held  in  bondage,  males  to  the  age  of  35  and  females  to 
the  age  of  30  years.  Descendants  of  registered  slaves  were  to  serve 
the  owner  of  the  mother  up  to  the 'age  of  30  and  28  years,  respectively, 
according  to  sex.  As  a  result  of  this  law,  which  was  ratified  in  1812, 
the  number  of  slaves  increased  rapidly  in  the  territory. 

The  first  state  constitution  of  Illinois,  adopted  in  1818,  prohibited 
all  form  of  slave  traffic  in  the  future,  causing  great  dissatisfaction 
among  the  slaveholders.  An  agitation  was  set  on  foot  in  1822  to  force 
a  change  in  the  statutes,  making  Illinois  a  slave  state.  Their  first 
effort  was  directed  toward  securing  a  new  constitutional  convention. 
For  a  year  and  a  half  a  bitter  fight  was  waged  between  the  so-called 
Conventionists  and  their  opponents.  At  a  general  election  August  2, 
1824,  the  Conventionists  were  defeated  by  a  heavy  majority,  this  being 
the  final  settlement  of  the  slavery  question  in  Illinois. 

The  negroes  and  mulattoes  already  in  servitude  remained  slaves 
during  the  term  stipulated.  The  census  of  1820  thus  showed  917  slaves 
in  the  state.  Ten  years  later  their  number  had  been  reduced  to  747 
and  in  1840,  when  they  last  figured  in  the  census  report,  their  number 
was  331.  Before  1850  the  last  trace  of  slavery  had  been  wiped  out  in 
the  state. 

Edward  Coles,  who  had  just  become  the  second  governor  of  Illinois, 
had  been  private  secretary  to  President  Madison  and  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Patrick  Henry.  He  had  inherited  a 
plantation  and  a  number  of  slaves  in  Virginia.  Disliking  the  institution 
of  slavery,  he  had  removed  in  1820  writh  his  slaves  to  Illinois  and  set 


THE  SLAVERY  QUESTION 


57 


them  free,  giving  to  each  head  of  a  family  160  acres  of  land.  In  his 
inaugural  address  in  1822  he  recommended  that  the  legislature  revise 
the  laws  so  as  to  prevent  the  kidnaping  of  free  negroes,  a  crime  then 


Edward  Coles,  Second  Governor  of  Illinois 

committed  with  impunity.  He  devoted  his  four  years'  salary,  amount- 
ing to  $4,000,  to  the  anti-slavery  cause.  Coles  was  a  forerunner  of 
Lincoln  and  his  influence  was  paramount  at  a  critical  period  in  the 
preservation  of  Illinois  as  a  free-soil  state. 

The  champions  of  slavery  continued  their  efforts,  in  spite  of  their 
defeat  in  1824,  fighting  the  abolitionists  at  every  point  and  with  all  the 
means  at  their  command.  Two  eminent  leaders  in  the  anti-slavery 
movement  were  Elijah  Parish  Lovejoy,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and  his 
brother  Owen  Lovejoy,  a  clergyman  of  the  Congregational  Church.  In 
the  early  '30s  Elijah  Lovejoy  published  from  St.  Louis  a  religious 
weekly,  the  "Observer,"  condemning  the  slave  traffic  in  unsparing 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


THE  SLAVERY  QUESTION 


59 


terms.  His  life  being  threatened  by  enraged  slaveholders,  he  removed 
to  Alton,  111.,  in  July,  1836,  continuing  the  publication  from  that  point. 
He  waged  a  fearless  campaign  for  the  noble  cause  which  he  had 
espoused,  and  a  year  later  he  and  a  number  of  sympathizers  organized 
a  secret  league  for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  But  not  even  on  Illinois 
soil  was  he  permitted  to  carry  on  his  work  unmolested.  In  the  course 


Owen    Lovej  oy 

of  one  year  his  printing  shop  was  attacked  three  different  times  by 
violent  mobs,  which  destroyed  his  presses  and  other  property.  After 
he  had  purchased  his  fourth  press,  a  number  of  his  friends  offered  to 
protect  it  from  the  assaults  of  the  rabble.  In  the  evening  of  Nov.  7, 
1837.  a  mob  surrounded  the  building  where  it  was  kept  and,  to  make 
short  shrift  with  it,  one  of  their  number  climbed  to  the  roof  for  the 
purpose  of  setting  the  building  on  fire.  Stepping  outside,  together  with 
two  of  his  friends,  to  see  what  was  going  on,  Love  joy  was  shot  from 
ambush  and  died  in  a  few  moments.  His  fellow  abolitionists  considered 
him  a  martyr  to  the  cause,  and  his  death  formed  the  theme  of  many  a 
bitter  invective  against  the  slave  power.  His  example  became  an 
inspiration  to  every  friend  of  the  downtrodden  serfs  and  his  violent 


60  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

death  aided  materially  in  strengthening  the  anti-slavery  sentiment  at 
the  North. 

Owen  Lovejoy  lived  to  take  a  distinguished  part  in  the  great  final 
struggle  for  abolition  and  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  was 
elected  to  congress  in  1856,  and  Lincoln  had  no  more  faithful  and  loyal 
supporter  of  his  policy  in  congress  than  was  Owen  Lovejoy.  It  was  the 
consciousness  of  this  fact,  which,  after  the  anti-slavery  champion's 
death  in  1864,  called  forth  from  Lincoln  the  warmest  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  the  Greatest  Illinoisan 

At  this  juncture,  there  passed  from  a  humble  pioneer  home  out  in 
public  life  a  man  foreordained  by  Providence  to  become  in  due  time 
the  deliverer  of  the  slaves,  the  great  emancipator,  Abraham  Lincoln. 
A  review  of  the  history  of  Illinois  would  be  incomplete  and  lacking  in 
value  without  the  name  and  achievements  of  him,  the  noblest  of  its 
citizens. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  came  as  a  young  man 
of  21  to  this  state,  to  the  progress  of  which  he  gave  the  best  efforts  of 
his  mature  manhood.  Scarcely  two  years  had  passed  from  the  day  he 
began  splitting  rails  for  the  enclosure  of  the  homestead  the  family 
selected  in  Menard  county,  when,  after  serving  both  as  a  private  and 
an  officer  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  he  appeared  as  a  candidate  for  the 
state  legislature.  He  was  defeated,  but  two  years  later  he  reached  the 
goal  of  his  first  political  ambitions,  having  in  the  meantime  successfully 
completed  a  course  in  law  and  also  worked  as  a  surveyor,  showing 
skill  and  aptness  for  the  vocation.  In  the  legislature  he  was  made  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  appropriations  and  accounts.  After 
re-election  in  1836  he  was  appointed  on  the  committee  on  finances ;  and, 
being  re-elected  again  in  1838  and  1840,  he  was  twice  the  Whig 
candidate  for  the  speakership.  Recognizing  the  wants  of  the  state,  he 
advocated  a  uniform  system  of  public  improvements.  In  March,  1837, 
the  Democratic  majority  in  the  legislature  passed  several  resolutions 
favorable  to  the  slave  power ;  against  these  Lincoln  went  on  record  by 
registering  a  forcible  protest.  According  to  the  best  information  at 
hand,  this  was  Lincoln's  first  public  pronouncement  on  the  slavery 
question. 

The  same  year  Lincoln  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  henceforth 
we  often  find  him  in  court,  defending  those  charged  with  assisting 
runaway  slaves  from  the  South.  Owing  to  the  steady  growth  of  his 
law  practice,  he  was  obliged  to  decline  renomination  for  the  legislature 
in  1842.  As  a  candidate  for  presidential  elector  in  1840  and  1844,  he 
electioneered  with  great  energy  for  the  Whig  candidate  for  president. 
His  debates  with  Stephen  A.  Douglas  on  the  burning  question  of  the 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  6: 

times,  held  before  great  audiences  in  a  later  campaign,  are  a  matter  of 
history.  Lincoln  was  a  warm  admirer  of  Henry  Clay,  whose  defeat 
caused  him  deep  regret. 

Having  up  to  that  time  devoted  himself  to  Illinois  politics,  Lincoln 
in  1846  was  elected  to  congress  and  became  a  national  figure.    His  Dem- 


Abraham  Lincoln 

ocratic  opponent  in  this  campaign  was  Peter  Cartwright,  the  famous 
Methodist  clergyman.  In  congress  Lincoln  strenuously  opposed  the 
policy  of  President  Polk,  and  pronounced  the  war  with  Mexico  a 
national  infamy.  He  voted  for  the  anti-slavery  petitions  laid  before 
congress,  urged  an  investigation  as  to  the  constitutionality  of  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  in  1849  moved  its  abolition.  He  might 


62  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

have  had  the  renomination,  but  declined.  In  the  Whig  national  con- 
vention in  1848  he  furthered  Taylor's  nomination  to  the  presidency 
and  made  a  campaigning  tour  in  New  England  during  the  subsequent 
campaign.  In  1849  he  stood  for  election  to  the  senate,  but  was  defeated 
by  General  Shields.  President  Fillmore  offered  him  the  governorship 
of  Oregon  Territory,  which  was  declined. 

The  repudiation  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  caused  Lincoln  again 
to  enter  the  political  arena,  and  in  a  short  time  he  became  the 
recognized  leader  of  the  Republican  party,  then  in  process  of  formation. 
At  the  national  convention  of  that  party  in  1856  he  was  by  the  delega- 
tion from  his  state  put  in  nomination  for  the  vice  presidency,  but 
failed  to  get  the  requisite  number  of  votes  to  confirm  the  nomination. 
In  June,  1858,  the  Republican  convention  held  at  Springfield  nominated 
Lincoln  for  United  States  Senator  to  succeed  his  old  antagonist, 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  who  sought  reelection.  During  the  campaign  the 
two  held  seven  public  debates,  principally  on  the  leading  issue  whether 
Kansas  should  be  admitted  to  the  Union  free  or  slave.  It  was  generally 
admitted  that  Lincoln  was  the  superior  of  his  astute  political  opponent 
in  argument.  He  received  a  majority  of  4,000  votes  over  him  in  the 
following  election,  but  the  legislative  districts  were  so  gerrymandered, 
that  the  Democrats  succeeded  in  getting  a  majority  of  eight  on  a  joint 
vote  in  the  legislature,  and  Douglas  was  seated. 

Lincoln,  however,  continued  his  crusade  against  the  slave  power  in 
forceful  speeches,  delivered  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  including 
Kansas  and  the  New  England  states.  Not  only  his  own  opinion,  but 
the  prevailing  sentiment  of  the  Republican  party  was  thus  voiced. 

The  strain  between  the  North  and  the  South,  owing  to  the  slave 
question,  was  ever  on  the  increase.  Slavery  was,  or  was  claimed  to  be, 
an  essential  factor  in  the  economy  of  the  South,  and  the  slave  owners 
looked  upon  the  anti-slavery  movement  as  a  danger  to  be  warded  off 
at  all  hazards.  Fear  of  economic  collapse  was  the  ultimate  cause  of  the 
desperate  tenacity  with  which  they  held  fast  to  the  slave  system  and 
fought  the  abolitionists.  The  theory  of  state  sovereignty  was  urged  in 
behalf  of  the  slave  states,  and  the  secessionist  movement  began  in 
earnest,  aiming  toward  the  establishment  of  a  new  confederacy  of 
states — all  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  to  the  South  this  institution 
on  the  plea  that  it  was  indispensable. 

The  slavery  question  was  brought  to  an  issue  when  the  Republican 
party  at  its  national  convention  in  Chicago  in  May,  1860,  adopted  a 
platform  emphatically  declaring  that  neither  congress,  nor  the  state 
legislatures,  nor  any  individuals  were  empowered  to  legalize  slavery  in 
any  part  of  the  United  States,  and  at  the  same  time  nominated  Lincoln 
for  the  presidency.  When  he  was  elected  in  November  of  that  year, 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 


thereby  defeating  his  intrepid  opponent  Douglas,  who  was  one  of  the 
three  presidential  candidates  of  the  disintegrated  Democratic  party, 
the  slaveholders  took  this  as  a  sure  sign  of  the  impending  destruction 
of  their  cherished  system  of  economy,  although  it  was  well  known  that 
Lincoln  was  by  no  means  disposed  to  precipitate  the  change. 

In-  order  to  prevent  the  abolition  of  slavery,  the  slave  states 
determined  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  and  set  up  a  government  of 
their  own.  South  Carolina,  whence  originated  the  principle  of  state 
sovereignty,  led  the  way  by  calling  a  convention,  which  on  the  20th  of 


64 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


December,  the  same  year,  voted  in  favor  of  secession.  Within  six 
weeks  the  states  of  Mississippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana 
and  Texas  took  similar  action.  These  states  subsequently  united  under 
the  name  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  and,  on  the  8th  day  of 
February,  1861,  elected  Jefferson  Davis  president.  Lincoln  thus 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  president  in  March,  1861,  under  the  most 
trying  circumstances.  He  realized  from  the  first  that  a  peaceful  settle- 
ment af  the  contest  was  impossible ;  that  the  Union  could  be  saved 
only  by  an  appeal  to  arms.  On  March  13th  two  commissioners  of  the 
Confederacy  appeared  at  Washington  offering  to  treat  with  the  govern- 
ment regarding  the  questions  arising  out  of  the  secession.  The  govern- 


The  Lincoln  Family 

ment,  however,  refused  to  recognize  them  on  the  ground  that  the 
secession  was  illegal  and  without  the  consent  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States.  This  reply  was  made  public  April  8th,  and  on  the  12th 
the  rebels  fired  on  Fort  Sumter.  This  was  the  opening  gun  of  the 
Civil  War. 

The  account  of  that  great  conflict  does  not  enter  into  the  plan  of 
this  work.  Attention  may,  however,  be  called  to  the  enormous  task  that 
was  thereby  thrown  upon  the  shoulders  of  President  Lincoln,  as  well 
as  to  the  tireless  perseverance,  the  lofty  statesmanship  and  the  glowing 
patriotism  he  evinced  throughout ;  how  he,  with  the  great  goal  of 
human  freedom  ever  before  him,  issued,  on  Sept.  22,  1862,  his  Eman- 
cipation Proclamation,  by  which  slavery  was  abolished  in  the  United 
States;  how  he  was  again  elected,  with  an  overwhelming  majority, 
in  1864;  how  he,  with  the  faithful  aid  and  support  of  the  people, 
brought  the  war  to  a  close,  with  honor  to  the  North,  benevolence  to  the 


RICHARD    YATES  65 

entire  country,  and  the  restoration  of  the  Union,  one  and  inseparable ; 
and,  finally,  how  he,  after  his  life  had  often  been  placed  in  jeopardy 
by  persons  seeking  revenge  for  the  alleged  losses  sustained  by  his  great 
work  of  emancipation,  died  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin. 

The  people  of  Illinois  will  ever  point  with  pride  to  the  fact   that 
this  man,  the  peer  of  Washington  in  our  history,  was  one  of  their 


Richard  Yates,  War  Governor  of  Illinois 


number.  And  as  long  as  the  human  heart  cherishes  the  deeds  of  the 
great,  they  will  visit,  with  a  reverence  akin  to  worship,  the  mausoleum 
at  Springfield,  where  Abraham  Lincoln  lies  entombed. 

Among  the  earnest  supporters  of  the  national  administration  in  its 
measures  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  was  Kichard  Yates, 
governor  of  Illinois,  1861-4,  who  was  later  styled  "the  Illinois  War 


66  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Governor."     He  served  as  United  States  senator  1865-71,  and  died 
in  1873. 

One  of  the  military  heroes  produced  by  Illinois  was  John  A.  Logan, 
a  member  of  congress  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities.  Leaving  his  seat, 
he  fought  in  the  ranks  at  Bull  Run.  Commissioned  colonel  of  the  31st 


John  A.  Logan 

Regiment  Illinois  Infantry  by  Governor  Yates,  he  went  to  the  front  and 
was  rapidly  promoted  to  major-general.  He  was  in  1884  an  unsuccess- 
ful candidate  for  the  vice-presidency  with  James  G.  Elaine.  Logan 
died  in  1886  as  a  United  States  senator. 

The  greatest  military  figure  brought  out  by  the  Civil  War  was 
furnished  by  Illinois  in  the  person  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  who  was  in 


UI/YSSES  S.  GRANT  67 

1861  a  tanner  in  Galena.  After  serving  as  clerk  and  drill-master  he 
was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  21st  Illinois  Volunteers.  As  brigadier-, 
general  he  captured  Forts  Donelson  and  Henry  in  1862.  He  soon  had 
charge  of  all  western  operations  and  his  capture  of  Vicksburg  after  a 
siege  was  the  chief  Union  victory  of  1863.  He  became  major-general 


Ulysses  S.  Grant 

and  then  lieutenant-general  in  1864,  taking  command  of  all  the  North- 
ern armies.  Grant  personally  directed  the  campaign  against  Richmond 
which  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox  on  April  8,  1865, 
and  the  downfall  of  the  Confederacy.  The  rank  of  general  was  created 
for  him  in  1866.  after  which  the  nation  chose  him  president  in  1868  and 


68  HIvSTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

again  in  1872.  During  the  years  1877-9  he  made  a  tour  of  the  world 
and  was  received  everywhere  with  the  highest  honors.  General  Grant 
died  July  23,  1885. 

Illinois  during  the  Civil  War  contributed  to  the  Union  army 
214,133  men,  34,834  of  whom  fell  in  battle  or  died  of  disease  during 
service  in  the  field  or  as  war  prisoners  in  the  South. 

In  spite  of  the  Civil  War  of  1861-1865  the  economic  development 
of  the  state  progressed  almost  unimpeded.  In  1860  Illinois  already 
took  first  rank  among  agricultural  states,  and  its  industrial  progress 
was  rapid.  During  twenty  years,  1850-1870,  Illinois  advanced  from 
fifteenth  to  fifth  place  as  a  manufacturing  state.  At  the  present  time 
it  stands  third  in  rank  with  reference  to  manufactures  and  varied 
industries.  This  phenomenal  growth  was  principally  due  to  the  rapid 
extension  of  the  railroad  system,  that  work  going  forward  at  such  a 
pace  that  Illinois  in  1870  had  more  miles  of  railway  than  any  other 
state  in  the  Union,  a  distinction  which  it  still  enjoys. 

Up  to  1870  agriculture  was  the  chief  occupation  of  its  people,  the 
farmers  outnumbering  those  of  all  other  occupations  combined.  Since 
then,  however,  this  condition  has  changed,  and  in  1900  those  engaged 
in  manufactures  and  varied  industries  outnumbered  the  agricultural 
population.  The  number  engaged  in  commerce  and  transportation  was 
almost  as  large  as  the  industrial  class,  there  being,  however,  no  material 
difference  in  the  numerical  strength  of  the  three  groups. 

With  respect  to  the  value  of  the  crops,  Illinois  in  1900  ranked  first 

among  the  states,  and  in  coal  production  it  had  second  place.     Its 

banking  business  gives  it  a  place  among  the  leading  commercial  states. 

No  better  exponent  of  the  development  is  found  than  the  census 

records,  which  give  the  increase  in  population  by  decades  as  follows: 

Year  No.  of  Inhabitants         Year  No.  of  Inhabitants 

1820 ..      55,162         1870 2,539,891 

1830 -. ..    157,445         1880 3,077,871 

1840 476,183         1890 3,826,351 

1850 851,470         1900 4,821,550 

I860.... 1,711,951 

The  Educational  System 

The  first  step  in  establishing  free  public  schools  in  the  part  of  the 
country  now  comprising  the  state  of  Illinois  was  taken  by  congress 
May  20th,  1785,  in  adopting  "An  Ordinance  for  Ascertaining  the  Mode 
of  Disposing  Lands  in  the  Western  Territory."  By  this  act  the 
system  of  survey  still  in  force  was  introduced  into  the  United  States. 
The  system  was  the  work  of  Captain  Thomas  Hutchins,  who  at  the  same 
time  was  appointed  surveyor-general.  The  act  stipulated  that  section 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM 


69 


16  of  every  township  was  to  be  reserved  for  the  maintenance  of  public 
schools  within  the  township.  The  same  provision  was  made  in  all 
subsequent  ordinances  pertaining  to  the  disposal  of  public  lands.  In 


University  of  Illinois—  Library  Building 


yo  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  Northwest  Ordinance,  adopted  in  1787,  this  declaration  was  made : 
"Whereas  religion,  morals  and  education  are  necessary  to  human 
happiness,  the  establishment  of  schools  and  other  means  of  education 
should  be  constantly  encouraged."  The  stipulations  regarding  land 
grants  for  the  support  of  schools  were  renewed  in  an  act  of  congress 
April  18,  1818,  giving  to  the  people  of  the  Illinois  Territory  the  right 
of  self-government,  and  they  were  formally  adopted  by  the  first 
constitutional  convention.  This  act  also  included  a  provision  that, 
besides  the  lands  set  aside  for  school  purposes  in  the  act  of  1804,  an 
entire  township  was  to  be  reserved  for  the  maintenance  of  a  seminary 
of  learning  and  that  three  per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of 
public  lands  in  the  state  should  be  devoted  to  the  promotion  of 
education  as  directed  by  the  legislature.  One-sixth  of  this  fund  was 
to  be  used  for  establishing  and  endowing  a  college  or  university.  These 
acts  and  resolutions  form  the  foundation  of  the  educational  system  of 
the  'state. 

Prior  to  their  adoption,  however,  primary  schools  had  been 
established.  One  John  Seeley  is  said  to  have  begun  teaching  school  in 
a  blockhouse  in  present  Monroe  county  as  early  as  1783,  thus  being  the 
first  known  public  school  teacher  in  Illinois.  Seeley  was  followed  by 
Francis  Clark  and  a  man  named  Halfpenny.  Among  the  early 
educators  during  a  later  period  we  note  John  Boyle,  a  soldier  in  the 
little  army  commanded  by  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  taught  in 
Randolph  county  some  time  during  1790-1800;  John  Atwater,  who 
taught  near  Edwardsville  in  1807,  and  John  Messinger,  a  surveyor, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1818  and  speaker 
of  the  first  general  assembly.  The  last  named  taught  in  the  vicinity  of 
Shiloh,  St.  Clair  county,  at  the  point  where  Rev.  John  M.  Peck's  Rock 
Spring  Seminary  was  subsequently  erected.  These  schools,  all  of  a 
primitive  nature,  were  supported  privately  by  the  parents  of  the  pupils. 

The  first  effort  to  establish  a  general  school  system  for  the  entire 
state  was  made  in  January,  1825,  when  Joseph  Duncan,  who  was  after- 
wards elected  congressman  and  governor,  submitted  to  the  legislature 
a  bill  to  appropriate  two  dollars  out  of  every  $100  of  state  revenue  for 
distribution  among  those  paying  taxes  or  otherwise  contributing  to  the 
support  of  schools.  The  revenues  of  the  state  at  this  time  were,  how- 
ever, so  insignificant  (a  trifle  over  $60,000  per  annum),  that  the  sum 
thus  realized  for  school  purposes  would  have  amounted  to  about  $1,200 
annually,  if  the  act  had  been  enforced.  It  remained  a  dead  letter  until 
1829,  when  it  was  nullified,  and  the  state  authorities  began  to  dispose  of 
the  seminary  lands  and  use  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  for  defraying 
current  expenditures.  In  this  manner  43,200  acres  were  sold,  leaving 
only  four  and  one-half  sections,  and  the  sum  realized  was  less  than 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM 


$60,000.     The  first  sale  of  township  school  land  took  place  in  Greene 
county  in  1831,  and  two  years  later  the  greater  part  of  the  school  lands 


in  the  heart  of  present  Chicago  were  sold  for  about  $39,000.  These 
sales  continued  until  1882  and  brought  an  average  of  $3.78  per  acre. 
Certain  lands  were  sold  as  low  as  70  cents  per  acre.  These  meager 
results  were  not  chargeable  to  the  system,  but  to  the  administration  of 
it.  Had  the  authorities  exercised  foresight,  the  school  fund  doubtless 


72  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

would  have  grown  vastly  greater.  The  first  free  public  school  in  the 
state  was  opened  at  Chicago  in  1834,  the  second  at  Alton  in  1837,  the 
third  at  Springfield  in  1840,  and  the  fourth  at  Jacksonville  the  same 
year. 

The  present  school  system  dates  from  1855,  when  a  law  was 
passed  creating  a  permanent  school  fund  by  general  taxation.  Since 
then  the  school  law  has  been  frequently  amended,  yet  the  fundamental 
principle  that  every  child  is  entitled  to  the  advantage  of  an  elementary 
education  has  always  been  carefully  guarded.  It  may  be  said  without 
exaggeration,  that  the  Illinois  school  system  in  the  last  forty  years  has 
been  developed  into  one  of  the  best  in  the  country.  The  following 
figures  will  convey  a  fair  idea  of  this  remarkable  development : 

In  1902  the  state  had  12,855  free  public  schools  with  27,186 
teachers,  6,800  male  and  20,386  female,  and  971,841  pupils.  The  cost 
of  maintenance  was  $19,899,624.54,  including  teachers'  salaries  to  the 
amount  of  $12,075,000.14.  In  the  same  year  the  private  schools  in  the 
state  numbered  3,961  teachers  and  144,471  pupils. 

There  are,  furthermore,  350  high  or  continuation  schools,  supple- 
menting the  public  schools.  These  are  the  natural  results  of  the  devel- 
opment of  the  educational  system,  not  the  creation  of  any  legislative 
statute.  Eighty-eight  of  the  350  high  schools  own  buildings  valued  at 
$4,000,000,  and  one  has  a  permanent  endowment  fund,  while  the  others 
are  maintained  by  local  taxation.  They  were  attended  in  1902  by  41,951 
pupils,  5,230  of  whom  were  graduated. 

Higher  education  in  Illinois  dates  from  the  time  when  it  was 
still  a  part  of  the  Indiana  Territory.  In  November,  1806,  the  territorial 
legislature,  assembled  at  Vincennes,  resolved  to  establish  at  that  point 
an  institution  to  be  known  as  the  University  of  Indiana  Territory.  The 
necessary  funds,  estimated  at  $20,000,  were  to  be  raised  by  means  of  a 
lottery.  A  board  of  regents  was  at  once  selected,  with  General  William 
Henry  Harrison  as  chairman.  This  enterprise  advanced  as  far  as  the 
erection  of  a  building  and  then  collapsed. 

Twenty-one  years  later,  in  1827,  the  first  successful  effort  at 
establishing  a  higher  institution  of  learning  in  Illinois  was  made.  The 
credit  belongs  to  Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation. Peck  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  in  1789,  settled  in  Greene 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1811 ;  took  charge  of  a  congregation  in  Amenia,  N.  Y., 
in  1814,  and  was  sent  in  1817  as  a  missionary  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  During 
the  following  nine  years  he  made  extensive  journeys  in  Missouri  and 
Illinois,  and  finally  settled  in  Rock  Spring,  St.  Clair  county,  where  he 
founded  in  1826  the  Rock  Spring  Seminary  and  High  School  for  the 
education  of  clergymen  and  school  teachers.  This  was  the  predecessor 
of  Shurtleff  College,  established  by  the  Baptists  in  1835  at  Upper  Alton, 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM 


73 


being  subsequently  merged  with  that  institution.  In  promoting  his 
enterprise  Peck  traveled  thousands  of  miles,  collecting  meanwhile  the 
sum  of  $20,000,  a  considerable  amount  in  that  day.  For  many  years  he 
continued  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  school.  This 
educational  pioneer  of  Illinois  was  awarded  the  honorary  degree  of 


74  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Doctor  of  Divinity  by  Harvard  University  in  1852.    He  died  at  Rock 

Spring  March  15,  1858. 

In  1828  a  Methodist  seminary  was  established  at  Lebanon  under 

the  name  of  Lebanon  Seminary.    After  two  years  it  was  made  a  college 

and  named  after  Bishop  McKendree.     Illinois  College  was  founded  in 

December,  1829,  at  Jackson- 
ville with  the  support  of  the 
Presbyterians,  and  from  this 
institution  the  first  graduates 
in  the  history  of  Illinois 
schools  were  sent  out  in  1835. 
These  schools  of  learning 
were  legally  recognized  by 
the  state  the  same  year.  Next 
in  order  came  Knox  College, 
founded  by  Presbyterians  in 
1838,  at  Galesburg,  and  the 
Episcopalian  Jubilee  College, 

University   of  Illinois — Campus  Scene  .  . 

established  in  1847,  at  Peoria. 

Fjor  the  promotion  of  general  education  there  were  held,  during 
the  thirties  and  forties,  a  series  of  educational  conventions,  attended 
not  only  by  teachers  but  also  by  legislators  and  others  devoted  to  the 
cause.  The  first  convention  was  held  in  the  then  capital  city  of 
Vandalia,  in  1833.  In  1854  these  conventions  resulted  in  the  organiza- 
tion, of  the  State  Teachers'  Institute,  its  name  being  changed  three 
years  later  to  the  State  Teachers'  Association.  The  question  of  electing 
a  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  had  been  raised  as  early  as 
1837  and  debated  at  the  educational  conventions,  in  the  educational 
journals,  and  in  the  state  legislature,  but  not  until  1854  did  the  proposi- 
tion materialize  in  the  establishment  of  that  office. 

It  was  during  this  progressive  period  that  the  idea  of  founding  a 
state  university  was  conceived.  At  a  farmers'  convention,  held  Nov.  18, 
1854,  at  Granville,  Putnam  county,  one  Prof.  Jonathan  B.  Turner  from 
Jacksonville,  111.,  proposed  the  plan  for  a  uniform  system  of  polytechnic 
schools  throughout  the  United  States,  with  one  scientific  school  in  each 
state  and  territory,  and  a  national  institute  of  science  in  the  federal 
capital.  The  same  plan  was  received  with  favor  elsewhere,  especially 
in  New  York  and  New  England,  and  not  without  interest  in  Illinois. 
The  meeting  at  Granville  was  followed  by  others,  and  at  one  of  these 
conventions,  held  at  Springfield  in  January,  1852,  was  organized  the 
Industrial  League  of  the  State  of  Illinois  to  further  the  project  and 
arouse  popular  interest  by  means  of  lectures  throughout  the  state. 
It  was  decided  at  this  meeting  to  petition  congress  for  land  grants  out 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM 


75 


of  the  proceeds  of  which  to  support  these  institutes.    In  1853  Illinois, 
through    its    legislature,    unanimously    recommended    the    plan    and 


v 


requested  its  senators  and  representatives  in  congress  to  promote  its 
adoption.  The  matter  was  taken  up  in  congress  and  a  bill  authorizing 
such  institutions  was  passed,  but  annulled  in  February,  1859,  by  the 


76 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


veto  of  President  Buchanan.  The  matter  was  again  taken  up  and  a  bill 
passed,  which  received  the  approval  of  President  Lincoln  July  2,  1862. 

Thus  a  great  movement  in  the  Prairie  State,  advocated  by  an 
Illinois  man,  supported  by  Illinois  people,  was  confirmed  by  an  Illinois 
president. 

By  this  act  the  national  government  donated  to  each  state  in  the 
Union  public  land  scrip  in  quantity  equal  to  30,000  acres  for  each 
senator  and  representative  in  congress  "for  the  endowment,  support, 


University  of  Illinois — Auditorium 

and  maintenance  of  at  least  one  college,  whose  leading  object  shall  be, 
without  excluding  other  scientific  and  classical  studies,  and  including 
military  tactics,  to  teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related  to 
agriculture  and  the  mechanical  arts  *  *  in  order  to  promote  the 
liberal  and  practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several 
pursuits  and  professions  of  life." 

On  account  of  this  grant,  amounting  to  480,000  acres  in  Illinois,  the 
state  pays  the  university,  semi- annually,  interest  at  the  rate  of  five  per 
cent,  on  about  $610,000;  and  deferred  payments  on  land  contracts 
amount,  approximately,  to  $35,000. 

To  secure  the  location  of  the  university  several  counties  entered 
into  competition  by  proposing  to  donate  to  its  use  specified  sums  of 
money,  or  their  equivalent.  Champaign  county  offered  a  large  brick 
building  in  the  suburbs  of  Urbana,  erected  for  a  seminary  and  nearly 
completed,  about  1,000  acres  of  land,  and  $100,000  in  county  bonds. 
To  this  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  added  $50,000  in  freight. 

The  state  has  from  time  to  time  appropriated  various  sums  for 
permanent  improvements,  as  well  as  for  maintenance.  For  1907 — 1908 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM 


77 


it  appropriated  $305,000  for  the  College  of  Agriculture,  $900,000  for 
ordinary  operating  expenses,  and  $502,790  for  various  extensions,  be- 
sides which  $100,000  was  set  aside  for  the  Graduate  School,  $250,000  for 
a  physics  laboratory,  and  $150,000  for  an  addition  to  the  Natural 
History  Hall.  The  present  value  of  the  entire  property  and  assets  is 
estimated  at  $3,250,000. 

The  institution  was  incorporated  February  28,  1867,  under  the 
name  of  the  Illinois  Industrial  University,  and  placed  under  the  control 
of  a  board  of  trustees,  constituted  of  the  governor,  the  superintendent 
of  public  instruction  and  the  president  of  the  state  board  of  agriculture, 
as     e  x-o  f  f  i  c  i  o     members, 
and  twenty-eight  citizens  ap- 
pointed   by    the     governor. 
The    chief    executive    officer 
was  called  Regent,  and  was 
made    an    ex-officio    member 
of    the    board    and    presid- 
ing    officer     both     of     the 
board  of  trustees  and  of  the 
faculty. 

In  1873  the  board  of 
trustees  was  reorganized,  the 
number  of  appointed  mem- 
bers being  reduced  to  nine 
and  of  ex-officio  members  to 

two — the  governor  and  the  president  of  the  state  board  of  agriculture. 
In  1887  a  law  was  passed  making  membership  elective  at  a  general  state 
election  and  restoring  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction  as  an 
ex-officio  member.  There  are,  therefore,  now  three  ex-officio  members 
and  nine  by  public  suffrage.  Since  1873  the  president  of  the  board  has 
been  chosen  by  the  members  from  among  their  own  number  for  a 
term  of  one  year. 

The  university  was  opened  to  students  March  2,  1868,  when  there 
were  present,  beside  the  Regent ,  three  professors  and  about  fifty 
students — all  young  men. 

During  the  first  term  instruction  was  given  in  algebra,  geometry, 
physics,  history,  rhetoric  and  Latin.  Work  on  the  farm  and  gardens 
or  about  the  buildings  was  at  first  compulsory  for  all  students,  but  in 
March  of  the  next  year  compulsory  labor  was  discontinued,  save  when 
it  was  made  to  serve  as  a  part  of  class  instruction.  A  chemical  labora- 
tory was  fitted  up  during  the  autumn  of  1868.  Botanical  laboratory 
work  began  the  following  year.  In  January,  1870,  a  mechanical  shop 
was  fitted  up  with  tools  and  machinery,  and  here  was  begun  the  first 


University  of  Illinois — Woman's  Building 


78  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

shop  instruction  given  in  any  American  university.  During  the  summer 
of  1871  the  present  engineering  laboratory  was  erected  and  equipped 
for  students'  shop  work  in  both  wood  and  iron. 

By  vote,  March  9,  1870,  the  trustees  admitted  women  as  students. 
During  the  year  1870-1871  twenty-four  availed  themselves  of  the 
privilege.  Since  that  time  they  have  constituted  from  one-sixth  to  one- 
fifth  of  the  total  number  of  students. 

In  1890  the  congress  of  the  United  States  made  further  appropria- 
tions for  the  endowment  of  the  institutions  founded  under  the  act  of 
1862.  Under  this  enactment  each  such  college  or  university  received 
the  first  year  $15,000,  and  thereafter  $1,000  per  annum  additional  to 
the  amount  of  the  preceding  year,  until  the  amount  reached  $25,000, 
which  sum  was  to  be  paid  yearly  thereafter. 

On  May  1,  1896,  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy  founded  in  1859, 
became  the  School  of  Pharmacy  of  the  University  of  Illinois.  Its  build- 
ing is  located  at  Michigan  ave.  and  12th  st.  in  Chicago. 

Pursuant  to  action  of  the  board  of  trustees,  taken  Dec.  8,  1896,  the 
School  of  Law  was  organized,  and  opened  Sept.  13,  1897.  The  course 
of  study  covered  two  years,  in  conformity  with  the  existing  require- 
ments, for  admission  to  the  bar  of  Illinois.  In  the  following  November, 
however,  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  announced  rules  relating  to 
examinations  for  admission  to  the  bar  which  made  three  years  of  study 
necessary,  and  the  course  of  study  in  the  law  school  was  immediately 
rearranged  on  that  basis.  On  Feb.  9,  1900,  the  name  of  the  School  of 
Law  was  changed  to  College  of  Law. 

Negotiations  looking  to  the  affiliation  of  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  of  Chicago,  with  the  university,  which  had  been  going 
on  for  several  years,  were  concluded  by  the  board  of  trustees  in  March, 
1897.  According  to  the  agreement  made,  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  became  in  April,  1897,  the  College  of  Medicine  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois.  The  college  is  located  at  Congress  and  Honore  streets, 
Chicago. 

In  1897,  the  matter  of  the  reorganization  of  the  University  Library 
was  considered  by  the  board  of  trustees,  with  the  result  that  the  School 
of  Library  Economy,  which  had  been  established  in  1893  at  the  Armour 
Institute  of  Technology,  in  Chicago,  was  transferred  to  the  university, 
and  the  director  of  that  school  was  appointed  librarian  of  the  Univer- 
sity Library.  In  accordance  with  these  plans  the  State  Library  School 
was  opened  at  the  university  in  September,  1897. 

Pursuant  to  action  taken  by  the  board  of  trustees  in  March,  1901, 
a  School  of  Dentistry  was  organized  as  a  department  of  the  College  of 
Medicine.  The  school  was  opened  October  3,  1901.  The  name  was 
changed  to  College  of  Dentistry  in  1905. 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM  79 

The  land  occupied  by  the  university  and  its  several  departments 
embraces  220  acres,  exclusive  of  the  stock  farm,  experimental  farm,  and 
forest  plantation,  which  embrace  some  400  acres  additional.  The 
principal  buildings  are:  the  university  hall,  agricultural  building, 
armory,  library  building,  astronomical  observatory,  chemical  labora- 
tory, engineering  hall,  laboratory  of  applied  mechanics,  mechanical 
engineering  laboratory,  metal  shops,  wood  shop  and  foundry,  natural 
history  hall,  men's  gymnasium,  woman's  building  and  auditorium.  The 
general  university  library  contains  90,400  volumes  and  pamphlets,  and 
has  a  subscription  list  of  1,100  periodicals.  To  this  is  added  the  library 
of  the  state  laboratory  of  natural  history,  6,000  volumes  and  16,500 
pamphlets,  and  those  of  the  college  of  medicine  and  dentistry,  and  the 
school  of  pharmacy,  in  Chicago,  and  the  college  of  law.  The  depart- 
ment of  education  has  a  special  collection  of  1,500  books  and  3,000 
pamphlets.  An  art  gallery  was  established  in  1874,  the  gift  of  citizens 
of  Champaign  and  Urbana. 

The  appropriations  made  by  the  congressional  act  of  March  2,  1887, 
were  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  and  maintaining,  in  connection 
with  the  colleges  founded  upon  the  congressional  act  of  1862,  agricul- 
tural experiment  stations,  "to  aid  in  acquiring  and  diffusing  among  the 
people  of  the  United  States  useful  and  practical  information  on  subjects 
connected  with  agriculture,  and  to  promote  scientific  investigation  and 
experiment  respecting  the  principles  and  applications  of  agricultural 
science."  Under  this  provision  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 
for  Illinois  was  founded  in  1888  and  placed  under  the  direction  of  the 
trustees  of  the  university,  and  a  part  of  the  university  farm,  with 
buildings,  was  assigned  for  its  use. 

The  federal  grants  to  the  station  have  been  liberally  supplemented 
with  state  appropriations,  until  its  revenues  have  become  the  largest 
of  those  of  similar  institutions  throughout  the  world. 

Investigations  are  conducted  in  the  growing  and  marketing  of 
orchard  fruits,  the  methods  of  production  of  meats  and  of  dairy  goods, 
the  principles  of  animal  breeding  and  nutrition,  and  in  the  improve- 
ment and  the  economic  production  of  crops.  All  the  principal  types  of 
soil  of  the  state  are  being  studied  in  the  laboratory  under  glass  and  in 
the  field.  A  soil  survey  is  in  progress  which  when  finished  will  map 
and  describe  the  soil  of  every  farm  of  the  state  down  to  an  area  of  ten 
acres.  Twenty  to  thirty  fields  and  orchards  are  rented  in  different 
portions  of  the  state  for  the  study  of  local  problems,  and  assistants  are 
constantly  on  the  road  for  the  conduct  of  experiments  or  to  give  instruc- 
tion to  producer  or  consumer.  The  results  of  investigation  are  pub- 
lished in  bulletins,  which  are  issued  in  editions  of  40,000,  and  distrib- 
uted free  rf  charge. 


8o 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


The  Engineering  Experiment  Station  was  established  by  action  of 
the  board  of  trustees,  in  December,  1903.    It  is  the  first  and,  so  far  as 


known,  the  only  experiment  station  connected  with   any  college   of 
engineering  in  this  country.     Its  purposes  are  the   stimulation  and 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM  8 1 

elevation  of  engineering  education,  and  the  study  of  problems  of  special 
importance  to  professional  engineers,  and  to  the  manufacturing,  rail- 
way, mining,  industrial  and  other  interests  of  importance  to  the  public 
welfare  of  the  state  and  the  country. 

Up  to  the  present  time,  eleven  bulletins,  of  value  to  engineering 
science,  have  been  published.  The  experiments  have  related  chiefly  to 
tests  of  concrete,  reinforced  concrete  beams,  tests  of  high  speed  tool 
steels,  the  resistance  of  tubes  to  collapse,  fuel  tests,  and  the  holding 
power  of  railroad  spikes. 

In  1885  the  legislature  passed  a  bill  transferring  the  State  Labora- 
tory of  Natural  History  to  the  University  of  Illinois  from  the  Illinois 
State  Normal  University,  where  it  was  founded  in  1877  by  the  present 
director,  Dr.  Stephen  Alfred  Forbes,  a  noted  scientist,  who  is  also  state 
entomologist.  This  laboratory  was  created  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
natural  history  survey  of  the  state,  the  results  of  which  should  be 
published  in  a  series  of  bulletins  and  reports,  and  for  the  allied  purpose 
of  furnishing  specimens  illustrative  of  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  state 
to  the  public  schools  and  to  the  state  museum. 

The  herbarium  contains  about  50,000  mounted  specimens  of  plants. 
The  flora  of  North  America  is  fairly  well  represented,  the  collection  of 
species  of  flowering  plants  indigenous  to  Illinois  is  particularly  com- 
plete, and  a  considerable  collection  of  foreign  species  has  been  made. 
The  collections  of  fungi  amount  to  32,000  named  specimens  and  include 
a  full  set  of  those  most  injurious  to  other  plants,  causing  rusts,  smuts, 
moulds,  etc.  There  are  specimens  of  wood  from  200  species  of  native 
trees  and  shrubs,  which  well  illustrate  the  varieties  of  native  wood. 

The  work  of  the  state  entomologist's  office  has  been  done  at  the 
University  of  Illinois  since  January,  1885;  and  by  legislative  enact- 
ment in  1899  it  was  permanently  established  at  the  university.  It  is 
the  function  of  the  entomologist  to  investigate  the  entomology  of 
Illinois,  and  particularly  to  study  the  insects  injurious  to  the  horti- 
culture and  agriculture  of  the  state,  and  to  prepare  reports  of  his 
researches  and  discoveries  in  entomology  for  publication  by  the  state. 
Over  700  pages  of  reports  have  been  issued  from  this  office.  He  also 
inspects  and  certifies  annually  all  Illinois  nurseries,  and  maintains  a 
general  supervision  of  the  horticultural  property  of  the  state  as  respects 
its  infectation  by  dangerous  insects  and  its  infection  with  contagious 
plant  diseases. 

The  chemical  survey  of  the  waters  of  the  state  was  begun  in 
September,  1895,  by  Dr.  Arthur  W.  Palmer.  In  1897  the  legislature 
authorized  the  continuance  of  the  work,  and  directed  the  board  of 
trustees  to  establish  a  chemical  and  biological  survey  of  the  waters  of 
the  state.  Its  purpose  is  to  collect  facts  and  data  concerning  the  water 
supplies  of  the  state;  to  demonstrate  their  sanitary  condition  by 


82 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


examination  and  analysis ;  to  determine  standard  of  purity  of  drinking 
waters  in  the  various  sections,  and  publish  the  results  of  these  investiga- 
tions. Analyses  of  water  for  citizens  of  the  state  are  made  on  request. 
An  act  of  the  general  assembly  on  July  1,  1905,  provided  for  the 
establishment  of  a  bureau  to  be  known  as  the  state  geological  survey. 


University  of  Illinois — Electrical  and  Mechanical  Laboratory 
and  Laboratory  of  Applied  Mechanics 

Its  purpose  is  primarily  the  study  and  exploitation  of  the  mineral 
resources  of  Illinois.  Field  parties  are  organized  for  the  investigation 
of  clay,  coal,  stone,  artesian  water,  cement  materials,  road  materials 
and  general  scientific  investigations.  The  bureau  is  charged  also  with 
the  duty  of  making  a  complete  topographical  and  geological  survey  of 
the  state.  The  topographical  work  will  lead  to  the  publication  of  a 
series  of  bulletins  and  of  maps,  eventually  covering  the  entire  state. 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM  83 

The  attendance  at  the  state  university  increased  very  slowly  year 
by  year,  until  the  nineties,  when  an  exceptional  increase  set  in.  In 
1889-90  there  were  but  469  students.  In  1891-2  the  number  of 
students  was  583,  but  six  years  later  it  reached  1,582,  and  in  the  school 
year  of  1901-2  the  3,000  mark  was  passed.  Four  years  later  the 
number  exceeded  4,000,  and  the  summer  of  1906-7  showed  4,316  students 
in  attendance.  In  1907-8  the  attendance  was  over  4,700  students. 

John  Milton  Gregory,  the  first  president,  came  to  the  university  in 
1867  and  laid  the  plans  for  the  new  type  of  college  whose  appropriate 
motto  was  chosen  as,  "Learning  and  Labor."  His  life-work  was 
fostering  the  idea  of  laboratory  education.  His  faith  and  earnestness 
of  purpose  made  the  present  university  possible.  He  resigned  in  1880, 
died  in  1898,  and  is  buried  on  the  university  grounds. 

Selim  Hobart  Peabody,  the  second  president,  had  been  professor  ol! 
mechanical  engineering  and  consequently  was  well  acquainted  with 
Gregory's  plans.  It  was  in  1885,  the  sixth  year  of  his  presidency,  that 
the  legislature  was  persuaded  to  change  the  name  of  the  institution  to 
University  of  Illinois.  It  was  perhaps  this  as  much  as  any  other  fact 
that  awoke  the  people  of  Illinois  to  the  splendid  opportunities  of  their 
own  institution.  Dr.  Peabody  resigned  in  1891. 

From  1891  to  1894  Vice  President  Thomas  Jonathan  Burrill  admin- 
istered the  affairs  of  the  university.  He  declined  the  presidency,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  time  to  botany.  During  this  period  the 
natural  history  hall  and  the  engineering  building  were  erected. 

Andrew  Sloan  Draper  became  the  third  president  in  September, 
1894.  The  university  grew  phenomenally,  not  only  in  numbers,  bui;  in 
material  equipment.  Eighteen  buildings  were  erected  on  the  campus 
during  his  term  of  office.  He  resigned  in  1904  to  resume  the  position  of 
commissioner  of  education  in  New  York  state,  which  he  had  held 
before. 

Edmund  Janes  James,  the  fourth  president  of  the  university,  was 
born  May  21,  1855,  at  Jacksonville,  111.  He  prepared  at  Illinois  State 
Normal  School  and  continued  his  studies  at  Northwestern  University 
in  1873,  at  Harvard  in  1874,  and  at  University  of  Halle  1875-7, 
receiving  the  degrees  of  M.  A.  and  Ph.  D.  Returning  to  this  country, 
he  was  principal  of  the  Evanston.  111.,  high  school  1878-9,  then  trans- 
ferring his  activities  to  the  Illinois  State  Normal  School,  at  Normal, 
where  he  was  professor  of  Latin  and  Greek,  and  principal  of  the  high 
school  department  until  1883.  After  a  year  of  research  in  Europe  Dr. 
James  was  called  to  the  professorship  in  public  administration  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  He  organized  the  graduate  school  and  was 
director  of  the  Wharton  School  of  Finance  and  Economy  at  that 
university.  Owing  largely  to  his  efforts  similar  departments  have  been 


84 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


established  in  the  Universities  of  California,  Chicago,  Michigan  and 
Columbia  University.  His  report  on  commercial  education  to  business 
men  in  Europe,  made  in  1892,  has  become  a  standard  authority  on  this 
subject.  Dr.  James  is  the  author  of  more  than  one  hundred  papers  and 
monographs  on  various  economic,  legal,  educational  and  historical 
topics.  He  is  president  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  and  is  a 
member  of  various  patriotic,  historical,  scientific  and  educational  so- 
cieties. Dr.  James  is  a  man  of  broad  attainments  and  the  University 
of  Illinois  is,  under  his  guidance,  rapidly  advancing  by  leaps  and 

bounds  toward  its  probable 
position  as  the  greatest  of 
the  American  state  universi- 
ties. 

The  development  of  the 
school  system  necessitated 
provision  for  the  education 
of  competent  teachers.  The 
initiative  was  taken  by  the 
legislature  Feb.  18,  1857,  in 
authorizing  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Illinois  State 
Normal  University,  at  Nor- 
mal, which  was  opened 
October  5th  of  the  same 

year.  This  was  the  first  teachers'  seminary  in  the  Mississippi 
valley,  and  it  has  furnished  teachers  to  the  majority  of  the  normal 
schools  since  established  in  various  states.  At  the  same  time  the 
legislature  established  the  State  Board  of  Education,  comprising  a  state 
superintendent  of  public  instruction  and  fourteen  other  members. 

The  normal  school  soon  proved  inadequate  to  meet  the  demand  for 
teachers,  and  on  March  9,  1869,  the  legislature  resolved  to  found  a 
second  institution  of  the  same  order,  which  was  located  at  Carbondale, 
being  completed  June  30,  1874,  and  known  as  the  Southern  Illinois 
Normal  University.  During  the  nineties  three  other  normal  schools 
were  established,  namely,  the  Eastern  Illinois  Normal  School  at  Charles- 
ton, and  the  Northern  Illinois  Normal  School  at  DeKalb,  by  act  of  the 
legislature  May  22,  1895,  both  being  opened  in  September,  1899,  and 
last  the  Western  Illinois  Normal  School  at  Macomb,  authorized  by  the 
legislature  April  24,  1899,  and  opened  before  completion  in  September, 
1902. 

In  addition  to  the  aforesaid  institutions,  the  state  maintains  four 
special  schools,  viz.,  the  Institution  for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb,  and  the  Institution  for  the  Blind,  both  at  Jacksonville,  the 


University  of  Illinois — Men's  Gymnasium 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM  85 

Asylum  for  the  Feebleminded,  at  Lincoln,  and  the  Soldiers'  Orphans 
Home  at  Normal. 

The  religious  denominations  maintain  a  great  number  of  educa- 
tional institutions,  the  mere  enumeration  of  which  would  require  pages. 
The  most  prominent  ones  are  the  Chicago  and  the  Northwestern  Univer- 
sities, which  will  be  dealt  with  in  a  subsequent  chapter  on  the  City  of 
Chicago. 

With  this  synopsis  of  the  educational  system  this  outline  of  the 
history  of  the  state  of  Illinois  may  fitly  end. 


CHAPTER  II 

The  City  of  Chicago 

Early  History 

HICAGO,  as  a  city,  date  from  the  year  1837,  but  its 
early  history  stretches  back  into  the  latter  part  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  The  name  Chicago  or  Chikagou  first 
occurs  on  a  map  of  Illinois  drawn  by  the  Frenchman 
Franquelin  in  1684.  It  was  applied  both  to  a  river  emp- 
tying into  the  Desplaines  just  above  the  mouth  of  the  Kankakee  and 
to  a  point  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  identical  with  the  present 
site  of  Chicago.  Some  years  later  the  French  explorers  used  the  name 
Chekagou  to  denote  the  present  Desplaines  River. 

The  next  recurrence  of  the  name  was  in  the  memoirs  left  by  the 
aforementioned  Tonti.  This  explorer,  who  in  1685  made  a  journey 
from  Canada  to  Illinois,  writes:  "October  30,  1685.  I  embarked  for 
Illinois,  but  on  account  of  the  ice  I  left  my  canoe  and  proceeded  by  land. 
Having  traveled  120  leagues,  I  arrived  at  Fort  Chicagou  where  M.  de 
la  Durantaye  was  commandant."  There  is  no  doubt  that  Fort  Chicagou 
was  one  of  the  strongholds  erected  by  the  French  to  secure  their 
possession  of  the  newly  discovered  territory,  nor  is  it  questioned  that 
the  fort  was  situated  on  ground  now  a  part  of  the  great  metropolis. 
The  time  and  circumstances  of  its  founding  are  unknown.  From  the 
memoirs  of  Tonti  we  learn  that  in  1699  there  was  a  mission,  where  the 
gospel  was  preached  to  the  neighboring  Miami  Indians.  It  appears 
from  contemporary  reports  that  adjacent  to  the  mission  and  the  fort 
was  a  French  village  of  modest  size,  but  we  find  no  information  as  to 
how  long  this  settlement  was  maintained. 

The  name  Chicago  is  an  Indian  word,  concerning  whose  original 
meaning  philologists  are  not  agreed.  Some  hold  that  it  meant  onion  or 
garlic,  others  skunk,  still  others  derive  it  from  two  Indian  words  mean- 
ing "wood  gone."  The  first  interpretation  is  based  on  the  prolific 
growth  of  garlic  along  the  Chicago  River  in  early  days ;  the  second  on 
the  supposition  that  skunks  were  plentiful  in  the  neighborhood;  while 
the  third  presupposes  that  the  place  at  one  time  had  been  covered  with 


EARLY  HISTORY 


woods  which  were  afterwards  cut  down.  In  the  absence  of  definite 
knowledge  on  this  point  one  explanation  may  be  as  acceptable  as 
another. 

About  1730  the  name  was  also  borne  by  a  chief  of  the  Indian  tribes 
of  Illinois.  When  these  tribes  in  1736,  through  a  treaty  with  the 
French,  had  reached  the  acme  of  their  power,  D  'Artaguette,  a  French- 
Canadian,  asked  their  aid  against  the  Chickasaw  Indians  of  Mississippi, 
who  were  making  war  upon  the  French  at  New  Orleans.  At  the 

head  of  a  force  of  500  braves 
Chief  Chicagou  accompanied  him 
to  the  land  of  the  Chickasaws, 
where  they  were  to  join  a  French 
force  under  Bienville.  The  latter 
did  not  arrive  at  the  time  and 
place  appointed,  and  the  Illinois 
warriors  together  with  the  fifty 
French  soldiers  proceeded,  under 
the  command  of  D 'Artaguette,  to 
capture  and  occupy  two  of  the 
Chickasaw  strongholds.  In  a  third 
attack  D  'Artaguette  was  wounded 
and  made  prisoner.  Chief  Chica- 
gou then  returned  with  his  men  to 
Illinois,  while  the  Chickasaws,  with 
the  enemies'  scalps  at  their  belts, 
marched  in  triumph  to  Georgia  on 
a  visit  to  Governor  Oglethorpe,  with  whom  they  had  made  a  friendly 
treaty. 

Certain  historians  claim  that  the  name  Chicagou  was  applied  to  a 
long  line  of  subsequent  chiefs  of  the  Illinois  tribes.  Whether  or  not 
these  chieftains  had  any  connection  with  the  place  bearing  that  name 
is  not  established. 

Not  until  a  hundred  years  after  Tonti's  visit  at  Chicago,  do  we 
find  the  place  again  mentioned  in  the  early  accounts.  In  1796,  we  are 
told,  a  mulatto  named  Jean  Baptiste  Pointe  du  Sable,  who  was  born 
in  San  Domingo,  settled  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Chicago  River,  near 
its  mouth,  built  a  hut  and  began  trading  with  the  Indians.  A  short 
time  afterwards,  he  sought  to  become  their  chief,  which  would  indicate 
very  friendly  relations.  His  effort  failed,  however,  and  in  his  chagrin 
he  sold  the  hut  with  the  surrounding  patch  of  cultivated  soil  to  a 
French  fur  trader,  named  Le  Mai,  and  moved  to  Peoria. 


CHIEF    CHICAGOU 


88 


CHICAGO 


Fort   Dearborn 

After  the  purchase  of  the  Louisiana  tract  from  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
in  1803,  it  became  necessary  for  the  United  States  to  establish  a  fort 
for  its  protection.  A  commission  was  sent  from  the  war  department 
at  Washington  to  select  a  suitable  site,  and  on  its  recommendation  it 
was  decided  to  build  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River,  on 
the  east  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  Preparations  for  building  had  al- 


S      ^^x^ 

FROM  FRANQUELIN'S  LARGE  MAP,  1684. 

Barly  Map  of  Illinois  River  Basin 

ready  been  made  when  the  Michigan  Indians  refused  to  grant  the 
necessary  site.  To  force  their  consent  was  deemed  unwise  and  hazar- 
dous, therefore  the  government  chose  the  alternative  of  erecting  the 
fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River,  where  it  owned  a  tract  com- 
prising six  square  miles  of  ground  ceded  by  the  Indians  as  early 
as  1795. 

To  build  a  fort  so  far  out  in  the  wilderness  was  a  risky  under- 
taking, but  no  other  site  being  available,  the  building  orders  were 
issued  in  the  early  summer  of  1803.  At  that  time  Detroit  and  Michili- 
mackinac  were  the  farthest  western  outposts  of  the  United  States  on  the 
Great  Lakes.  A  military  company  was  in  garrison  at  Detroit  under 
command  of  Captain  John  Whistler,  and  to  him  was  given  the  duty 
of  supervising  the  erection  of  the  fort  as  well  as  the  command  at  the 
new  outpost.  The  other  officers  at  Detroit  were  two  lieutenants,  his 


FORT  DEARBORN  89 

oldest  son,  William  Whistler,  and  James  S.  Swearingen  from  Chilli- 
cothe,  Ohio.  The  latter  was  ordered  to  head  the  soldiers  afoot  through 
the  forests  to  Chicago,  while  Captain  Whistler  himself,  together  with 
his  wife  and  their  son,  the  lieutenant,  with  his  young  bride,  embarked 
in  the  government  schooner  Tracy  for  the  same  destination. 

Chicago  at  this  time  consisted  of  three  little  huts  occupied  by  as 
many  French  fur  traders  with  their  Indian  wives  and  half-breed 
children.  One  of  these  traders  was  the  aforesaid  Le  Mai,  the  others 
Ouilmette  (after  whom  the  town  of  Wilmette  has  been  named)  and 
Pettell.  The  schooner  arrived  off  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River  July 
4th  and  anchored  at  a  sand  bank  just  opposite.  Here  its  cargo  of  arms, 
ammunition  and  provisions  was  loaded  into  small  boats  and  brought 
ashore  at  the  point  on  the  river  bank  selected  as  the  site  of  the  fort  to 
be  erected. 

Two  thousand  Indians  were  assembled  on  the  shore  to  witness  the 
landing.  The  schooner  itself  was  the  object  of  their  especial  interest 
and  admiration,  and  was  styled  "the  great  winged  canoe."  After 
debarking,  Captain  Whistler  ordered  the  crew  to  return  with  the  vessel 
to  Detroit,  and  soon  its  sails  disappeared  at  the  eastern  horizon. 
The  total  force  left  at  Chicago,  aside  from  the  three  commissioned 
officers,  consisted  of  four  sergeants,  three  corporals,  four  musicians, 
a  surgeon  and  fifty-four  privates,  numbering  altogether  69  men. 

Their  first  duty  was  to  build  a  blockhouse  for  shelter.  This  would 
have  been  an  easy  task,  except  for  the  fact  that  the  logs  had  to  be 
brought  from  a  considerable  distance.  For  lack  of  horses  or  oxen  the 
soldiers  themselves  were  obliged  to  drag  the  required  timbers  from 
the  nearest  woods  to  the  point  selected  for  the  blockhouse.  This  point 
was  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  on  rising  ground  near  present 
Rush  street.  The  river  did  not,  as  at  present,  flow  directly  east,  but 
curved  southward  and  emptied  into  the  lake  at  the  foot  of  Madison 
street.  On  the  ground  within  this  bend  the  fort  was  subsequently 
erected.  The  whole  summer  and  part  of  the  fall  had  passed  before  the 
building  was  so  far  advanced  that  it  afforded  shelter  for  the  men,  and 
the  fort  was  not  completed  until  the  following  year.  The  fort  then 
consisted  of  two  blockhouses,  one  in  the  southeastern,  the  other  in  the 
northwestern  corner  of  a  palisaded  area  sufficiently  ?.arge  to  serve  as 
military  drill  grounds.  From  the  palisades  a  subterranean  passage 
led  to  the  river's  edge.  The  armament  consisted  of  three  small  cannon. 
West  of  the  palisades  was  built  a  loghouse  two  stories  high,  with 
shingled  roof  and  walls.  This  was  to  serve  as  the  warehouse  of  the 
Indian  agency  which  was  established  simultaneously  and  served  as  a 
distributing  center  for  large  quantities  of  goods  sent  by  the  govern- 
ment as  gifts  to  the  Indians  by  way  of  winning  their  confidence  and 
good  will.  The  Indian  agent  also  served  as  the  quartermaster  of  the 


CHICAGO 


The  First  and  the  Second  Fort  Dearborn 


FORT  DEARBORN  9I 

garrison.  The  post  was  named  Fort  Dearborn  after  General  Henry 
Dearborn,  then  secretary  of  war  under  President  Thomas  Jefferson. 
Life  at  Fort  Dearborn  during  that  first  winter  was  a  dreary 
monotony,  which  must  'have  seemed  like  exile  or  imprisonment,  par- 
ticularly to  Lieutenant  Whistler's  girl  wife  of  sixteen,  formerly  Miss 
Julia  Fenson  of  Salem,  Mass.  There  was  practically  no  opportunity 
to  associate  with  people  outside  the  stockade,  there  being  no  whites, 
with  the  exception  of  the  three  French  fur  traders  with  Indian  wives. 
The  monotony  was  somewhat  relieved  by  a  .number  of  Americans 
settling  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  in  the  next  few  years.  In  the 
following  pages  we  will  introduce  a  few  of  these  Chicago  pioneers. 

John  Kinzie  and  His  Contemporaries 

In  1804  John  Kinzie,  a  fur  trader,  arrived  at  Fort  Dearborn  and 
purchased  from  Le  Mai  the  house  built  by  Du  Sable  and  changed  by 
its  second  proprietor  into  a  general  store.  This  house  was  situated  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  river,  directly  opposite  the  fort.  Kinzie  enlarged 
and  improved  the  building,  which  may  thus  be  considered  the  first 
American  private  residence  in  Chicago. 

John  Kinzie  was  born  in  Quebec  in  1763,  of  Scotch  parents,  and 
came  with  his  mother  and  stepfather  to  New  York  at  an  early  age. 
There  he  was  sent  to  a  school  on  Long  Island  at  the  age  of  twelve,  but 
he  soon  ran  away  from  home  and  returned  to  Quebec  where  he  went 
to  work  as  a  jeweler's  apprentice.  Later  Kinzie  rejoined  his  parents 
who,  meanwhile,  had  removed  to  Detroit.  Here  he  established  himself 
as  a  jeweler  and  began  trading  with  the  Indians.  He  wedded  a  young 
girl,  Margaret  McKenzie,  from  Virginia,  who  together  with  her  younger 
sister,  Elizabeth,  had  been  carried  off  by  an  Indian  Chief  and  held 
prisoner  for  years.  After  McKenzie 's  return  to  Virginia  together 
with  his  two  daughters,  Kinzie  removed  in  1800  to  the  St.  Joseph  River. 
No  sooner  had  he  heard  of  the  establishment  of  Fort  Dearborn  than 
he  decided  to  move  there  with  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Eleanor  McKillip, 
widow  of  an  English  officer.  He  arrived  in  1804,  as  stated,  and  estab- 
lished himself  as  an  Indian  trader,  gaining  and  retaining  the  confidence 
of  the  natives.  On  account  of  his  craft,  they  called  him  Shaw-nee-aw- 
kee,  the  silver  man. 

Already  in  1805  Kinzie  had  established  auxiliary  trading  posts 
in  Milwaukee,  on  the  Rock,  the  Illinois  and  the  Kankakee  rivers,  and 
in  the  region  now  named  Sangamon  county.  Every  post  had  its  repre- 
sentative, its  French  servants,  called  voyageurs  or  engages,  and  horses, 
boats  and  canoes  for  the  transportation  of  merchandise.  From  the 
majority  of  posts  furs  were  carried  on  horseback  to  Chicago  and  goods 
for  trading  purposes  brought  back  in  the  same  manner.  Ordinarily, 
two  sailing  vessels  arrived  at  Chicago  annually,  in  the  spring  and  fall. 


92 


CHICAGO 


In  these  the  furs  were  shipped  to  Mackinaw  where  the  depots  of  the 
great  fur  companies  were  located.  In  other  seasons  of  the  year,  the 
furs  were  sent  in  open  boats  to  the  same  destination.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn,  everybody  at  the  fort  was 
directly  or  indirectly  interested  in  fur  trading,  and  the  percentage  of 
servants  in  proportion  to  the  total  population  was  exceptionally  high. 
But  the  masters  themselves-  were  mostly  subordinates  of  the  large  fur 
companies. 

There  were  two  of  these  companies  that  early  established  com- 
mercial relations  with  Chicago.  These  were  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
and  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  and  a  third  competitor  was  the 
Mackinaw  Company,  until  John  Jacob  Astor  formed  the  American 
Fur  Company,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  Northwest  Company  pur- 
chased the  stock  of  the  Mackinaw  Company,  forming  the  Southwest 
Company,  its  stockholders  being  largely  English  capitalists.  In  1815, 
however,  Congress  prohibited  foreigners  from  engaging  in  the  Amer- 
ican fur  trade,  whereupon  Astor  purchased  the  stock  held  by  English- 
men and  two  years  later  formed  a  new  concern  named  the  American 
Fur  Company. 

John  Kinzie  was  doubtless  one  of  the  shrewdest  fur  traders  of  his 
time.  Though  a  frontiersman,  he  had  killed  but  one  man  and  that  an 
Indian  interpreter,  Lalime,  whom  he. killed  in  self-defense,  in  1812. 
Kinzie  had  several  children  with  each  of  his  two  wives,  one  of  his 
daughters,  Ellen  Marion,  being  the  first  white  child  born  in  Chicago, 
and  some  of  these  settled  at  Fort  Dearborn,  whither  other  members  of 
the  Kinzie  family  were  gradually  attracted,  so  that  in  a  decade  or  two 
the  place  had  a  considerable  white  population.  They  dwelt  principally 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  near  the  fort,  but  in  the  course  of  time 
huts  began  to  dot  the  plan  at  some  distance  from  it. 

The  first  Indian  agent  at  the  fort  was  a  Virginian,  named  Charles 
Jouett.  He  retained  the  position  until  1811  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
one  Captain  Nathanael  Heald.  Jouett  was  also  the  superintendent  of  a 
so-called  factory  established  there  by  the  government.  The  circum- 
stances were  as  follows :  When  the  government  learned  of  the  enor- 
mous sums  earned  by  the  great  fur  companies  in  the  fur  trade  with 
the  Indians,  it  was  deemed  expedient,  by  way  of  improving  the  financial 
condition  of  the  young  republic,  to  establish  factories  or  trading  sta- 
tions at  the  frontier  forts  with  a  view  to  sharing  the  prosperity  of  the 
private  enterprises.  The  government  purposed  to  make  honest  pay- 
ment for  all  furs  bought  of  the  Indians  in  the  form  of  necessaries  of 
life.  The  presumption  was  that  the  natives  would  rather  deal  with  the 
government  representative  than  with  traders  who  usually  made  them 
drunk  and  then  cheated  them  shamefully.  But  the  government  agents 
proved  vastly  inferior  to  the  private  traders  in  shrewdness  and  ex- 


JOHN  KINZIE 


93 


M**d  A. i : }  -  s-t-*-  /4ft^fc 

~&j-..  *•  J  !  °  ( — ^  .5      / 

•v-vEf-  </z?_!-l*-J    \    H — rfflbasm_. 


SUP-ILLINOIS  IN  1811-181*. 


perience,  this  resulting  in  the  total  failure  of  the  factory  system.  The 
American  Fur  Company,  after  its  reorganization  in  1817,  swept  away 
the  government  factories  as  well  as  all  the  individual  traders  and  for 


94  CHICAGO 

a  time  enjoyed  a  practical  monopoly  of  the  fur  trade  in  the  Northwest. 
The  government  withdrew  from  the  field  none  the  richer  but  much  the 
wiser  from  its  experiment  in  trafficking  with  the  Indians. 

The  second,  and  presumably  the  last,  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Dear- 
born was  one  Matthew  Irwin  of  Philadelphia,  who  occupied  that 
position  from  the  year  1811  until  the  destruction  of  the  fort  in  the 
following  year. 

TKe  Fort  Dearborn  Massacre 

Although  the  relations  between  the  savages  and  the  Americans 
were  less  cordial  than  the  friendship  that  had  existed  between  them 
and  the  French,  yet  the  Fort  Dearborn  garrison  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  them  during  the  first  few  years,  and  could  go  about  their  peaceful 
pursuits  in  and  about  the  fort  in  comparative  safety.  Soon,  however, 
lowering  clouds  threatened  the  settlement,  its  fort  and  garrison  with 
the  storm  and  stress  of  warfare. 

During  the  winter  of  1804-5,  Tecumseh,  the  brave,  sagacious  and 
eloquent  Shawnee  chief,  and  his  brother  Elskwatawa,  called  the  Proph- 
et, started  on  a  tour  from  tribe  to  tribe  in  the  Northwest,  persuading 
the  tribesmen  to  form  a  federation  for  the  purpose  of  driving  out  the 
Americans.  In  spite  of  Tecumseh 's  glowing  eloquence  and  his  brother's 
auguries,  based  on  revelations  from  the  Great  Spirit,  that  the  campaign 
would  be  successful,  the  Illinois  redskins  remained  peaceful.  In  IfJIO, 
a  council  of  the  Pottawatomies,  Ottawas,  and  Chippewas  was  held  at 
St.  Joseph,  Mich.,  resulting  in  a  compact  not  to  join  the  Tecumseh 
federation.  General  Harrison's  victory  over  the  Shawnees  and  other 
tribes  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  Ind.,  Nov.  7,  1811,  highly  enraged 
even  the  Illinois  Indians  against  the  encroachers,  and  in  April,  1812, 
unfriendly  hordes  of  Winnebagoes  appeared  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  fort,  terrorizing  the  settlers,  many  of  whom  sought  refuge  within 
the  palisades. 

After  the  United  States  declared  war  against  England  in  1812, 
numerous  Indian  tribes  allied  themselves  with  the  English,  hoping 
with  their  aid  to  drive  the  hated  Americans  from  their  territory.  The 
fortunes  of  war  at  first  favored  the  British.  On  the  9th  of  August  the 
friendly  Pottawatomie  chief,  Winnemeg,  came  to  Fort  Dearborn  as  a 
courier  from  General  Hull  at  Detroit,  bearing  the  message  that  on  July 
16th  the  formidable  Fort  Michilimackinac,  the  headquarters  of  the 
fur  traders,  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Indians.  He  also  brought 
orders  for  Captain  Nathanael  Heald,  who  a  year  before  had  succeeded 
Captain  Whistler  in  command  at  Fort  Dearborn,  to  abandon  the  fort 
and  retreat  with  the  garrison  to  Detroit.  Almost  simultaneously  the 
Indian  swarmed  around  the  fort,  demanding  the  distribution  among 
them  of  supplies  stipulated,  as  they  claimed,  in  previous  treaties. 


THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 


95 


The  Fort  Dearborn  garrison  consisted  of  only  54  regulars,  12  mi- 
litiaraent  and  besides  the  commander,  2  officers,  namely  Lieutenant  L. 
T.  Helm  and  Ensign  K.  Ronan.  Of  the  men  a  number  were  ill,  reduc- 
ing the  available  fighting  strength  to  about  forty.  Besides,  there  were 
about  a  dozen  women  and  twenty  children  under  their  protection. 
Captain  Heald  knew  only  too  well  that  under  such  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  defend  the  fort, 
and  equally  precarious  to  hazard  a  retreat.  Contrary  to  the  advice  of 
John  Kinzie,  Winnemeg  and  other  friends,  to  evacuate  the  fort  before 


Site  of  Fort  Dearborn  Massacre 

the  Indians  had  time  to  complete  a  plan  of  attack,  he  delayed  action 
for  six  days,  faintly  hoping  that  the  formerly  friendly  Pottawatomies, 
through  whose  territory  he  planned  to  march  away,  would  permit  him 
to  depart  without  annoyance.  Meanwhile,  500  or  600  Indian  warriors 
gathered  near  the  fort.  "With  these  Captain  Heald  held  a  parley  on 
August  12th,  promising  them  all  the  supplies  and  other  property  found 
at  the  fort  and  the  agency  in  return  for  safe  escort  to  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.  The  Pottawatomies  agreed,  knowing  that  the  fort  held  large 
quantities  of  ammunition  and  whisky.  At  this  juncture  (August  13th) 
Captain  Wells,  the  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Wayne,  arrived  with  an  escort 
of  30  friendly  Miamis.  Captain  Wells,  who  was  an  uncle  of  Mrs.  Heald, 
decried  as  senseless  the  idea  of  abandoning  these  supplies  to  the 
savages,  Kinzie  and  the  officers  and  men  of  the  garrison  joining'  in 
support  of  his  view.  Heeding  the  advice,  the  commander  had  all  the 
arms  and  ammunition  he  was  unable  to  take  with  him  destroyed  and 
the  casks  of  whisky  emptied  into  the  river. 

The  news  reached  the   ears   of  the  Indian   chiefs,   who   charged 
Captain  Heald  with   gross   deception   and  treachery   and   disclaimed 


96 


CHICAGO 


ability  to  keep  their  warriors  from  attacking  the  Americans.  A  council 
of  war  was  held,  resulting  in  a  decision  to  massacre  the  garrison  and 
settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  just  after  their  departure.  At  9 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  August  15th  the  gates  swung  open  and  the 
garrison  marched  out.  At  the  head  rode  Captain  Wells,  followed  by  15 
of  the  Miami  escort,  the  remaining  15  bringing  up  the  rear.  A  number 


The  Fort  Dearborn  Massacre  Monument,  Chicago — Black  Partridge 
Saving  Mrs.  Helm 

of  Pottawatomies  also  joined  the  party,  explaining  that  they  desired  to 
reinforce  the  escort.  Kinzie,  however,  having  heard  that  the  Potta- 
watomies intended  to  ambuscade  the  retreating  garrison,  joined  the 
soldiers,  thinking  his  influence  with  the  Indians  might  dissuade  them 
from  carrying  out  their  savage  plan.  Before  starting  he  left  in  the 
care  of  two  trusty  Indians  a  boat  containing  Mrs.  Kinzie,  her  younger 
children,  Grutte,  the  nurse,  a  bookkeeper,  two  servants,  two  other 


THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 


97 


Indians  and  two  oarsmen.  The  soldiers  marched  slowly  southward 
along  the  Michigan  shore.  Their  wives  and  children  followed  in 
wagons  and  on  horseback.  The  Pottawatomies  soon  separated  from 
the  escort  and  hurried  away  beyond  the  sand  dunes  to  lie  in  wait  for 
the  company. 

Captain  Wells  at  once  suspected  their  purpose  and  rode  back  to 
the  main  body  apprising  the  soldiers  of  the  treachery  and  telling  them 
to  prepare  for  a  fight.  They  did  not  wait  long  for  the  expected  attack. 
Officers  and  men  resisted  the  onslaught  with  great  bravery,  but  what 
did  a  handful  of  men,  however  courageous,  avail  against  hundreds  of 
savages?  The  provisions  soon  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands;  many 
women  and  children  were  butchered.  The  Miamis  fled  in  consternation 
at  the  first  attack.  Of  the  whites,  Captain  Wells,  Ensign  Ronan,  and 
Surgeon  Isaac  Van  Voorhis  fell  dead;  Captain  Heald  and  his  wife, 
Lieutenant  Helm  and  his  wife,  a  stepdaughter  of  John  Kinzie,  and 
many  others  were  wounded.  The  killed  were  scalped,  and  the  heart 
of  Captain  Wells  was  cut  out  and  distributed  in  small  pieces  among  the 
tribes.  In  a  few  moments  the  Fort  Dearborn  garrison  and  population 
had  been  reduced  to  25  men  and  11  women,  who  were  spared  through 
the  magnanimity  of  Black  Partridge,  a  friendly  chief,  on  condition 
that  they  lay  down  their  arms.  The  prisoners  were  subsequently  sent 
to  the  British  commander  at  Detroit.  The  battle  here  described  is 
known  in  the  annals  of  Illinois  and  Chicago  as  the  Fort  Dearborn 
Massacre. 

On  the  day  after  the  massacre  the  Indians,  having  looted  the  fort 
and  the  agency  during  the  night,  set  fire  to  the  buildings,  which  soon 
burned  to  the  ground.  The  same  day  General  Hull  surrendered  not 
only  the  fort  with  its  garrison  and  supplies  at  Detroit  but  all  Michigan 
into  the  hands  of  the  British  and  their  Indian  allies. 

While  the  Fort  Dearborn  garrison  fought  the  Indians  among  the 
sand  dunes,  John  Kinzie 's  craft  with  its  passengers  still  lay  moored 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  Eiver.  The  purpose  had  been  to  depart 
at  once  for  St.  Joseph  across  the  lake,  but  the  trip  was  interrupted  by 
the  battle.  After  the  massacre  the  boat  was  brought  back  to  the  fort, 
and  the  members  of  the  Kinzie  family,  Mrs.  Heald  and  the  rest  re- 
turned to  the  Kinzie  home  under  the  protection  of  friendly  and  faith- 
ful Indians.  Here  they  were  threatened  with  destruction  by  a  horde 
of  Wabash  Indians  that  had  arrived  for  the  purpose  of  participating 
with  the  Pottawatomies  in  the  plunder,  but  found  to  their  exasperation 
that  they  were  too  late.  The  Pottawatomie  warriors  and  their  sons 
were  already  disporting  themselves  in  the  articles  of  feminine  apparel 
left  behind  at  the  evacuation. 

Through  the  intervention  of  several  chiefs,  and  particularly 
through  the  efforts  of  one  Billy  Caldwell,  a  brave  and  sagacious  half- 


98  CHICAGO 

breed,  the  little  company  was  saved  from  annihilation,  whereupon  the 
Kinzie  family,  under  the  guidance  and  protection  of  an  Indian  escort, 
was  brought  to  St.  Joseph,  thence  in  November  to  Detroit,  where  they 
were  delivered  up  as  prisoners  of  war  to  Col.  McKee,  the  British 
commander.  During  the  winter  John  Kinzie  himself  also  was  brought 
as  a  prisoner  to  Detroit.  He  was  at  once  set  at  liberty  on  parole,  but 
was  again  arrested  some  time  afterwards  under  suspicion  of  corre- 
sponding with  General  Harrison  of  the  American  army,  and  was  then 
separated  from  his  family  and  sent  to  Canada.  Four  years  later  he 
returned,  together  with  his  family,  to  the  desolated  homestead  on  the 


Wolf's  Point,  Chicago,  in  1832.     A  Trading  Post  Conducted  by  Wolf 

at  the  Fork  of  the  North  and  the  South  Branch  of  the 

Chicago  River 

Chicago  River.    One  by  one  the  scattered  settlers  returned  and  settled 
once  more  on  Chicago's  banks. 

The  second  war  with  England  was  ended  by  a  treaty  signed  Dec. 
24,  1814.  This  also  put  an  end  to  the  Indian  wars,  it  being  stipulated 
in  the  articles  of  peace  that  thenceforth  neither  power  should  arouse 
the  Indians  against  the  other.  The  American  government  was  now  left 
to  arrange  matters  peaceably  with  the  western  tribes.  In  1816,  by 
a  treaty  signed  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  it  purchased  from  the  Ottawas  and 
Chippewas  a  tract  along  Lake  Michigan,  extending  ten  miles  north 
and  ten  miles  south  from  the  Chicago  River  and  back  as  far  as  the 
Kankakee,  Illinois  and  Fox  rivers.  In  order  to  keep  up  communications 
with  the  vast  territory  purchased  thirteen  years  before  from  France 
and  to  protect  the  fur  trade  and  other  mercantile  interests,  a  fort  on 
Lake  Michigan  was  deemed  necessary.  The  following  year,  therefore, 


THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE  99 

the  government  issued  orders  for  the  erection  of  a  new  Fort  Dearborn 
on  the  ruins  of  the  old.  The  commission  was  given  to  Captain  Heze- 
kiah  Bradley,  who  arrived  on  the  site  July  4th  of  that  year,  just 
thirteen  years  after  Captain  Whistler,  the  builder  and  first  commander 
of  the  first  Fort  Dearborn,  landed  with  his  men. 

The  new  fort  was  built  on  a  larger  scale  than  the  old.  To  the 
administration  building  and  barracks  were  added  magazines  and  a 
supply  storehouse,  and  the  buildings  were  protected  by  a  square  of 
palisades  and  two  bastions  in  opposite  corners.  This  fort  was  evacu- 
ated in  1823,  reoccupied  in  3828,  and  again  abandoned  in  1831,  only  to 
be  taken  possession  of  by  a  new  garrison  the  following  year,  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Black  Hawk  War.  The  final  evacuation  occurred  in  1836, 
after  the  Indians  had  withdrawn  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  fort 
shared  the  fate  of  many  other  historic  structures,  being  left  to  gradual 
decay  and  final  annihilation  at  the  hands  of  vandals.  Thus  one  Judge 
Fuller,  some  time  in  the  forties  or  fifties,  had  part  of  the  administration 
building  and  one  other  structure  torn  down  and  rebuilt  on  sites  owned 
by  him  on  the  south  side.  In  1857,  one  A.  J.  Cross,  a  city  employee, 
had  the  remaining  buildings  torn  down,  except  one,  and  the  sandhill 
on  which  the  fort  had  been  located,  graded  to  a  level  with  the  sur- 
rounding grounds.  The  remaining  structure  was  moved  to  another 
part  of  the  Fort  Dearborn  site.  The  great  Chicago  fire  of  1871  re- 
moved this  last  trace  of  Fort  Dearborn. 

The  development  of  Chicago  in  its  early  stages  was  very  slow. 
In  1823  Major  Long  wrote:  "This  village  offers  no  promise  for  the 
future,  in  view  of  the  fact  that,  although  quite  old,  the  place  numbers 
only  a  few  huts,  inhabited  by  a  lot  of  miserable  creatures,  little  better 
than  the  Indians  whose  descendants  they  are.  Their  loghouses  are 
low,  dirty  and  uninviting,  lacking  every  requirement  of  home  comfort. 
In  a  business  sense,  it  holds  out  no  inducement  to  strangers,  the  busi- 
ness of  the  village  being  limited  to  the  disposal  of  the  cargoes  brought 
here  by  five  or  six  schooners  annually."  As  late  as  1825  the  village 
numbered  only  75  or  100  inhabitants,  14  of  whom  owned  taxable  prop- 
erty. Keal  estate  being  non-assessable,  the  total  value  of  taxable 
property  amounted  to  $9,047.  The  most  well-to-do  settlers  were,  John 
Crofts,  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  with  property  worth 
$5,000,  John  B.  Beaubien,  worth  $1,000,  Archibald  Clybourn,  worth 
$625,  Alexander  Wolcott,  worth  $572,  John  Kinzie,  worth  $500.  From 
the  last  item  it  appears  that  Kinzie,  who  is  improperly  called  "the 
father  of  Chicago,"  at  this  time  was  a  man  in  very  moderate  circum- 
stances. Kinzie  died  Jan.  6,  1828,  at  the  age  of  65  years. 

The  village  site  was  first  surveyed  in  1829  and  divided  into  lots, 
a  plat  of  which  was  made  the  following  year.  This  survey  embraced 
three-eights  of  a  square  mile.  A  post  office  was  established  in  1831. 


100  CHICAGO 

It  was  a  primitive  affair,  according  to  the  report  that  Jonathan  Bailey, 
the  postmaster,  nailed  up  old  bootlegs  on  the  wall  as  receptacles  for 
incoming  and  outgoing  mails. 

Chicago  as  a  Town  and  City 

In  the  year  1833  the  former  Indian  village  and  trading  station 
entered  upon  a  new  stage  of  development.  On  August  10th  of  that 
year  it  was  incorporated  as  a  town,  and  a  town  council  of  five  members 
was  elected,  with  John  V.  Owen  as  its  president.  The  town  comprised 
an  area  of  560  acres,  175  buildings  and  550  inhabitants,  29  of  whom 
were  entitled  to  vote.  The  property  value  was  $60,000,  with  an 
assessed  value  of  $19,560,  and  the  taxes  for  the  first  year  amounted 
to  $48.90. 

Nov.  6th  of  that  year  the  first  newspaper  was  issued,  being  the  first 
issue  of  "The  Chicago  Democrat;"  and  the  following  year  the  first 
public  school  was  established  in  Chicago,  being  also  the  first  in  the 
state.  Several  brick  buildings  were  erected,  and  a  bridge  was  built 
across  the  river,  which  since  1831  had  been  crossed  by  means  of  a 
ferry.  In  1835  were  added  a  courthouse  and  a  school. 

In  four  years  the  town  of  Chicago  grew  to  be  a  point  of  no  small 
importance  commercially,  as  the  following  figures  will  show:  In  1833 
four  vessels  with  a  total  tonnage  of  700  arrived  at  Chicago ;  in  1834  one 
hundred  and  seventy-six  vessels  with  a  tonnage  of  5,000,  entered  this 
port;  in  1835  two  hundred  and  fifty,  with  a  tonnage  of  22,500,  and  in 
1836  four  hundred  and  fifty,  with  a  tonnage  of  60,000.  A  shipyard  was 
established,  and  on  May  18th  of  the  last  named  year,  Chicago's  first 
vessel,  the  sloop  Clarissa,  went  down  the  ways.  On  July  4th  the  entire 
population  witnessed  the  turning  of  the  first  sod  in  the  work  of  ("Urging 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  a  waterway  which,  completed,  became 
an  important  line  of  transportation  for  Chicago's  commerce  and  for 
general  traffic. 

The  great  financial  panic  of  1837  naturally  affected  Chicago,  but 
it  could  not  stop  the  development  so  recently  begun.  Even  at  this 
early  date  Chicago  seemed  to  possess  a  goodly  amount  of  that  spirit 
of  enterprise  for  which  it  has  since  become  famous.  In  the  midst  of  the 
general  crisis,  the  town  sought  and  obtained  a  city  charter,  dated 
March  4,  1837.  On  the  1st  of  May  following  the  first  city  election  was 
held,  at  which  W.  B.  Ogden,  a  wealthy  and  influential  citizen,  was 
elected  Chicago's  first  mayor.  The  first  census  was  taken  July  1st, 
when  the  city  was  found  to  number  4,179  inhabitants. 

To  give  a  detail  account  of  the  city's  further  development  would 
require  volumes,  but  a  brief  outline  will  answer  our  present  purpose. 

In  its  second  year  as  a  city,  the  foundation  was  laid  for  that 
enormous  line  of  commerce,  the  wheat  trade,  for  which  Chicago  becam 


TOWN  AND  CITY 


101 


known  in  the  markets  of  the  world.  The  first  cargo  of  wheat,  100 
bushels,  was  now  shipped  east  from  Chicago.  Before  that  time,  grain 
and  flour  had  been  shipped  to  Chicago  from  the  East.  When  the 
farmers  in  the  vicinity  of  Chicago  learned  that  there  was  a  market  for 
their  grain,  they  hauled  their  wheat  to  the  city  by  the  wagonloads, 
and  the  buyers  and  sellers  made  their  deals  in  the  street.  The  im- 
practicability of  this  method  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Chicago 


Chicago  in  1858.     Northeast  View,  Taken  from  the  Old  Court  House 

Board  of  Trade,  which  in  a  short  time  did  an  enormous  business.    As 
early  as  1854  Chicago  exported  more  grain  than  New  York. 

Other  steps  in  the  making  of  Chicago  followed  in  quick  succession. 
Its  first  railroad,  The  Chicago  and  Galena  Union,  was  begun  in  1847. 
The  following  year  telegraphic  connection  was  established,  first  with 
Milwaukee,  then  with  the  Atlantic  coast  cities.  The  same  year  (1848) 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  was  opened  for  traffic,  giving  Chicago 
through  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers  a  waterway  to  St.  Louis 
and  the  Gulf  cities.  In  another  two  years  a  gas  lighting  plant  was 
established.  Steamer  routes  between  Chicago  and  other  points  on 
Lake  Michigan  were  established  in  1852.  During  the  fifties  several 
railroad  lines  radiated  from  Chicago,  viz.,  the  Michigan  Southern  and 


I02  CHICAGO 

the  Michigan  Central  in  1852,  the  Chicago  and  Rock  Island  in  1854, 
the  Chicago  and  Alton  in  1855,  and  the  Illinois  Central  in  1856.  A 
waterworks  system  was  established  in  1854,  and  in  1859  the  first  fire 
engine  was  purchased,  marking  the  initial  step  in  introducing  a  modern 
fire-fighting  system.  The  same  year  the  first  street  railway  was  built 
in  Chicago. 

The  growth  of  the  system  of  transportation  was  followed  by  a 
phenomenal  business  development.  The  volume  of  business  in  1852 
was  $20,000,000,  in  1856,  $85,000,000,  and  in  1860  $97,000,000. 

The  manufacturing  industry  increased  correspondingly.  In  1850 
the  value  of  Chicago  manufactures  was  $2,562,583 ;  ten  years  later  it 
had  increased  to  $13,555,671.  The  banking  business  naturally  kept 
pace  with  the  increase  in  other  lines  of  business. 

A  powerful  factor  in  the  speedy  development  of  Chicago  was  the 
influx  of  immigrants  to  the  West.  This  began  in  the  early  forties  and 
increased  steadily  for  each  succeeding  decade.  Labor  and  capital  met 
in  Chicago,  making  that  city,  in  the  course  of  a  few  decades,  a  center  of 
business  enterprise  and  human  activity  without  a  parallel. 

Intellectual  and  spiritual  development  went  hand  in  hand  with 
the  material  growth.  Congregations  of  various  denominations  were 
early  established,  increasing  rapidly  in  numbers.  Imposing  church 
edifices  were  erected  at  short  intervals.  The  public  school  system  was 
carefully  nurtured  and  improved;  many  higher  institutions  of  learn- 
ing were  founded,  among  which  several  medical  schools.  Various 
kinds  of  charitable  institutions  sprang  into  existence.  The  Chicago 
Historical  Society  was  organized  in  1856  and  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
the  next  year. 

The  press  has  been  not  the  least  essential  factor  in  the  upbuilding 
of  Chicago.  ''The  Chicago  Daily  American,"  its  first  daily  newspaper, 
was  established  in  1839.  During  the  following  two  decades  several 
large  newspaper  enterprises  were  launched,  such  as  "The  Evening 
Chicago  Tribune"  in  1847,  and  "The  Chicago  Times"  in  1854. 

This  progress  along  all  lines  continued  throughout  the  sixties. 
Figures  to  show  this  progress  would  prove  a  bewildering  array,  suffice, 
therefore,  the  bare  mention  of  the  principal  enterprises  of  that  decade. 
First  in  importance  beyond  compare  was  the  establishment  of  the  Union 
Stock  Yards.  The  packing  industry  of  Chicago  dates  back  to  the 
forties,  but  not  until  the  founding  of  the  Stock  Yards  did  it  assume 
the  proportions  of  a  giant  industry.  The  Stock  Yards  proved  a  power- 
ful stimulus  to  the  stockraising  industry  of  the  West  and  Southwest, 
and  in  a  few  years  Chicago  was  the  leading  live  stock  market  in  the 
United  States.  The  exports  of  the  packing  plants  increased  year  by 
year,  making  Chicago  a  household  word  abroad  as  well  as  at  home.  The 


TOWN  AND  CITY 


103 


shipments  of  cattle  to  Chicago  shows  the  following  increase:  in  1857, 
48,524  heads,  in  1866,  384,251,  in  1870,  532,964 ;  the  corresponding  ex- 
ports were,  25,502,  268,723  and  391,709  heads.  The  hog  shipments  to 
Chicago  were,  in  1857,  244,345,  in  1866,  1,286,326,  and  in  1870,  1,953,372 
heads ;  the  corresponding  exports  were,  123,568,  576,099  and  1,095,671 
heads. 

In  the  iron  industry  Chicago  also  made  a  name  for  itself.    At  the 
Illinois  Steel  Works  North  Chicago  plant  was  rolled  in  1865  the  first 


THE    SAUGANASH    HOTEL. 

Built  by  Mark  Beaubien  on  the  S.-E.  Corner  of  L,ake  and  Market 
Streets,  Previous  to  the  Black  Hawk  War 

iron  rail  manufactured  in  America.  This  marked  the  new  birth  of  the 
railway  system  in  the  United  States. 

The  constant  increase  in  population  made  new  demands  on  the 
sanitary  drainage  system.  The  sewerage,  emptied  into  the  Chicago 
River  and  carried  by  its  current  out  into  the  lake,  made  the  city's 
water  supply  a  source  of  danger  to  the  health  of  the  inhabitants.  To 
circumvent  this  peril,  the  city  in  1864  began  the  construction  of  a  two- 
mile  water  tunnel,  terminating  in  a  crib  or  intake.  This  tunnel  was 
completed  in  1866  and  opened  for  use  in  March  the  following  year. 

The  bridges  spanning  the  river  soon  became  inadequate  for  the 
lively  traffic  between  the  various  portions  of  the  city.  This  led  to  the 
construction  of  tunnels  under  the  river  for  the  transportation  of  pas- 
sengers. The  Washington  street  tunnel,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the 
United  States,  was  built  in  1868,  and  the  La  Salle  street  tunnel  two 
years  later.  A  third  street  railway  tunnel  was  constructed  at  Van 
Buren  street. 


104  CHICAGO 

During  the  same  decade  the  laying  out  of  Chicago's  extensive 
park  system  was  begun.  Three  park  boards,  authorized  in  1869  by  the 
state  legislature,  were  appointed  and  charged  with  this  work  on  the 
north  side,  the  west  side  and  the  south  side  respectively. 

In  1866-70  a  considerable  stretch  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
was  deepened  and  improved  at  a  total  expense  to  the  city  of  $3,251,621. 

The  Great  Chicag6  Fire 

As  described  in  the  preceding  outline,  such  was  Chicago  in  the 
beginning  of  the  seventies.  In  some  thirty  odd  years  it  had  grown  from 
an  insignificant  village  with  three  or  four  thousand  inhabitants  to  a 
great  metropolis  with  a  population  of  300,000.  In  point  of  rapid  growth 
it  had  outstripped  almost  every  other  city  in  the  world.  There  yet 
seemed  to  be  no  limit  to  its  development. 

Then  came  that  great  catastrophe  which  with  one  fell  swoop 
reduced  to  charred  ruins  the  structure  of  three  fruitful  decades. 
Chicago,  the  young,  the  undaunted,  was  vanquished  by  the  fiery  fiend. 
In  a  few  hours  the  conflagration  completed  its  work  of  destruction, 
swept  over  an  area  of  2,100  acres,  or  nearly  3%  square  miles,  reduced 
17,500  buildings  to  ashes,  made  98,500  people  homeless,  and  destroyed 
property  to  the  value  of  $190,000,000. 

Great  in  its  prosperity,  Chicago  proved  itself  grander  still  in  ad- 
versity. What  seemed  like  a  crushing  blow  only  served  to  spur  it  on  to 
greater  exertions  towards  a  new  and  greater  development.  Ere  the 
ashes  had  cooled,  preparations  were  made  for  rebuilding  the  city,  and 
out  of  the  ruins  there  rose,  in  less  than  a  year  after  the  fire,  a  new 
Chicago,  great  in  wealth  and  power,  compelling  the  admiration  of  the 
world. 

The  Chicago  fire  was  the  worst  disaster  of  its  kind  in  history  up  to 
that  time,  being  more  destructive  than  the  great  London  fire  in  1666, 
those  of  New  York,  1835,  Hamburg,  1842,  Constantinople,  1852,  and 
is  only  surpassed  by  one  similar  calamity — the  burning  of  San  Francisco 
in  April,  1906. 

This  terrible  disaster  occurred  on  the  8th  and  9th  of  October,  1871. 
The  main  conflagration  was  preceded  by  a  smaller  fire  which  broke  out 
in  the  evening  of  Saturday  the  7th,  on  Clinton  street,  near  Van  Buren, 
on  the  west  side,  and,  fanned  by  a  strong  wind,  destroyed  buildings  on 
an  area  of  twenty  acres,  causing  a  property  loss  of  a.bout  $700,000  on 
dwellings,  lumber  yards  and  coal  supplies,  and  leaving  several  hundred 
families  without  shelter. 

The  following  Sunday  was  a  bright  autumn  day.  Tens  of  thou- 
sands visited  the  churches  while  other  tens  of  thousands  preferred  to 
pace  the  streets,  viewing  the  splendid  decorations  in  honor  of  the 
expected  visitor,  Grand  Duke  Alexis  of  Russia.  Many  a  devout  church- 


THE  GREAT  FIRE  105 

goer  doubtless  breathed  silent  thanksgivings  to  the  Almighty  for  hav- 
ing averted  the  visitation  that  had  threatened  the  city  the  night  before. 
The  great  mass,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  to  have  no  thought  of  the 
disaster,  oblivious  as  ever  of  the  misfortunes  of  others,  and  intent  only 
on  their  pleasures. 

In  the  evening  the  city  presented,  if  possible,  a  still  more  animated 
aspect.  The  devout  again  thronged  toward  the  houses  of  worship, 
while  the  frivolous  in  still  greater  numbers  surged  to  the  theaters  and 
other  places  of  entertainment,  how  to  find  the  greatest  possible  enjoy- 
ment being  the  question  uppermost  in  every  mind.  The  inhabitants 
of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  were  probably  no  more  light  of  heart  the 
evening  before  they  were  buried  in  a  rain  of  ashes  and  a  stream  of 
glowing  lava  than  were  the  people  of  Chicago  in  the  evening  of  the 
fated  8th  of  October. 

At  half  past  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  just  as  the  people  were 
leaving  the  churches  at  the  conclusion  of  the  evening  services,  while 
the  theatrical  performances  were  nearing  the  acme  of  interest  and 
dancing  was  in  full  swing  in  the  halls  of  social  pleasure,  the  fire  alarm 
was  given  anew.  The  fire  fighters,  exhausted  by  the  exertions  of  the 
previous  day,  again  hurried  with  engines,  hose  carts  and  ladders  to 
the  field  of  battle  on  the  west  side.  This  time  a  fire  had  broken  out  at 
the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  DeKoven  streets,  a  point  far  to  the  south  of 
the  area  devastated  the  night  before.  Following  is  the  generally  ac- 
cepted story  of  how  the  fire  started.  An  old  Irishwoman,  Mrs.  0  'Leary 
by  name,  who  during  the  day  had  entertained  a  crowd  of  merrymakers, 
went  out  to  the  stable  in  the  back  yard  at  this  late  hour  to  milk  her 
cow.  A  lamp  which  she  placed  beside  her  was  kicked  over  by  'the 
animal,  the  litter  of  the  stall  was  saturated  with  the  oil  and  set  on  fire ; 
the  flames  soon  reached  the  fodder  supply,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the 
stable  was  ablaze.  The  flames  spread  rapidly  to  neighboring  frame 
buildings. 

During  the  entire  fall  no  rain  had  fallen ;  the  frame  structures  with 
their  shingled  roofs  were  very  dry  and  burned  like  tinder.  To  add  to 
the  disaster,  the  strong  wind  of  the  previous  day  had  increased  almost 
to  a  hurricane,  adding  to  the  fury  of  the  rapidly  spreading  flames. 
In  vain  the  firemen  tried  to  stop  the  spread  of  the  fire  northward ;  step 
by  step  they  were  driven  back.  The  fire  soon  divided  its  forces  into 
two  mighty  columns  which  raced  northward  with  incredible  speed. 
The  storm  flung  masses  of  sparks  toward  the  northeast,  and  these 
advance  scouts  made  independent  attacks,  setting  buildings  on  fire 
far  in  advance  of  the  main  column  of  the  fire-fiend.  In  this  manner  the 
firemen  were  repeatedly  surrounded  and  forced  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat 
or  perish. 

The  public  as  well  as  the  firemen  hoped  that  the  fire  would  die 


io6 


CHICAGO 


out  from  lack  of  sustenance  upon  reaching  the  burnt  area  from  the 
night  before.    This  hope,  however,  proved  a  delusion.    That  point  was 


A 


reached  at  half  past  eleven  in  the  evening,  but  the  flames  leaped  quickly 
over  -the  charred  district,  at  once  attacking  the  planing  mills  and  fac- 


THE  GREAT  FIRE 


107 


tories  on  the  west  bank  of  the  south  branch  of  the  river,  which  fur- 
nished ample  nourishment.  A  sudden  shift  of  the  wind  now  hurled 
firebrands  across  the  river  to  the  main  business  district. 

While  the  fire  was  limited  to  the  west  side,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
south  and  north  sides  felt  comparatively  safe,  trusting  to  the  skill  and 
perseverance  of  the  fire  brigade.  Besides,  the  river  was  depended  upon 
to  stop  the  onrushing  element.  But  this  last  hope  fled  when  they  saw 
the  firemen  rushing  their  engines  at  top  speed  across  the  bridges  to 
the  business  district,  and  flames  began  to  shoot  up  from  the  roofs  of 
buildings  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  It  was  now  apparent  that  this  dis- 
trict also  was  doomed,  and  the  work  of  saving  portable  property  here 
was  at  once  begun  amid  the  stampede  of  the  panic-stricken  thousands. 

Meanwhile  the  fire  grew  in  extent  and  fury,  being  now  absolutely 
beyond  control.  As  it  raged  through  the  business  district  it  afforded  a 
spectacle  well-nigh  indescribable  in  its  terrible  grandeur.  Great  six 
and  seven  story  buildings  of  brick  and  stone  melted  down  like  tapers 
before  the  fire.  So  intense  was  the  heat  that  an  ordinary  building 
would  be  leveled  with  the  ground  in  the  brief  space  of  five  minutes. 
The  moment  the  flames  penetrated  into  a  structure  the  windows  would 
glow  as  though  reflecting  a  sunset ;  in  an  'instant  the  flames  would  leap 
skyward,  forming  a  colossal  pillar  of  fire  which,  erect  but  for  a  second 
or  two,  would  waver  in  the  wind  and  then  be  hurled  down  to  ignite 
adjoining  structures.  This  process  was  repeated  again  and  again.  A 
sea  of  fire  rolled  its  gigantic  waves  over  the  city  with  nothing  to  im- 
pede their  course.  Now  and  then,  when  the  flames  reached  a  shop  or 
storehouse  containing  explosives  or  highly  inflammable  liquids  a  series 
of  explosions  would  hurl  firebrands  and  redhot  rocks  high  in  the  air, 
as  from  the  crater  of  a  volcano  in  action.  The  flames  would  take 
different  colors  according  to  the  materials  consumed,  thus  producing 
a  play  of  color,  remarkable  for  its  varied  splendor.  Like  varicolored 
snakes  flames  crept  along  cornices  of  copper  or  zinc,  until  they  mingled 
in  the  fiery  blast  as  the  walls  fell  in.  The  spectacle  was  reflected  in  the 
heavens,  which  for  miles  around  were  glowing  red,  while  the  darkness 
beyond  hung  as  a  dark  pall  about  the  awful  picture. 

The  noises  produced  by  the  fire  were  infinite  in  variety  and  made 
a  weird  concert  that  no  hearer  can  ever  forget.  "Writhing  flames 
hissed,  firebrands  crackled.  When  the  limestone  walls  of  the  buildings 
were  exposed  to  the  extreme  heat,  the  masonry  would  scale  off,  particles 
flying  in  all  directions  with  a  sound  as  of  a  discharge  of  musketry. 
The  roar  of  the  storm  and  the  incessant  thunder  of  falling  walls  con- 
stituted the  bass  in  this  infernal  orchestra.  Through  the  terrific  din 
came  now  and  then  the  mournful  sound  of  a  bell.  It  was  the  bell  in  the 
courthouse  tower,  which  up  to  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  kept  sounding 
the  death-knell  of  the  passing  city. 


io8 


CHICAGO 


The  people  of  the  doomed  city  became  frenzied.  Judging  alone 
from  their  appearance  and  actions,  one  would  have  been  led  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  entire  population  had  gone  mad.  The  jam  and  panic 
in  the  streets  beggared  description.  Crowds  of  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren rushed  along,  howling  and  gesticulating  like  maniacs,  stumbling 
over  one  another  and  colliding  in  great  numbers  at  the  street  corners. 
Not  all,  however,  lost  their  senses.  Some  cool  heads  there  were  who 
took  the  matter  philosophically,  some  even  who  looked  on  the  ludicrous 
side  of  it  all.  Such  stoical  characters  shrugged  their  shoulders  and 
drew  their  faces  to  a  grim  smile  while  witnessing  the  process  of  anni- 
hilation that  plunged  them  in  a  moment  from  opulence  to  poverty. 
Others  gnashed  their  teeth  in  helpless  rage  to  see  the  results  of  years 
of  toil  shattered  thus  beyond  repair.  Still  others,  apparently  hale  and 
strong  men,  wept  like  children. 

Sidewalks  and  yards  to  the  south  of  the  burning  district  were 
heaped  with  furniture  and  household  articles  of  every  description. 
The  gilded  trappings  from  the  mansions  of  the  rich  were  thrown 
belter  skelter  among  the  modest  belongings  of  the  pauper.  Among 
these  scattered  fragments,  rescued  from  a  thousand  homes,  the  owners, 
men  or  women,  had  generally  stationed  themselves  so  as  to  keep  a 
watchful  eye  on  their  chattels.  Proud  ladies,  who  ordinarily  would 
not  stoop  to  the  menial  duty  of  lifting  a  chair,  were  seen  staggering 
under  the  weight  of  trunks  or  heavy  loads  of  books,  pictures,  and  other 
articles  of  value.  Some  decked  themselves  out  in  all  their  jewels  and 
finery,  only  to  be  relieved  of  their  valuables  by  the  first  robber  they 

encountered.  Young  girls  strained 
their  tender  frames  in  carrying 
away  pieces  of  furniture  or  heavy 
burdens  of  clothing  and  household 
goods,  while  aged  women  tottered 
along  with  armfuls  of  personal 
effects.  Here  and  there  groups  of 
children  stood  guard  over  the 
property  of  their  parents;  other 
groups  were  bitterly  bewailing  the 
loss  of  parents  or  guardians  in  the 
crush  of  humanity.  At  one  point 
a  bareheaded  woman  would  be 
kneeling  on  the  ground  before  her 
crucifix,  telling  her  beads  with 
nervous  fingers  and  mumbling 

silent  prayers ;  at  another  a  man,  crazed  by  misfortune,  would  shake  his 
clinched  fists  in  the  face  of  heaven  as  if  challenging  the  Almighty. 
Again  a  rather  peaceful  and  bucolic  scene  might  be  witnessed  in  the 


Ruins  after  the  Great  Fire.     Clark 
St.,  North  from  Washington 


THE  GRRAT  FIRE 


109 


midst  of  the  havoc,  for  instance,  a  family,  having  saved  little  or  nothing 
besides  the  coffee  pot  and  the  necessary  ingredients,  settling  down  in 
the  open  to  enjoy  the  popular  beverage  cooked  over  a  heap  of  glowing 
embers  in  the  street. 

Numbers,  however,  sought  comfort  in  far  more  stimulating  bever- 
ages than  coffee  during  that  grewsome  night.  The  lower  elements  were 
afforded  the  most  ample  opportunities  to  indulge  their  taste  for  liquor. 
Saloons  were  recklessly  plundered,  casks  of  whisky  and  wine  were 
rolled  out  in  the  street,  the  heads  were  knocked  out,  and  men  and  boys 
crowded  about,  draining  the  contents  till  they  staggered  and  fell,  many 


The  Great  Fire.      Map  of  the  Burned  District 


perishing  where  they  lay  when  the  flames  reached  them.  Others  suc- 
ceeded in  crawling  out  of  harm's  way,  and  dropped  into  sobering 
sleep  in  yards  and  alleys. 

When  the  fire  threatened  the  jail,  the  prisoners  were  set  free. 
These  immediately  joined  the  criminals  at  large  in  a  riot  of  loot  and 
plunder.  Without  the  slightest  hesitation  they  would  enter  the  mer- 
chant's shops,  hurl  articles  of  value  to  their  accomplices  at  the  door, 
and  depart  with  their  plunder,  with  the  air  of  having  saved  their  own 
property,  not  a  hand  being  raised  to  prevent  their  escape  through  the 
crowds.  However  great  the  losses  by  theft  that  night,  they  were  prob- 
ably insignificant  as  compared  with  the  amount  of  goods  and  chattels 
destroyed  in  the  streets  or  consumed  by  the  flames.  Many  purposely 
destroyed  their  own  property  rather  than  have  it  stolen  or  burned. 

With  the  aid  of  draymen  many  succeeded  in  having  their  goods 
hauled  to  places  of  safety  far  from  the  burning  area,  but  these  men, 
who  were  often  unscrupulous,  charged  a  rate  of  cartage  amounting 


!  I0  CHICAGO 

to  a  high  percentage  of  the  actual  value  of  the  goods  saved.  Thus, 
a  hundred  dollars  might  be  demanded  for  hauling  a  load  of  goods  only 
a  few  blocks.  Early  in  the  evening  the  bridges  leading  to  the  north 
side  became  so  crowded  with  people  and  vehicles  that  many  were 
severely  injured  in  the  crush.  Many  businessmen  on  the  south  side  had 
goods  worth  millions  brought  to  the  river  bank,  where  loads  upon 
loads  of  valuable  merchandise  was  destroyed  by  fire  before  morning. 

At  3  o'clock  in  the. morning,  the  fire  had  practically  finished  its 
triumphal  march  through  the  business  district,  leaving  nothing  but 
smoking  ruins  behind,  and  prepared  to  cross  the  river  to  the  north  side, 
having  previously  sent  scouts  ahead  in  the  form  of  sparks  and  fire- 
brands hurled  across  by  the  wind.  It  was  also  fearel  that  the  flames 
would  again  be  directed  toward  the  west  side,  the  main  portion  of  which 
was  still  intact,  but  the  danger  was  averted  by  a  systematic  protection 
of  the  buildings  nearest  the  river.  The  people  of  the  north  side,  many 
of  whom  had  retired  for  the  night,  were  in  turn,  like  the  inhabitants 
of  the  west  and  south-  sides,  routed  out  of  bed  and  forced  too  flee  for 
their  lives.  It  was  high  time  they  did,  for  the  flames  were  already 
hovering  over  their  roofs.  The  gas  plant  soon  caught  fire  and  was 
shattered  by  a  tremendous  explosion,  instantly  followed  by  the  ex- 
tinction of  the  street  lamps,  leaving  the  district  in  darkness  but  for  the 
reflection  from  the  blazing  buildings  to  the  south.  In  a  short  time  the 
flames  reached  the  water  works  at  the  foot  of  Chicago  avenue,  nearly 
a  mile  north  of  the  river.  With  that,  the  fire  department  was  com- 
pletely disarmed,  all  hope  of  resistance  was  gone,  and  the  phalanxes 
of  the  fiery  conqueror  marched  on  undeterred. 

Here  was  repetition  of  the  scenes  already  enacted  on  the  south 
side,  while  the  terrorstricken  inhabitants  were  engaged  in  precipitous 
flight  for  safety.  Thousands  took  refuge  westward  across  the  north 
branch  of  the  river,  while  other  thousands  fled  to  the  lake  front.  The 
latter  soon  discovered  their  mistake.  As  the  fire  approached,  they  were 
enveloped  in  dense  clouds  of  smoke  and  exposed  to  a  shower  of  sparks 
and  flying  embers  that  ignited  the  personal  property  deposited  there. 
The  heat  grew  more  suffocating  for  every  passing  minute  and  finally 
became  unendurable,  forcing  those  who  had  not  fled  north  along  the 
lake  front  to  wade  into  the  water  for  protection  and  remain  there  until 
they  could  be  taken  away  in  boats.  The  flames  spared  not  even  the  city 
of  the  dead.  The  Catholic  cemetery  near  Lincoln  Park  was  ravaged, 
charred  wooden  crosses  and  cracked  marble  shafts  bearing  evidence  of 
the  destruction  wrought. 

Not  until  4  o'clock  on  Monday  afternoon  had  the  fire  run  its 
course.  Its  spread  southward  had  been  checked  by  volunteer  fire 
fighters,  assisted  by  a  military  troop  in  command  of  General  Philip 
Sheridan.  On  the  north  side,  however,  the  fire  raged  as  long  as  any 


THE  GREAT  FIRE 


in 


houses  remained.     At  Fullerton  avenue,  where  lay  a  stretch  of  open 
prairie,  the  flames  died  out  at  last. 

A  host  of  people  were  left  homeless,  penniless,  without  clothes  or 
shelter  against  the  cold  autumn  night.  Many  camped  on  the  prairies 
outside  the  city  or  among  the  mounds  of  the  dead  in  the  cemeteries, 
not  a  few  doubtless  heartbroken, 
and  wishing  that  they  too  were 
asleep  under  the  sod.  Their  fu- 
ture seemed  as  black  and  cheer- 
less as  the  area  strewn  with  the 
ruins  of  the  Chicago  of  yesterday. 

The  one  bright  spot  in  the 
desolate  picture  was  the  energetic 
assistance  and  succor  furnished  by 
city  authorities  and  the  people  of 
the  intact  portion  of  the  city. 
Churches,  schoolhouses,  station- 
houses  and  other  public  buildings 
were  thrown  open  and  turned  into 
asylums  for  the  distressed,  while 
tents  were  furnished  to  thousands 
of  other  sufferers.  The  railways 
offered  free  transportation  to  all 
who  desired  to  seek  shelter  with 
relatives  and  friends  elsewhere  or  simply  wanted  to  leave  the  stricken 
city  for  anywhere.  It  is  claimed  that  about  15,000  people  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity  and  left  on  outgoing  trains  the  same  day. 

While  the  fire  still  raged  on  the  north  side,  the  mayor,  jointly 
with  the  department  chiefs  of  the  city  administration,  issued  a  procla- 
mation to  the  effect  that  the  City  of  Chicago  assumed  the  liability  for  all 
expenses  incurred  in  rendering  aid  to  the  fire  sufferers,  and  promised 
protection  for  all  exposed  personal  property.  As  soon  as  the  disaster 
had  been  telegraphed  abroad,  money  and  supplies  began  to  pour  in 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  later  from  almost  every  part  of  the 
civilized  world.  The  first  outside  aid  was  in  the  form  of  provisions, 
sent  from  Indianapolis,  reaching  Chicago  by  express  at  3  o'clock 
Tuesday  afternoon.  This  was  followed  in  a  few  hours  by  another 
train  from  St.  Louis,  bringing  clothing  and  provisions,  and  a  delegation 
of  citizens  bearing  this  greeting:  "Brethren,  be  of  good  cheer!  All 
that  we  have  is  at  your  disposal  until  you  get  on  your  feet  again.  We 
have  come  to  stay  and  help  you."  Similar  messages  were  received 
from  other  points.  Troops  were  called  in  from  Fort  Leaven  worth, 
Kansas,  to  assist  a  volunteer  corps  in  patrolling  the  burned  district, 
and  the  better  to  preserve  order  General  Sheridan  placed  the  city  under 


Ruins  after  the  Great  Fire.     Honore 

Block,  N.-W.  Corner  of  Adams 

and  Dearborn  Streets 


II2  CHICAGO 

military  rule.  The  Chicago  Relief  and  Aid  Society  was  organized 
and  took  charge  of  the  distribution  of  incoming  supplies.  On  Nov.  7th, 
one  month  after  the  fire,  there  had  been  subscribed  for  the  relief  fund 
$3,500,000,  $2,050,000  of  which  had  been  paid  in.  Sixty  thousand  peo- 
ple were  then  receiving  assistance. 

Shortly  after  the  fire,  the  state  legislature  was  called  in  extra 
session  and  appropriated  a  generous  sum  to  the  relief  work.  The 
relief  funds  in  cash  already  amounted  to  $4,820,148.16,  out  of  which 
$973,897.80  had  been  contributed  from  foreign  countries.  The  total 
value  of  all  funds  and  supplies  aggregated  almost  seven  millions 
of  dollars. 

To  the  figures  given  in  the  foregoing,  the  following  are  subjoined 
to  show  the  full  extent  of  the  disaster.  Among  the  buildings  destroyed 
were  69  church  edifices  and  convents,  32  hotels,  29  bank  buildings,  15 
academies  and  seminaries,  11  public  schools,  10  theaters  and  other 
places  of  amusement,  9  offices  of  daily  newspapers,  7  orphan  asylums, 
5  hospitals,  5  telegraph  offices,  5  grain  elevators,  3  railway  stations, 
besides  the  courthouse,  the  customhouse,  the  postoffice,  the  board  of 
trade  building,  the  gas  plant  and  the  water  works. 

The  fire  loss  was  estimated  at  $190,000,000,  including  $50,000,000 
on  buildings  and  $140,000,000  on  other  property.  If  the  loss  by  shrink- 
age in  realty  values  and  reduced  incomes  be  included,  the  sum  total 
would  pass  $200,000,000.  All  city  property,  real  and  personal,  was 
valued  at  $620,000,000  just  before  the  fire.  Thus  about  one-third  of 
this  had  been  wiped  out.  The  loss  was  partly  covered  by  insurance 
totaling  $96,533,721,  of  which  $6,000,000  had  been  written  by  foreign 
companies.  The  insurance  paid  amounted  to  only  $44,000,000,  owing 
principally  to  the  fact  that  not  less  than  57  fire  insurance  companies 
were  bankrupted  by  the  enormous  losses  sustained. 

The  exact  loss  of  life  was  never  determined,  the  approximate  num- 
ber of  people  who  perished  being  set  at  three  hundred. 

The  setback  given  to  the  commercial  development  of  the  city  was 
of  short  duration.  Before  winter  set  in,  many  businessmen  were  estab- 
lished in  temporary  quarters  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  The  home- 
less, who  could  not  be  otherwise  provided  for,  were  sheltered  in  tem- 
porary wooden  barracks.  Free  coal,  free  provisions  and  free  lumber 
was  distributed  to  the  most  unfortunate  victims.  Within  a  year  a 
large  portion  of  the  burned  district  had  been  rebuilt  at  a  total  cost  of 
$40,500,000,  while  the  increase  in  the  volume  of  business  and  manu- 
factures had  surpassed  all  previous  records.  With  remarkable  energy, 
equalled  nowhere,  the  work  was  pursued  night  and  day.  Wages  were 
high  and  laborers  were  plentiful.  In  two  years  the  population  was 
increased  by  68,419. 

Three  years  after  the  fire,  almost  every  trace  of  the  catastrophe 


LATER    DEVELOPMENT  II3 

had  been  erased.  A  remarkable  chapter  in  the  annals  of  Chicago 
closed  with  the  great  fire  of  1871,  and  another,  equally  wonderful, 
opened  with  the  rebuilding  of  the  city. 

Later  Development  of  Chicago 

During  the  thirty-six  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the  great 
fire,  Chicago  has  developed  into  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  world, 
with  the  evil  as  well  as  the  good  features  of  a  metropolis.  Following 
are  a  few  of  the  important  facts  in  its  latter  history. 


Lincoln  Monument — Lincoln  Park 

Less  than  three  years  after  the  fire  the  city  was  again  threatened 
with  destruction.  July  14,  1874,  another  extensive  conflagration  de- 
stroyed property  valued  at  four  million  dollars  before  the  flames  could 
be  subdued. 


H4  CHICAGO 

As  has  been  shown,  Chicago  early  attained  importance  as  a 
business  center  and  shipping  port.  Its  industrial  phase  next  added 
new  activity,  giving  the  city  high  rank  as  an  industrial  community. 
Besides  the  great  stock  yards  and  slaughter  houses,  immense  steel 
mills,  farm  implement  factories  and  other  similar  establishments  were 
founded.  The  year  1880  marks  a  new  epoch  in  the  industrial  history 
of  Chicago.  Then  the  Pullman  Palace  Car  Company,  organized  in  1867. 
founded  the  town  of  Pullman,  twelve  miles  south  of  the  heart  of 
Chicago.  The  new  community,  comprising  the  extensive  car  factories 
and  cottages  for  its  thousands  of  workmen  and  their  families,  grew 
rapidly  and  soon  became,  in  many  respects,  a  model  town. 

Workmen  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world  nocked  into  Chi- 
cago, making  it  pre-eminently  a  city  of  labor  and  of  laborers.  Here, 
as  elsewhere  in  industrial  communities,  the  war  between  capital  and 
labor  was  soon  raging.  The  fight  waxed  all  the  more  fierce  on  the 
labor  side,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  labor  movement  had  been  taken 
in  charge  by  German  socialists  in  the  early  seventies,  a  few  years  after 
the  fire,  they  having  emigrated  from  their  native  land  on  account  of 
the  iron  rule  of  Bismarck.  Thus  Chicago  soon  became  famous  for  her 
labor  organizations  and  their  incessant  struggle  for  what  they  held  to 
be  their  rights.  Shorter  hours,  increased  wages  and  legislation  favor- 
ing the  working  classes  were  the  demands  made  by  the  socialists  and 
supported  by  them  on  the  rostrum  and  in  the  press.  The  ballot,  they 
declared,  was  their  most  powerful  ally. 

Unfortunately,  this  agitation  soon  sunk  to  the  level  of  anarchistic 
propaganda.  In  the  late  seventies  and  the  early  eighties  there  arrived 
from  Europe  a  number  persons  intimate  with  the  leaders  and  the 
principles  of  anarchy  and  nihilism,  and  these  succeeded  in  acquiring 
a  controlling  influence  over  the  labor  organizations.  These  held  the 
ballot  to  be  altogether  too  ineffectual  a  weapon  with  which  to  fight  the 
capitalists  and  their  hirelings,  the  civic  authorities  as  well  as  the  un- 
organized workingmen  being  classed  with  the  latter.  Guns,  revolvers, 
bombs,  these  were  the  great  emancipators  of  the  workers,  the  means 
of  overturning  the  effete  social  order  of  the  present. 

The  first  great  strike  in  Chicago  occurred  in  1877,  when  the  rail- 
way employees  struck  work  here  as  in  Baltimore,  Pittsburg  and  other 
eastern  centers.  The  dragon's  teeth  sown  by  anarchy  gave  its  harvest 
on  July  25th,  in  the  form  of  a  skirmish  between  the  strikers  and  the 
police,  the  former  being  worsted  in  the  fight.  This  had  a  cooling  effect 
on  the  hotheaded  leaders,  causing  all  violence  to  subside  and  gradually 
bringing  the  strike  to  a  close. 

The  anarchistic  propaganda,  however,  being  carried  on  unchecked, 
brought  about  conspiracies  among  labor  organizations,  designed  to 
make  short  shrift  with  the  capitalistic  class  and  every  other  form  of 


LATER  DEVELOPMENT  U5 

opposition  in  the  next  conflict.  The  German  anarchist  papers  in  par- 
ticular openly  urged  force  and  bloodshed.  In  February,  1886,  an  event 
occurred  which  caused  renewed  activity  in  the  anarchistic  camp.  At 
the  great  McCormick  Harvester  Works  a  strike  of  the  workmen  was 
promptly  met  by  a  lockout.  When  the  strikers  found  that  their  former 
employers  had  arranged  to  supplant  them  with  non-union  workers, 
their  rage  knew  no  bounds.  Two  organizations,  the  Metal  Workers 
Union  and  the  Carpenters  Union  No.  1,  agreed  to  arm  themselves  with 
guns,  revolvers,  and  bombs  in  order  to  prevent  the  strike  breakers  from 


- 


The  Ottawa  Indian  Monument — Lincoln  Park 

taking  their  places.  For  reasons  unknown,  the  fight  never  took  place, 
and  on  March  1st  the  new  men,  protected  by  a  squad  of  police,  went  to 
work  unmolested.  Before  and  after  noon  of  the  same  day,  however, 
fighting  occurred  between  the  strikers  and  the  police  guarding  the 
factories,  resulting  in  the  arrest  of  several  strikers  and  the  discovery 
of  bombs  and  other  weapons  in  their  possession. 

It  was  believed  that  the  anarchists,  after  having  made  such  a 
lame  showing,  would  take  a  new  tack,  but  this  hope  proved  illusive. 
They  operated  in  secret  and  were  biding  their  time.  The  crisis  came 
on  May  1st,  when  from  40,000  to  50,000  workmen  in  various  trades 
struck  for  an  eight  hour  day.  The  McCormick  works  were  now  running 
almost  full  force,  thanks  to  the  strike  breakers  or  so-called  scabs.  In 


n6  CHICAGO 

the  vicinity  of  the  factory  was  held  a  mass  meeting  attended  by  about 
8,000  strikers,  3,000  of  whom  were  Germans  and  an  equal  number  Bo- 
hemians belonging  to  the  Lumber  Shovers  Union.  August  Spies,  the 
editor  of  the  radical  "Arbeiter  Zeitung, "  and  one  of  the  foremost 
leaders  of  the  anarchists,  climbed  into  a  dray  and  made  a  speech  to  the 
crowd,  characterizing  capitalists  and  employers  as  oppressors  and 
vampires,  and  the  laborers  as  their  slaves.  His  words  struck  fire  in  the 
minds  of  the  assemblage,  and  the  speaker  had  scarcely  finished  when  a 
mass  of  strikers  stormed  in  the  direction  of  the  factory,  breaking  the 
windows  of  the  gatekeeper's  house  and  maltreating  the  workmen  first 
encountered.  The  crowd  soon  forced  its  way  into  the  factory  yards, 
with  the  evident  purpose  of  wreaking  bloody  vengeance  on  the  "scabs" 
and  destroying  the  works.  This  plan  was  defeated  by  the  police  who 
hurried  to  the  scene  and,  after  a  brief  but  sharp  encounter,  cleared  the 
grounds  and  put  the  strikers  to  flight.  Although  firearms  and  missiles 
were  freely  used,  no  one  was  killed.  The  leaders  of  the  raid  were 
arrested  the  same  day. 

At  this  sorry  outcome  of  the  onslaught  on  the  powers  that  be,  the 
anarchists  were  still  more  enraged,  and  swore  terrible  vengeance. 
Spies  hurried  to  his  editorial  room  and  wrote  a  circular  in  English  and 
German,  urging  the  strikers  to  arm  themselves  and  take  remorseless 
revenge  upon  the  police.  Immediately  thereupon,  he  published  in  his 
paper  an  incendiary  article,  relating  to  the  disturbance  his  words  had 
caused.  In  this  he  charged  that  four  strikers  had  been  shot  to  death  by 
the  police,  despite  the  fact  that  not  a  man  had  been  seriously  wounded. 

In  the  afternoon  of  May  3rd,  representatives  of  all  the  anarchist 
organizations  in  the  city  held  a  secret  meeting,  at  which  it  was  resolved 
that  at  the  next  encounter  with  the  authorities  the  anarchists  at  a 
given  signal  would  simultaneously  blow  up  the  police  stations  with 
dynamite  and  shoot  all  surviving  policemen.  Then  they  would  march 
to  the  heart  of  the  city,  where  the  principal  struggle  was  to  take  place. 
The  main  buildings  were  to  be  burned,  the  jails  stormed  and  the 
prisoners  set  free,  to  make  common  cause  with  the  revolutionists.  In 
order  to  arouse  the  populace  to  a  high  spirit  of  vengeance  against  the 
police  a  mass  meeting  was  called  at  Haymarket  Square,  at  Desplaines 
and  Randolph  streets,  the  following  evening.  The  anarchist  delegates 
separated  after  agreeing  that  the  word  "Ruhe"  (peace)  inserted  in 
the  "Letter  Box"  in  the  columns  of  the  "Arbeiter-Zeitung"  was  to  be 
the  signal  for  a  general  uprising. 

During  Tuesday,  May  4th,  a  number  of  anarchists  were  busily  at 
work  manufacturing  bombs  of  every  description,  while  others  dis- 
tributed circulars  announcing  the  great  mass  meeting.  In  the  evening 
"Zeitung"  the  ominous  word  appeared,  advising  every  anarchist  in  the 
city  that  the  hour  of  vengeance  had  come.  The  fact  that  the  city  had 


THE  HA YMARKET  TRAGEDY  uy 

a  powerful  militia  at  its  disposal  and  that  well  disciplined  United 
States  troops  were  at  hand,  ready  to  step  in  at  once,  should  the  Chicago 
police  be  unable  to  cope  with  their  antagonists,  evidently  had  not 
entered  the  minds  of  the  revolutionists. 

The  HaymarKet  Tragedy 

It  was  the  evening  of  May  4th,  a  memorable  date  in  the  history  of 
Chicago.  At  8  o'clock  about  3,000  people  had  gathered  at  the  ap- 
pointed place.  Editor  Spies  and  the  other  anarchist  agitators  were 
promptly  on  hand.  A  few  moments  later,  Spies  mounted  the  speaker's 
stand  and  entered  upon  a  severe  criticism  of  the  McCormick  Company 's 
treatment  of  the  strikers.  This,  the  speaker  maintained,  ought  to 
teach  the  workingmen  to  arm  for  their  own  protection  against  the 
capitalists  and  their  hirelings.  The  next  speaker  was  Albert  R. 
Parsons,  editor  of  the  American  anarchist  paper,  "The  Alarm."  His 
speech  was  also  of  an  inflammable  character.  Next  in  order  came 
Samuel  Fielden,  a  teamster,  whose  untutored  eloquence  seemed  to 
impress  the  crowd  more  strongly  than  the  polished  harangues  of  his 
predecessors.  ' '  The  advance  guard  skirmish  with  the  capitalists  forces 
has  taken  place;  the  main  battle  is  yet  to  be  fought,"  said  he. 

Fearing  an  outbreak,  the  authorities  had  detailed  a  force  of  176 
policemen  to  the  Desplaines  street  police  station,  under  command  of 
Inspector  John  Bonfield.  When  he  learned  through  detectives  at  the 
meeting  that  the  speakers  were  growing  extremely  bold  in  their  expres- 
sions, and  the  masses  showed  signs  of  threatening  disorder,  he  marched 
his  forces  to  the  square.  From  his  elevated  position  in  a  dray  wagon, 
Fielden  saw  the  police  approaching  and  shouted : 

"The  bloodhounds  are  upon  us!    Do  you  duty!    I  will  do  mine." 

A  minute  later,  the  front  line  of  police  halted  a  few  feet  from  the 
wagon,  and  Police  Captain  Ward  stepped  up,  saying : 

"In  the  name  of  the  people  of  the  state,  I  order  you  to  disperse 
peaceably  at  once." 

Fielden,  who  had  meanwhile  jumped  from  the  wagon,  shouted 
aloud:  "We  are  peaceable!"  This  seemed  the  secret  signal  of  attack 
(compare  the  watchword,  "Ruhe"),  for  the  next  instant  an  object 
resembling  a  lighted  cigar  was  hurled  through  the  air  and  fell  between 
the  lines  of  the  second  platoon  of  police.  One  second  more,  and  the  im- 
pact of  an  explosion  shook  the  air  far  around.  Numbers  of  policemen 
were  hurled  in  all  directions,  some  dangerously,  others  slightly  injured. 

The  exploding  bomb,  thrown  by  some  anarchist,  was  taken  as  a 
signal  for  general  fighting  with  revolvers  and  pistols  between  the 
revolutionists  and  the  police.  In  a  moment  the  latter  force  had  re- 
gained its  presence  of  mind  and  made  a  concerted  sortie  upon  the 


n8  CHICAGO 

masses,  which,  though  armed,  were  unable  to  withstand  the  attack, 
and  were  soon  dispersed. 

The  three  agitators  were  among  the  first  to  seek  safety  in  flight. 
The  projected  slaughter  at  Haymarket  Square,  the  destruction  of  the 
police  stations,  and  the  incendiary  raid  of  the  business  district  had  been 
set  at  naught.  The  anarchists,  comparatively  few  and  undoubtedly 
cowardly  as  they  were,  had  lost  their  first  and,  one  may  well  hope,  last 
battle  in  Chicago. 

The  bloodshed  at  this  encounter  was  considerable.  One  policeman 
fell  dead  and  seven  others  were  fatally  wounded.  Besides  these,  sixty- 
seven  of  the  police  were  injured  more  or  less  seriously  in  the  affray.  A 
number  of  the  rioters  were  shot  and  seriously  wounded  by  the  police. 
The  number  who  died  from  their  injuries  never  became  known,  for 
their  relatives,  prompted  by  fear  or  shame,  refused  to  make  known 
their  exact  loss.  It  leaked  out,  nevertheless,  that  several  anarchists 
were  secretly  buried  at  night  shortly  after  the  riot.  Of  the  wounded 
policemen  two  died  May  6th,  one  May  8th,  one  May  14th,  one  May  16th. 
and  the  seventh  and  last  on  June  13,  1888. 

A  great  number  of  suspects  were  at  once  taken  into  custody, 
among  others  almost  the  entire  working  force  of  the  "Arbeiter-Zeit- 
ung. "  Other  arrests  were  made  later  at  short  intervals.  The  police 
investigations  soon  revealed  the  fact  that  the  principal  conspirators, 
besides  Spies,  Parsons  and  Fielden,  were  Adolph  Fischer,  foreman  of 
the  printing  office,  Michael  Schwab,  assistant  editor,  Balthasar  Ran, 
an  agent  of  the  paper,  Louis  Lingg,  a  carpenter,  George  En  gel,  a 
painter,  Oscar  W.  Neebe,  a  yeast  dealer,  and  others.  Lingg  was  found 
to  be  the  most  energetic  manufacturer  of  bombs,  and  the  one  causing 
the  destruction  on  Haymarket  Square  was  doubtless  his  handiwork. 
The  man  who  hurled  it  at  the  police  platoon  was  Rudolph  Schnaubelt, 
who  was  also  arrested  but  again  set  free  on  the  strength  of  an  impres- 
sion made  on  the  police  authorities  that  he  was  innocent.  Schnaubelt 
lost  no  time  in  leaving  Chicago  for  parts  unknown.  Thus  it  happened 
that  the  actual  perpetrator  of  the  crime  escaped  trial  and  punishment, 
while  most  of  the  conspirators  who  had  planned  the  foul  deed  paid  the 
penalty  with  their  lives. 

Thanks  to  the  thorough  work  of  the  police,  a  mass  of  evidence 
against  the  prisoners  was  gathered,  and  on  May  17th  they  were  indicted 
by  the  grand  jury.  The  trial  was  begun  June  21st,  and  the  selection  of 
a  trial  jury  consumed  four  weeks,  the  actual  trial  of  the  prisoners 
opening  July  loth,  and  lasting  until  the  19th,  when  the  case  went  to 
the  jury.  The  following  day  they  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty  and 
fixed  the  penalty  at  death  on  the  gallows  for  Spies,'  Schwab,  Fielden. 
Parsons,  Fischer,  Engel  and  Lingg  as  the  instigators  of  the  Haymarket 
bloodshed,  and  fifteen  years'  imprisonment  for  Xeebe  for  complicity  in 


THE  HAYMARKET  TRAGEDY 


119 


the  crime.  The  counsel  for  the  defense  immediately  asked  for  a  new 
trial,  but  on  Oct.  7th  the  motion  was  denied.  The  only  recourse  was 
an  appeal  to  the  state  supreme  court.  The  appeal  was  taken  in  March, 
1887,  and  on  Sept.  14th  this  tribunal  struck  dismay  to  the  hearts  of  the 
anarchists  and  their  sympathizers  by  sustaining  the  verdict  of  the  lower 
court.  But  even  then  the  culprits  clung  to  a  faint  hope,  and  took  an 
appeal  to  the  court  of  last  resort,  the  Supreme  Courfc  at  Washington. 


' 


The  Schiller  Monument — Lincoln  Park 

The  appeal  was  taken  up  for  consideration  Oct.  27th,  resulting  on  the 
second  of  November  in  a  decree  sustaining  the  former  verdict.  Par- 
sons, Engel,  Fischer  and  Lingg,  still  headstrong,  then  petitioned 
Richard  J.  Oglesby,  governor  of  Illinois,  for  unconditional  pardon, 
while  Spies,  Fielden  and  Schwab  made  the  more  humble  request  that 
the  death  penalty  be  commuted  to  life  imprisonment.  The  governor's 
answer,  given  Nov.  10th,  granted  the  petition  of  Fielden  and  Schwab 
but  denied  the  request  of  the  other  four. 

Before  the  governor's  reply  came,  Lingg  seemed  to  have  a  pre- 
monition that  all  hope  was  gone.    To  go  to  the  gallows  and  submit  to 


120  CHICAGO 

the  authority  of  law  and  social  order  was  revolting  to  this  sworn 
enemy  of  the  law,  and  he  found  another  way.  In  some  mysterious  way 
he  had  a  bomb,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  loaded  gaspipe,  smuggled  into 
his  cell  by  a  friend,  and  on  the  morning  of  Nov.  10th,  he  placed  this  in 
his  mouth,  lay  down  on  his  bed  and  lit  the  fuse  with  a  candle.  The 
explosion  tore  away  half  of  the  face.  At  2.45  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  same  day  death  relieved  him  from  his  sufferings. 

The  remaining  four  were  executed  the  following  day,  Nov.  llth, 


Newberry  Library 

at  the  county  jail.  They  were  unrepentant  to  the  last,  giving  vent  to 
anarchistic  sentiments  on  the  very  scaffold.  On  the  same  day,  Fielden 
and  Schwab  were  committed  to  the  penitentiary  at  Joliet. 

The  general  insurrection  threatened  by  the  culprits  as  a  sequel 
to  the  execution  failed  to  materialize.  Not  a  sign  of  a  revolutionary 
movement  could  be  discerned.  The  energy  and  promptness  with  which 
the  authorities  had  acted  deprived  the  lawless  league  of  all  inclination 
toward  a  renewal  of  violence,  and  in  a  short  time  the  anarchist  prop- 
aganda had  been  silenced  in  Chicago.  The  labor  movement  was  again 
directed  into  its  normal  course. 

After  six  years,  Fielden,  Schwab  and  Neebe  were  pardoned  out 
of  prison  on  June  26th,  1893.  Since  that  time  they  have  not  been 
known  to  plan  any  new  social  order  to  be  brought  about  by  means  of 
bombs  and  bloodshed. 

In  the  same  year  that  witnessed  the  anarchist  uprising,  a  strike 
was  declared  on  November  7th  among  the  packinghouse  workers  in 
Chicago.  Two  regiments  of  the  national  guards  were  ordered  out  to 
preserve  order.  No  disturbances  occurred  and  the  troops  were  with- 


FACTvS  AND  FIGURES  I2i 

drawn  on  the  15th  of  the  same  month.  The  next  great  strike  was 
enacted  April  7th,  1890,  when  seven  thousand  carpenters  threw  down 
their  tools  to  enforce  their  demand  for  an  eight  hour  day.  Four  years 
later  there  came  a  new  conflict  between  capital  and  labor,  when,  on  the 
12th  of  April,  1894,  a  general  lockout  of  workmen  in  all  the  building 
trades  was  declared,  throwing  10,000  workmen  out  of  employment. 
The  llth  of  May  following,  2,000  employees  of  the  Pullman  Car  Com- 
pany went  on  strike,  and  to  make  this  more  effective  all  other  labor 
organizations  were  called  upon,  June  28th,  to  boycott  all  railway  lines 
using  Pullman  cars. 

This  move  resulted  in  violence,  for  the  quelling  of  which  President 
Cleveland  ordered  out  government  troops.  This  was  done  July  3rd. 
Two  days  later,  Governor  Altgeld  demanded  the  withdrawal  of  the 
troops  on  the  ground  that  their  presence  was  not  needed.  The  Pres- 
ident replied  to  this  on  July  8th  by  declaring  Chicago  under  martial 
law.  This  action,  together  with  that  of  the  federal  grand  jury,  in- 
dicting Eugene  V.  Debs,  President  of  the  American  Railway  Union, 
for  declaring  a  boycott  interfering  with  the  United  States  mail  service, 
hastened  the  settlement  of  the  difficulties.  On  July  19th  both  the  strike 
and  the  boycott  were  declared  off,  and  quiet  was  restored.  Since  that 
time  a  number  of  strikes  have  occurred  in  Chicago,  resulting  favorably 
to  one  side  or  the  other,  but  none  has  been  attended  by  disorder 
necessitating  military  interference. 

Facts  and  Figures  of  the  CKicag'o  of  To-day 

In  the  course  of  time,  the  city  has  grown  rapidly  to  the  north, 
south  and  west,  while  new  suburbs  have  sprung  up  on  every  hand,  in 
turn  merging  with  the  metropolis  according  as  their  interests  dictated. 
Not  less  than  sixteen  annexations  have  thus  been  effected.  The  largest 
addition  of  territory  was  acquired  in  1889,  when  the  towns  of  Lake 
View,  Hyde  Park,  Lake,  Jefferson  and  part  of  Cicero  were  absorbed. 
Since  then  considerable  areas  have  been  added  from  time  to  time, 
bringing  the  total  area  of  the  city  of  Chicago  up  to  190.6  square  miles. 

The  Chicago  River  divides  the  city  into  three  sections  known  as 
the  south  side,  the  west  side  and  the  north  side.  These  sections  are 
connected  by  means  of  60  bridges,  mostly  of  the  swinging  type,  which 
are  gradually  being  replaced  by  the  more  modern  bascule  bridges. 

The  total  street  mileage  is  3,946.  The  longest  street  is  Western 
avenue,  extending  22  miles,  and  Halsted  street  extends  nearly  the 
same  distance  north  and  south.  The  city  has  fifteen  parks,  the  largest 
being  Lincoln,  Humboldt,  Garfield,  Douglas,  Washington  and  Jackson 
parks.  These  are  connected  by  wide  and  attractive  boulevards  and 
thus  form  as  extensive  and  fine  a  park  system  as  any  city  can  boast  of. 
The  entire  system,  including  boulevards,  has  an  area  of  about  3,300 


122 

acres,  the  latter  having  a  total  length  of  48  miles.  Under  the  streets 
extends  a  system  of  sewers  measuring  about  1,600  miles  in  length.  The 
city's  water  mains  have  a  combined  length  of  approximately  2,000 
miles.  By  means  of  enormous  pumps  the  water  is  forced  into  the  city 
from  a  series  of  cribs  located  far  out  in  the  lake,  through  water  tunnels 
running  under  the  lake  and  underground  a  total  distance  of  38  miles, 
and  emptying  into  an  extensive  network  of  watermains  and  smaller 
pipes.  The  pumping  stations  have  a  combined  capacity  of  529,500,000 
gallons  daily.  The  lighting  system  is  equally  extensive.  Numberless 
gas  mains  and  electric  conduits  form  an  underground  mesh  extending 


Franklin  Monument — Lincoln  Park 

far  out  to  the  most  distant  suburbs.  There  were  in  1905  37,000  gas 
and  electric  street  lamps. 

The  preservation  of  law  and  order  is  entrusted  to  a  police  force  of 
3,300  men,  distributed  among  45  police  stations.  The  fire  department 
comprises  1,200  men,  divided  into  92  larger  and  27  smaller  companies. 
About  15,000  people  are  variously  employed  in  the  service  of  the  city. 

From  Chicago  radiate  20  lines  of  railroad,  several  of  which  extend 
to  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  Lake  Superior,  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  There  are  six  great  railway  terminals  having  a  system  of 
common  track  connections.  The  incoming  and  outgoing  trains,  through 
and  suburban,  number  1,600  per  day  and  carry,  on  a  rough  estimate, 
several  hundred  thousand  passengers. 

The  street  railway  system  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  in  the  world, 
comprising  about  120  separate  lines  with  a  total  of  1,000  miles  of  track. 
Including  the  suburban  and  elevated  system,  the  trackage  is  1,360  miles. 


FACTS  AND  FIGURES  I2i 

tj 

The  principal  motive  power  is  electricity.  The  daily  average  number 
of  street  car  passengers  exceeds  half  a  million,  but  the  full  capacity 
of  the  system  is  claimed  to  be  one  million  and  a  half.  Equally  im- 
portant as  a  system  of  passenger  transportation  are  the  four  elevated 
railway  lines,  with  their  branches.  One  of  these,  the  Northwestern 
Elevated,  has  four  tracks,  runs  express  as  well  as  local  trains,  and  is 
claimed  to  have  the  only  complete  traction  system  of  the  kind.  The 
elevated  railroads  have  a  combined  trackage  of  about  150  miles.  In 
1905  the  daily  average  number  of  passengers  on  surface  and  elevated 
lines  was  1,354,450. 

Chicago  has  235  large  and  a  great  number  of  small  hotels,  capable 
of  accommodating  200,000  guests.  There  are  over  1,000  restaurants  and 
cafes,  with  a  daily  capacity  of  several  hundred  thousand  guests.  Many 
of  the  hotels  are  palatial,  famous  at  home  and  abroad  for  the  comfort 
and  luxury  they  afford.  From  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  people  daily 
visit  the  city's  theaters,  which  are  40  in  number.  Besides  these  public 
entertainment  is  furnished  at  a  number  of  other  places  of  amusement. 
In  the  history  of  Chicago  theaters  there  must  be  recorded  that  appal- 
ling catastrophe,  the  fire  in  the  newly  built  Iroquois  Theater,  at  Ran- 
dolph st.,  on  the  30th  day  of  December,  1903,  the  flames  starting  in  the 
scenery  and  sweeping  out  over  the  auditorium,  throwing  the  audience 
into  a  panic,  and  causing  the  death  of  588  persons  by  burning,  crushing 
and  suffocation. 

There  are. fifty  clubs  of  different  kinds,  many  of  which  having  their 
own  club  houses.  The  sick  are  being  cared  for  in  not  less  than  68 
hospitals.  To  these  must  be  added  fifty  other  charitable  institutions, 
such  as  asylums  and  homes  for  the  feeble-minded,  the  crippled  and  the 
aged.  For  the  care  of  the  poor  and  indigent  there  are  eighteen  large 
and  a  number  of  smaller  benevolent  associations.  Sick  benefit  societies 
and  others  for  mutual  assistance  in  emergencies  are  too  numerous  to 
be  counted,  as  are  also  the  organizations  for  social  pleasure. 

The  educational  system  of  Chicago  is  world-renowned,  and  rightly 
so.  The  number  of  public  schools  in  1906  was  250,  with  5,900  teachers 
and  287,000  pupils.  Higher  courses  of  study  are  pursued  in  fifteen 
high  schools.  For  the  education  of  teachers  there  is  a  normal  school, 
besides  two  training  schools.  The  schools  founded  by  religious  denom- 
inations and  public  spirited  individuals  number  twenty-two.  Principal 
among  these  are  the  Armour  Institute  and  the  Lewis  Institute,  both 
technological  schools  of  a  high  order.  The  well-known  Chicago  Musical 
College  leads  a  number  of  excellent  musical  schools  conducted  here. 
Higher  education  is  represented  by  two  great  universities,  the  North- 
western University  of  Evanston  and  the  University  of  Chicago. 

Libraries  and  museums  are  not  lacking.  Of  the  former  there  are 
thirteen,  the  largest  being  the  Chicago  Public  Library,  'which  on  June 


124 


CHICAGO 


1,  1906,  contained  323,610  volumes,  the  Newberry  Library,  with  218,525 
books  and  pamphlets  on  Oct.  1,  1906,  and  the  John  Crerar  Library,  with 
194,000  volumes  and  50,000  pamphlets  on  Oct.  1,  1906.  The  museums 


W 

I 


are,  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  containing  natural  history  collections, 
the  museum  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  with  a  large  historical 
collection  pertaining  to  the  early  history  of  the  city,  the  Field  Colum- 


FACTS  AND  FIGURES 


125 


bian  Museum,  with  extensive  ethnological  collections,  and  the  Chicago 
Art  Institute,  comprising  a  considerable  collection  of  paintings, 
sculptures  and  art  objects  from  the  remotest  to  the  most  recent 
times.  The  Art  Institute  includes  a  school  of  art  with  a  large  annual 
attendance. 

The  Chicago  Historical  Society  was  founded  in  1856  for  the  pur- 
pose of  collecting  and  preserving  the  materials  of  history  and  to  spread 
historical  information  concerning  the  Mississippi  valley.  The  great 
fire  of  1871  destroyed  the  priceless  collection  of  100,000  volumes  and 
manuscripts,  among  them  being  the  original  draft  of  the  emancipation 
proclamation  by  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  nucleus  of  a  new  collection 
was  consumed  in  1874.  A  third  collection  was  started  which  now 
numbers  more  than  140,000  volumes,  manuscripts  and  pamphlets. 
Among  the  manuscripts  are  the  James  Madison  papers,  James  Wilkin- 
son papers,  Ninian  Edwards  papers  and  Pierre  Menard  papers.  There 
are  letters  in  the  handwriting  of  Joliet,  Allouez,  Tonti,  Frontenac  and 
La  Salle.  The  collections  comprise  also  many  oil  paintings,  bronzes 
and  antiquities.  A  fire-proof  granite  building  was  erected  1892-6  at 
Dearborn  ave.  and  Ontario  st.,  at  a  cost  of  $190,000.  Historical  lectures 
are  maintained  each  winter.  Some  forty  papers  on  subjects  presented 
at  its  meetings  have  been  published,  besides  which  four  large  volumes 
of  historical  collections  have  been  issued.  The  library  and  museum  are 
open  daily  to  visitors. 

Almost  every  church  denomination  in  the  United  States  is  repre- 
sented in  Chicago.  The  number  of  church  edifices  is  about  800.  In  this 
connection  may  be  added  that  there  are  forty  cemeteries,  a  number 
of  which  are  maintained  by  church  organizations. 

About  600  newspapers  and  periodicals  are  published  in  Chicago, 
a  large  number  being  in  foreign  languages.  The  leading  daily  news- 
papers are,  "The  Chicago  Daily  Tribune,"  "The  Chicago  Kecord- 
Herald,"  "The  Inter  Ocean,"  "The  Chicago  Daily  News,"  and  "The 
Chicago  American."  Several  of  these  are  issued  in  enormous  editions. 

The  book  publishing  business  has  likewise  attained  gigantic  pro- 
portions. A  great  number  of  houses  are  annually  putting  out  immense 
editions  of  original  and  reprinted  works  of  every  description.  One 
result  of  this  is  a  high  development  of  the  publisher's  art  and  all  its 
auxiliary  branches. 

The  mail  service  of  the  city  is  excellent.  At  the  central  post 
office  and  the  47  district  stations,  2,600  persons  are  employed  in  hand- 
ling the  enormous  mass  of  incoming  and  outgoing  mail.  The  collection 
of  mail  from  letter  and  parcel  boxes  and  the  distribution  of  incoming 
mail  matter  requires  the  service  of  1,650  collectors  and  carriers.  The 
free  delivery  system  prevails.  In  addition  to  the  district  post  offices 
there  are  246  sub-stations  distributed  throughout  the  city  for  the 


126 


CHICAGO 


accommodation  of  the  public  in  the  matter  of  stamps,  postals  cards, 
money  orders  and  the  registry  of  letters.  The  volume  of  the  Chicago 
postal  business  is  shown  by  these  figures :  during  the  year  ending  June 
30.  1906,  1,139,084,480  pieces  of  mail  were  handled,  the  total  weight 
being  126,542,509  pounds.  The  total  income  for  the  department  for 
the  same  year  was  $12,885,149. 

The  building  and  real  estate  interests  are  extremely  active.  Dur- 
ing 1905,  not  less  than  8,442  buildings  were  erected  at  a  total  cost  of 
$63,970,950.  The  dealings  in  realty  are  equally  brisk.  The  year  1902 


The  Grant  Monument — Lincoln  Park 

showed  18,063  real  estate  transfers  aggregating  $111,441,112  in  value, 
those  figures  having  since  been  materially  increased. 

The  taxable  value  of  realty  in  Chicago  in  1905  was  estimated  at 
$295,514,443  and  that  of  personal  property  at  $112,477,182,  Waking 
a  total  valuation  of  $407,991,625.  The  tax  levy  was  $27,959,908. 

Enormous  progress  in  manufactures  and  varied  industries  has  been 
made  since  the  great  fire.  In  1900  Chicago  had  within  its  limits  19,203 
manufacturing  establishments  with  a  combined  capitalization  of  $534,- 
000,689.  These  employed  262,621  persons,  who  were  paid  $131,065,337. 
The  cost  of  materials  used  amounted  to  $538,401,562  and  that  of  the 
finished  product  to  $888,945,311.  For  comparison,  the  value  of  manu- 
factured products  in  the  entire  state  in  1905  was  $955,036,277,  and  in 
Chicago  alone  about  $500,000,000,  or  more  than  half  of  the  total. 

The  greatest  of  Chicago  industries  is  the  slaughtering  and  packing 
industry.  During  the  year  named,  it  embraced  thirty-eight  packing 
plants,  with  a  capital  of  $67,137,569,  25,345  workers,  with  wages  aggre- 


FACTS  AND  FIGURES 


127 


gating  $12,875,676,  a  consumption  of  live  stock  and  other  materials 
amounting  to  $218,241,331  and  an  output  valued  at  $256,527,949,  this 
latter  sum  representing  35.6  per  cent,  of  the  product  of  the  entire 
packing  industry  of  the  country. 

Second  in  order  of  importance  is  the  foundry  and  machine  manu- 
facturing industry,  represented  by  441  separate  establishments,  capi- 
talized at  $36,356,168,  employing  20,641  workers,  paying  $11,264,544 
in  wages,  consuming  $20,070,516  worth  of  raw  material  and  showing 
an  annual  production  valued  at  $44,561,071. 

The  manufacturing  of  agricultural  implements  stands  third,  with 
six  plants,  a  capitalization  of  $36,025,355,  10,245  workers,  and  an 
annual  expenditure  of  $5,180,958  for  labor.  The  materials  used  cost 
$10,842,299  and  the  finished  products  sold  at  $24,848,649. 

The  tailoring  industry  ranked  fourth  with  874  shops,  $12,991,669 
of  capital  involved,  13,855  workers  employed,  $5,551,561  in  wages,  and 
a  production  of  $36,094,310,  at  a  cost  of  $17,547,665. 

In  the  fifth  place  comes  the  iron  and  steel  industry,  with  nine 
plants,  a  total  capital  of  $24,271,764,  6,112  workers,  $4,329,342  paid 
in  wages,  $22,448,511  as  the  cost  of  production  and  an  output  estimated 
at  $31,461,174. 

Other  large  industries  are,  the  building  of  railway  coaches  and 
street  cars,  with  an  annual  output  of  $19,108,085,  printing  and  binding, 
with  $18,536,364,  and  brewing  and  distilling,  with  $14,956,865  as  the 
value  of  their  respective  output. 

Chicago  is  the  headquarters  for  the  grain  market  of  the  great  West. 
There  are  in  the  city  twenty-six  immense  grain  elevators  with  a  total 
capacity  of  32,550,000  bushels.  The  grain  market  shows  no  steady 
increase  but  fluctuates  according  to  the  crops  and  other  trade  con- 
ditions dependent  thereon.  For  instance,  in  1886,  192,778,757  bushels 
of  grain  was  inspected  here,  in  1890,  290,251,109  bushels,  in  1895, 
265,737,585  bushels,  in  1900,  462,758,523  bushels,  in  1902,  287,337,599 
bushels,  in  1903,  237,532,024  bushels,  and  in  1905,  260,675,693  bushels. 

Although  not  a  seaport,  Chicago  is  the  greatest  shipping  point  in 
the  United  States,  a  fact  not  generally  known.  Its  shipping  will  doubt- 
less acquire  still  greater  proportions  when  the  new  waterways  in 
process  of  construction  shall  be  completed,  giving  access  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  Gulf.  During  1897,  9,156  vessels,  with  a  combined  ton- 
nage of  7,209,444,  entered,  and  9,201  vessels,  with  a  tonnage  of  7,185,- 
324,  left  this  port.  In  1903,  7,456  vessels,  with  a  combined  capacity  of 
7,603,278  tons  cleared  out  of  the  Chicago  port,  and  in  1905  the  arrivals 
and  clearances  were,  respectively,  6,949  vessels,  of  7,218,641  tons,  and 
7,014  vessels,  of  7,281,259  tons.  The  decrease  in  shipping  in  later  years 
is  mainly  chargeable  to  the  obstructed  condition  of  the  river. 

These  figures  regarding  Chicago's  grain  trade  and  shipping  show 


128  CHICAGO 

the  city  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  commercial  centers  of  the  country. 
Some  additional  figures  will  serve  to  substantiate  the  statement.  The 
value  of  goods  sold  by  Chicago's  wholesale  and  jobbing  houses  during 
1903  was  more  than  $1,058,000,000.  This  includes  dry  goods  and 
carpets,  $162,500,000,  groceries,  $115,500,000,  iron  and  steel  wares,  $70,- 
500,000,  lumber,  $70,500,000,  men's  ready-made  clothing,  $66,000,000, 
goods  sold  through  mail  order  houses,  $55,000,000,  boots  and  shoes, 
$48,000,000,  coal,  $47,000,000,  diamonds  and  jewelry,  $40,000,000,  metal 
wares,  $34,000,000,  furniture,  $34,000,000,  books  and  music,  $20,500,000, 
paper,  $20,000,000,  leather,  $17,500,000,  tobacco  and  cigars,  $16,500,000, 
medicines  and  chemicals,  $16,000,000,  musical  instruments,  $15,500,000, 
hats  and  caps,  $15,000,000,  furs,  $15,000,000,  women's  clothing,  $12,- 
500,000,  baskets  and  wickerwork,  $12,000,000,  millinery,  $11,000,000, 
china  and  glassware,  $11,000,000,  wool,  $10,000,000,  etc. 

During  the  last-named  year  the  following  packing  house  products 
were  shipped  from  Chicago :  cured  meats,  580,282,643  pounds ;  pre- 
served meats,  1,835,035  pounds;  dressed  meats,  1,252,233,792  pounds, 
tallow,  373,000,959  pounds;  beef,  82,010  barrels;  pork,  175,795  barrels. 

Farm  products  were  received  and  shipped  as  follows :  cheese,  re- 
ceived, 82,129,852  pounds,  shipped,  57,277,361  pounds ;  butter,  received, 
232,031,484  pounds,  shipped  197,620,859  pounds ;  eggs,  received,  3,279,- 
248  cases,  shipped,  1,699,302  cases. 

During  1902  imports  from  foreign  countries  to  Chicago  reached 
$18,329,390,  duties  on  same  amounting  to  $9,565,452.96. 

In  that  year  Chicago  paid  internal  revenue  on  spirituous  liquors, 
tobacco,  oleomargarine,  playing  cards,  etc.,  amounting  to  $8,839,042.06. 

It  is  but  natural  that  a  city  with  so  extensive  manufacturing  and 
commercial  interests  should  develop  a  banking  business  of  great  mag- 
nitude. In  June,  1904,  the  number  of  banks  was  44,  with  a  total  capital 
of  $50,875,000  and  deposits  amounting  to  $550,068,287.  The  bank 
clearings  of  the  year  1902  were  $8,395,872,351.59. 

The  Population  of  Chicago 

In  previous  pages  we  have  endeavored  to  show  how  Chicago  grew 
from  an  insignificant  Indian  village  to  a  trading  station,  from  trading 
station  to  town,  from  town  to  city,  and  from  city  to  metropolis.  The 
rapidity  of  this  development  is  best  exemplified  by  figures  giving  the 
population  by  decades,  as  follows : 

Year                                                        Total  Pop'n  Year                                                       Total  Pop'n 

1837 4,179       1870 298,977 

180 4,470      1880 503, 185 

1850 28,269      1890 1,099,850 

1860 112,162      1900 1,698,575 


NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY 


129 


Chicago  is  a  cosmopolitan  city,  nearly  every  nation  in  the  world 
being  here  represented.  More  than  three-fourths  of  the  inhabitants  are 
foreign  born  or  descendants  of  foreigners. 

According  to  the  school  census  of  1902,  the  city  had  2,007,695 
inhabitants,  as  follows: 

Nationalities  Population.  Nationalities  Population. 

German 534,083  Dutch 18,555 

Irish 254,914  French  Canadian 13, 533 

Polish 167,383  Hungarian 11,658 

Swedish 144,719  Swiss 7,922 

Bohemian 109,224  French 7,493 

English 72,876  Welsh 4,863 

Russian 61 ,976  Greek i  ,493 

Norwegian 59,898  Chinese i»i?9 

British  Canadian 48,304  Belgian 1,160 

Italian 42,054  Finnish 416 

Austrian 29,760  Miscellaneous 3, 132 

Scotch 28,529 

Danish 25,355  Total 1,651,079 

Subtracting  this  from  the  grand  total  of  population,  2,007,695,  the 
remainder,  356,580,  indicates  the  number  of  native  born  Chicagoans. 
This,  however,  includes  all  descendants  of  foreign  born  parents  after 
the  first  generation,  all  persons  of  mixed  foreign  and  native  parentage 
and  some  35,000  colored.  Should  their  number  in  turn  be  substracted, 
there  would  be  a  very  small  remainder,  denoting  the  number  of  Ameri- 
cans in  the  limited  sense  of  the  word. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  most  recent  estimates  of  Chicago 's  popu- 
lation vary  from  2,049,185,  the  figures  given  by  the  health  department, 
to  2,300,500,  the  more  sanguine  estimate  based  on  the  city  directory. 

North-western  University 

May  31,  1850,  three  clergymen,  three  lawyers,  two  businessmen 
and  one  physician,  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  met  in  the 
little  office  of  Attorney  Grant  Goodrich,  on  Lake  st.,  near  La  Salle  st., 
in  Chicago,  to  lay  plans  for  the  establishment  in  that  city  of  a  univer- 
sity, under  the  patronage  of  that  church.  At  that  time  there  was  not 
one  higher  institution  of  learning  in  Chicago,  and  in  the  entire  state  of 
Illinois  only  a  few,  including  McKendree,  Illinois,  Knox  and 
Shurtleff  colleges.  At  this  meeting  three  committees  were  appointed, 
one  to  procure  a  charter  for  the  projected  institution,  a  second 
to  enlist  the  interest  and  moral  support  of  the  various  Methodist 
conferences,  and  a  third  to  canvass  the  field  for  possible  pecuniary 
support. 

After  three  weeks  the  first  named  committee  had  the  proposed 
charter  drafted.  Northwestern  University  was  the  name  suggested, 


130 


CHICAGO 


and  the  charter,  being  granted  by  the  legislature,  was  signed  by  Gover- 
nor French  on  Jan.  28,  1851.  The  first  trustees  were  a  number  of 
Chicago  residents,  besides  representatives  of  the  Rock  River,  Wisconsin, 
Northern  Indiana,  Iowa,  and  Michigan  conferences  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

These  held  their  first  meeting  June  14th  the  same  year  and  or- 
ganized for  the  great  task  before  them.  A  college  was  first  determined 
upon,  its  president  to  serve  as  professor  of  philosophy.  Other  pro- 
fessors were  suggested  for  the  chairs  of  mathematics,  natural  sciences, 
and  ancient  and  modern  languages.  Another  resolution  was  passed  to 
establish  a  preparatory  department  in  the  city  and  to  purchase  ground 
for  the  necessary  buildings.  A  lot  was  purchased  at  the  corner  of  La 
Salle  and  Jackson  sts.,  at  a  cost  of  $9,000.  September  22,  1852,  the 


Northwestern  University  Building,  Chicago 

board  of  trustees  decided  to  erect  a  building  accommodating  three  hun- 
dred students,  and  also  appointed  a  committee  to  select  a  site  for  the 
proposed  college  building.  Simultaneously,  a  request  was  issued  to  the 
members  of  all  the  aforesaid  conferences  that  no  other  higher  institu- 
tions of  learning  be  established,  but  that  all  energies  be  concentrated 
upon  this  one,  to  the  end  that  the  university  plan  might  be  realized. 
At  this  time,  also,  the  board  decided  to  petition  the  legislature  for 
authority  to  establish  branch  preparatory  schools  in  various  parts  of 
the  Northwest  and  to  merge  already  existing  schools  with  the  proposed 
university. 

The  decision  to  erect  a  building  in  Chicago  for  the  preparatory 
school  was  never  carried  out.  The  ground  purchased  for  that  purpose 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Illinois  Trust  and  Savings  Bank  which  pays  a 
large  rental  to  the  Northwestern  University.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
trustees  June  23,  1853,  Dr.  Clark  T.  Hinman  was  unanimously  elected 
its  first  president.  Being  a  man  of  unusual  energy,  he  at  once  took  up 
the  work  with  great  vigor.  A  plan  to  raise  funds  through  the  sale 


NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY  I3I 

of  scholarships  was  inaugurated.  These  scholarships  were  of  different 
kinds.  One  kind  was  a  permanent  scholarship  of  one  hundred  dollars, 
entitling  the  holder,  his  son,  or  grandson,  to  free  tuition  at  the  institu- 
tion for  a  fixed  term.  Another  form  was  the  transferable  scholarship, 
which  could  be  bought  and  sold,  always  entitling  its  holder  to  the  privi- 
leges therein  set  down.  The  one  hundred  dollar  scholarship  entitled 
the  holder  to  $500  in  tuition,  while  one  quoted  at  fifty  dollars  guaran- 
teed $200  in  tuition.  One-half  of  the  income  from  scholarships  was  to 
be  used  for  paying  teachers'  salaries,  the  other  half  to  go  to  a  fund 
for  the  purchase  of  a  tract  of  land,  not  exceeding  1,200  acres,  partly 
to  be  used  as  a  site  for  the  university  buildings,  partly  to  be  sold  in 
lots  for  the  benefit  of  the  building  fund.  Dr.  Hinman  filled  his  grip- 
sack with  scholarship  certificates  and  started  out  to  peddle  them  among 
the  people.  So  great  was  his  power  of  persuasion  and  such  the  enthu- 


Northwestern  University  Medical  School,  Chicago 

siasm  for  the  prospective  university  that  he  succeeded  in  disposing  of 
$64,600  worth  of  scholarships  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere  in  a  very  short 
time.  In  the  meantime,  other  persons  raised  $37,000  in  the  same 
manner. 

The  committee  appointed  to  select  a  site  recommended  the  purchase 
from  John  H.  Foster  of  a  tract  of  280  acres  situated  on  the  lake  shore 
eleven  miles  north  of  the  city  hall.  The  price  asked  was  $25,000,  one 
thousand  to  be  paid  in  cash  and  the  balance  in  partial  payments  during 
the  next  ten  years.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  the  deal  closed  in 
August,  1853.  The  following  October  the  trustees  offered  for  sale 
thirteen  acres  of  this  tract  at  a  price  of  $200  per  acre.  February  3, 
1854,  the  site  of  the  projected  university  was  named  Evanston,  in  honor 
of  John  Evans,  M.  D.,  then  president  of  the  university  corporation. 
Soon  after,  other  portions  of  the  tract  were  platted  and  put  on  the  real 
estate  market. 

One  Eliza  Garrett  had  founded  a  Methodist  theological  seminary 
called  the  Garrett  Biblical  Institute.  Upon  invitation  extended  in 
February,  1854,  by  the  university  trustees,  this  institution  was  removed 
to  Evanston,  where  it  occupies  ground  leased  from  the  university.  It 
has  always  been  in  close  co-operation  and  has  served  as  the  theological 
department  of  the  university,  but  is  an  independent  institution  finan- 
cially and  in  other  respects. 


132 


CHICAGO 


In  June  of  the  same  year,  the  resources  of  the  university,  including 
real  estate,  notes  and  subscriptions,  amounted  to  $281,915,  while  the 
liabilities  stopped  at  $32,255.04. 

When  the  board  of  trustees  met  in  March,  1855,  Dr.  Hinman,  the 
president  of  the  university,  was  no  more.  His  successful  career  in  the 
service  of  the  institution  had  been  ended  by  death.  His  last  effort  had 
been  to  increase  the  fund  accumulated  by  disposing  of  scholarships  to 
$25,000  and  the  building  fund  to  $100,000,  and  if  death  had  not  claimed 
him,  he  doubtless  would  have  attained  the  goal.  Meanwhile,  one  build- 


Northwestern  University — University  Hall, 
Evanston 

ing  had  been  erected,  being  a  wooden  structure,  with  suites  of  rooms 
for  six  professors,  a  chapel,  a  small  museum,  meeting  halls  for  several 
literary  societies,  and  a  few  student's  rooms  in  the  attic. 

In  this  building,  the  college  department  of  the  university  began 
work  November  5th  of  that  year.  It  was  a  modest  beginning :  only  two 
teachers  and  a  small  group  of  students.  A  year  later,  in  1856,  R.  S. 
Foster,  D.  D.,  was  elected  president  at  a  salary  of  $2,000  per  year.  At 
his  suggestion,  the  board  proceeded  to  plan  permanent  university 
halls  and  a  library  building. 

The  same  year  (1856)  steps  were  taken  to  incorporate  the  Garrett 
Biblical  Institute  and  the  Rush  Medical  College  in  Chicago  with  the 
university  in  order  that  they  might  issue  diplomas.  A  girl's  school, 


NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY 


133 


the  Northwestern  Female  College,  had  also  been  founded  in  Evanston, 
but  the  similarity  between  its  name  and  that  of  the  university  caused 
the  latter  so  much  annoyance  that  the  board  requested  the  girl's  sem- 
inary to  change  its  corporate  name.  The  request  was  not  granted,  the 
institute  continuing  under  that  name  and  later  under  the  name  of 
Evanston  College  for  Ladies  until  1873,  when  it  was  absorbed  by  the 
university.  The  proposed  absorption  of  Rush  Medical  College  did  not 
materialize. 

In  1857  the  board  made  arrangements  to  establish  a  department  of 
law,  a  preparatory  department  and  a  chair  of  science.     At  this  time 


Northwestern  University — Orrington  1/unt  Library,  Evanston 

the  library  contained  2,000  volumes,  and  a  museum  of  natural  history 
had  been  established.  In  April,  1859,  the  proposed  law  school  began 
its  sessions,  not,  however,  as  a  part  of  the  Northwestern  University, 
but  of  the  old  University  of  Chicago.  In  June  of  the  same  year  the 
college  department  held  its  first  graduation. 

The  following  year  Dr.  Foster  resigned  the  presidencj^.  Dr. 
Erastus  0.  Haven,  who  was  chosen  his  successor,  declined  the  position. 

During  the  Civil  War,  the  activity  of  the  new  university  was 
greatly  impeded,  several  of  its  professors  and  many  of  its  students 
enrolling  in  the  Union  army. 

Through  wise  administration,  the  university,  during  this  same 
period,  freed  itself  of  debt,  whereupon  the  board  devoted  all  its  ener- 


134 


CHICAGO 


gies  to  the  erection  of  necessary  buildings.  The  first  of  these  was  a 
dormitory.  In  1865,  the  sum  of  $25,000  was  set  aside  for  the  erection  of 
a  main  building  to  cost,  when  completed,  $100,000.  This  building, 
called  University  Hall,  was  begun  in  1866  and  completed  in  three  years. 

Charles  H.  Fowler  was  called  to  the  presidency  in  1866,  but  re- 
signed the  following  year  before  entering  upon  his  duties. 

The  university  now  comprised  a  divinity  school,  a  college  and 
an  academic  department,  and  next  was  added  a  medical  school  in  the 
following  manner.  Since  1859  there  had  existed  in  Chicago  a  medical 
institution,  connected  with  the  Lind  (now  Lake  Forest)  University.  In 
1864,  this  connection  was  severed,  and  the  school  became  independent, 


Northwestern  University — Fayerweather  Hall  of  Science,  Evanston 


under  the  name  of  the  Chicago  Medical  College.  This  same  school  in 
1869  was  merged  with  the  Northwestern  University,  but  retained  its 
name  until  1891,  when  it  was  changed  to  the  Northwestern  University 
Medical  School.  This  branch  of  the  university  occupies  buildings 
specially  erected  for  that  purpose  at  Dearborn  street,  between  24th 
and  25th  streets,  in  Chicago,  in  close  proximity  to  the  Wesley,  the 
Mercy  and  the  St.  Luke's  hospitals,  where  its  students  obtain  their 
clinical  training. 

The  same  year  that  the  medical  school  was  incorporated  with  the 
university,  the  library  received  a  valuable  addition  in  the  form  of  a 
collection  of  20,000  volumes,  purchased  for  the  institution  by  one 
Luther  Greenleaf.  That  year  also,  Erastus  0.  Haven  was  a  second  time 
called  to  the  president's  chair,  which  he  occupied  till  1872,  when  he  was 


NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY 


135 


succeeded  by  the  aforesaid  Charles  H.  Fowler,  who  served  with  great 
credit  for  four  years. 

The  aforesaid  school  of  law  also  became  a  department  of  the  North- 
western University  in  1873  and  then  assumed  the  name  of  Union 
College  of  Law.  It  continued  in  connection  with  both  universities  until 
1886,  when  it  became  an  independent  institution.  In  1891,  it  was 
reorganized  and  again  became  a  part  of  the  Northwestern  University, 
being  named  Northwestern  University  Law  School. 

In  1881  Joseph  Cummings,  senior  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
university  professors  and  for  many  years  president  of  the  Wesleyan 
University,  was  made  the  head  of  the  Northwestern.  During  a  period 


Northwestern  University — Dearborn  Observatory,  Evanston 

of  ten  years,  he  filled  this  responsible  position,  gaming,  meanwhile,  the 
highest  respect  of  teachers  and  students  alike.  During  his  presidency, 
in  1886,  the  Illinois  College  of  Pharmacy,  just  established,  was  made  a 
part  of  the  university.  In  1891  its  name  was  changed  to  the  North- 
western University  School  of  Pharmacy.  The  Dental  School,  estab- 
lished in  1887,  three  years  later  was  added  to  the  university.  This 
department  in  1896  absorbed  a  similar  school,  the  American  Dental 
College. 

A  donation  of  $25,000  by  James  B.  Hobbs  in  1888  enabled  the 
university  to  erect  the  Dearborn  Observatory,  where  the  valuable  in- 
struments of  the  old  observatory  of  the  same  name,  located  in  Chicago, 
were  moved  and  set  up. 

After  the  demise  of  Dr.  Cummings,  Dr.  Henry  Wade  Rogers  was 
elected  his  successor  in  1890.  He  also  served  for  ten  years,  and  like 


136  CHICAGO 

his  predecessor,  accomplished  much  useful  work  for  the  institution. 
During  his  term  of  office,  in  1891,  the  Woman's  Medical  College,  con- 
nected with  the  Chicago  Hospital  for  Women  and  Children,  was  added ; 
this  department,  however,  was  discontinued  in  1902  on  account  of  the 
great  expense  to  the  university. 

In  1893,  the  Orrington  Lunt  Library,  an  imposing  structure,  was 
erected,  with  funds  raised  by  the  platting  and  sale  of  157  acres  of  land 
near  Wilmette,  donated  to  the  university  in  1865  by  Orrington  Lunt, 
one  of  its  founders.  A  musical  school  was  established  in  1895,  and 
two  years  later  a  building  was  erected  for  its  special  use. 

In  the  summer  of  1899,  Dr.  Rogers  resigned  the  presidency.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1902  by  Dr.  Edmund  James,  formerly  a  member  of 
the  faculties  of  the  Universities  of  Pennsylvania  and  Chicago.  This 
election  was  satisfactory  to  all  the  friends  of  the  university,  who 
knew  Dr.  James  as  a  man  of  erudition  and  power,  of  whom  much 
energetic  work  might  be  expected.  Dr.  James,  in  1904,  accepted  the 
presidency  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  the  next  choice  for  president 
being  Dr.  Abram  W.  Harris,  who  entered  upon  his  duties  in  July,  1906. 
Dr.  Harris  was  born  and  educated  in  Philadelphia,  studied  at  the  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  in  the  Universities  of 
Munich  and  Berlin.  President  Harris  organized  for  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  the  Bureau  of  Experiment  Stations.  He  spent  some  years 
in  teaching  and  in  1892  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  the  Maine  State 
College.  Under  his  direction  it  expanded  and  became  the  University  of 
Maine.  In  1901  he  resigned  to  become  the  Director  of  the  Jacob  Tome 
Institute  at  Port  Dupont,  Md.,  which  in  five  years  assumed  a  high  place 
among  secondary  schools. 

One  of  the  greatest  acquisitions  of  property  of  the  Northwestern 
University  was  the  purchase  in  1901  of  the  old  Tremont  hotel  building, 
located  at  the  corner  of  Dearborn  and  Lake  sts.,  in  Chicago.  For  this 
property  the  institution  paid  half  a  million  dollars  and  expended  an 
additional  $275,000  for  changes  and  repairs.  This  structure,  known 
as  the  Northwestern  University  Building,  now  contains  the  Law  school, 
the  Dental  school  and  the  school  of  Pharmacy.  In  1907  the  university 
property  was  valued  at  $9,034,212,  and  the  current  expenditures  for 
educational  purposes  alone  in  1906  amounted  to  $606,189. 

From  its  college  department  about  2,000  students  have  been  grad- 
uated, from  the  medical  2,200,  from  the  woman's  medical  school  559, 
from  the  law  school  1,800,  from  the  school  of  pharmacy  1,500,  from 
the  dental  school  1,600,  and  from  the  school  of  music  300,  making  a 
total  of  10,000  graduates. 

During  the  year  1905-6  the  total  number  of  students  attending  the 
university  was  3,863. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


Tine    University    of    Chicago 

This  institution,  planned,  as  it  is,  on  a  large  scale,  has  a  history 
dating  back  to  the  fifties.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  renowned  states- 
man, whose  home  was  in  Chicago,  in  1854  offered  to  donate  ten  acres 
of  ground  at  the  southern  limits  of  the  city  as  a  site  for  an  institution 
of  learning,  on  condition  that  a  building  costing  $100,000  would  be 
erected  for  this  purpose  within  a  specified  time.  The  cornerstone  of  the 
future  university  building  was  laid  July  4,  1857,  but  the  general  busi- 
ness depression  then  prevailing  caused  a  long  delay  in  completing  the 
building.  The  liberal  donor,  therefore,  granted  additional  time,  but 
even  this  did  not  hurry  the  work,  and  finally  he  concluded  to  donate 
the  site  without  any  conditions. 

Under  the  name  of  the  Douglas  University  and  with  Rev.  John  C. 
Burroughs  as  president,  the  university  was  opened  in  1858.  According 
to  the  plan,  it  was  to  comprise  a  preparatory,  a  college,  a  law  and  a 
theological  department.  The  university  was  started  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Baptist  denomination.  The  law  department  was  added  the 
following  year. 

The  theological  department  was  not  added  until  the  following 
decade.  Its  early  history  reads  as  follows  : 

At  a  meeting  of  Baptists  in  Chicago  in  1860  a  society,  called  the 
Theological  Society  of  the  Northwest,  was  formed.  This  was  followed 
by  the  organization  of  another  society,  termed  the  Baptist  Theological 
Union,  which  was  incorporated  Aug.  27th  of  that  year.  February  16, 
1865,  it  was  granted  a  charter  to  found  and  maintain  a  theological 
seminary.  A  beginning  was  made  the  same  year,  when  Rev.  N.  Colver, 
D.  D.,  began  giving  theological  instruction  to  a  limited  number  of 
students.  The  following  year  this  instruction  was  given  at  the  uni- 
versity, where  Prof.  J.  C.  C.  Clarke  was  made  assistant  instructor  in 
theology.  These  arrangements  were  merely  temporary.  The  theolog- 
ical department,  however,  soon  was  permanently  organized,  for  in 
1866  two  professors  of  theology  were  called,  followed,  one  year  later, 
by  a  third,  whereupon  the  regular  theological  department  was  opened 
in  the  fall  of  1867.  Two  years  later  it  was  provided  with  its  own  build- 
ing, located  at  the  corner  of  Rhodes  ave.  and  34th  st.  This  building, 
costing  $60,000,  had  accommodations  for  sixty  students,  besides  the 
lecture  halls.  The  department,  having  no  permanent  funds  to  draw 
on,  was  maintained  by  private  contributions.  During  the  first  five 
years  the  Baptist  Union  Theological  Seminary,  as  it  was  called,  was 
attended  by  97  students,  of  whom  37  were  graduated. 

During  the  seventies,  the  school  was  on  the  verge  of  collapse.  The 
great  fire  of  1871  made  it  impossible  for  its  friends  to  contribute  as 


138 


CHICAGO 


generously  as  before,  and  the  second  fire  in  1874  still  further  demor- 
alized it  financially.  The  trustees  were  forced  to  look  about  for  an- 
other location.  One  was  found  in  Morgan  Park,  where  the  Blue  Island 
Land  and  Building  Company  in  1876  donated  to  the  seminary  fifty 
acres  of  ground  and  a  large  brick  building,  into  which  the  seminary 
moved  in  the  fall  of  1877. 

During  this  decade  a  Scandinavian  department  was  added  to  the 
seminary,  designed  to  equip  pastors  for  the  Scandinavian  Baptist  con- 
gregations in  America.  The  history  of  this  department  will  be  told  in 


The  University  of  Chicago — Across  the  Campus 

a  succeeding  chapter  on  educational  institutions  of  the   Swedes  of 
Illinois. 

Now  the  seminary  owned  its  own  site  and  its  own  buildurg,  had  a 
faculty  and  students,  but  still  funds  were  lacking.  Up  to  this  time  all 
efforts  at  establishing  endowments  had  failed.  The  trustees  were 
driven  to  extremes  in  their  efforts  to  provide  the  requisite  means  for 
its  support  from  year  to  year.  They  had  to  draw  continually  upon 
the  liberality  of  the  congregations.  Evidently,  this  could  not  go  on 
indefinitely.  The  seminary  must  have  permanent  funds  or  cease  to 
exist.  A  wealthy  Chicagoan,  E.  Nelson  Blake,  at  this  juncture  came  to 
the  assistance  of  the  trustees  by  donating  to  the  institution  the  sum  of 
$30,000.  With  great  exertions,  they  succeeded  in  raising  $70,000  from 
other  sources,  thus  creating  an  endowment  of  $100,000.  But  this 
proved  inadequate,  and  an  equal  amount  had  to  be  raised  in  order  to 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


139 


continue  the  work  of  the  institution  with  any  degree  of  success.  To- 
ward this  amount  John  D.  Kockefeller,  the  oil  magnate,  contributed 
$40,000  and  other  persons  $11,000,  whereupon  the  subscription  work 
was  at  a  standstill  for  a  long  period,  threatening  failure.  Finally, 
after  nearly  ten  years'  effort,  the  second  one  hundred  thousand  dollar 
fund  was  completed. 

Still  the  requirements  of  the  institution  were  not  fully  met.  New 
buildings  were  needed.  The  building  donated  by  the  land  company  had 
up  to  this  time  housed  every  department  of  the  institution,  containing, 
as  it  did,  library,  chapel,  lecture  hall,  students'  rooms  and  dining  hall. 
Owing  to  the  cramped  quarters,  the  library,  which  then  contained 
25,000  volumes,  was  partly  arranged  on  shelves  along  the  walls  of  the 
lecture  hall,  partly  packed  down  in  boxes  and  thus  inaccessible  for  use. 
For  the  same  reason  only  about  half  of  the  students  could  be  housed 
at  the  seminary.  In  1886  a  call  was  issued  with  a  request  for  $50,000 
to  be  used  partly  for  the  erection  of  a  building  containing  lecture  halls 
and  chapel,  partly  for  a  library  building.  Mr.  Rockefeller  at  once 
donated  $10,000,  and  promised  $10,000  more,  provided  the  remaining 
$30,000  were  raised  before  May  1,  1887.  The  condition  was  success- 
fully met,  and  the  same  year  the  first  named  building  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $30,000.  It  was  named  Blake  Hall,  in  honor  of  the  aforesaid 
E.  Nelson  Blake,  who  had  given  one-third  of  the  required  sum.  Later 
the  library  building  was  also  erected. 

During  all  these  years  the  inner  development  of  the  institution 
kept  pace  with  its  outward  progress.  The  faculty  was  reinforced  time 
and  again  and  the  number  of  students  increased  until  in  1891-92  it 
reached  nearly  200.  During  the  twenty-five  years  of  its  existence,  the 
seminary  had  graduated  several  hundred  Baptist  ministers,  of  whom 
a  large  number  had  gone  to  distant  lands,  while  the  remainder  were 
scattered  throughout  the  Union.  In  the  new  library  building  the 
books  were  systematically  arranged  and  catalogued,  available  for  use 
by  students  and  teachers. 

The  Baptist  Union  Seminary  was,  as  stated,  a  part  of  the  Douglas 
University,  or,  as  it  was  soon  called,  the  University  of  Chicago.  Each 
had  its  own  administration,  and  if  the  finances  of  the  seminary  were  in 
a  bad  way,  those  of  the  university  were  still  worse.  While  the  former 
gradually  improved,  the  latter  deteriorated  year  by  year,  until  the 
university  found  itself  in  a  precarious  position.  In  1885  its  mortgages 
amounted  to  $320,000,  and  the  board  could  no  longer  pay  the  interest 
accruing  and  make  payments  as  they  fell  due.  In  these  straits  the 
board  turned  to  the  Baptist  clergymen  of  Chicago  for  advice,  and  the 
matter  was  taken  up  at  one  of  the  weekly  meetings,  held  Feb.  8,  1886. 
President  George  W.  Northrop  of  the  theological  seminary  then  ex- 
pressed as  his  opinion  that  any  attempt  to  maintain  the  university 


140 


CHICAGO 


would  prove  futile.  Better,  then,  rent  a  few  rooms,  retain  the  faculty, 
and  look  about  for  a  suitable  president.  Further,  the  sum  of  $10,000 
ought  to  be  raised  annually  for  three  years  to  defray  current  expenses, 
while  efforts  were  made  to  raise  a  fund  of  $250,000.  The  financial 
difficulties  experienced  by  the  board  would,  in  his  opinion,  urge  well- 
to-do  Baptists  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  the  institution  with  liberal  dona- 
tions, so  that  within  ten  years  an  excellent  institution  might  be  firmly 
established.  Dr.  Thomas  W.  Goodspeed  spoke  to  the  same  purport. 
He  recommended  that  ground  be  purchased  ten  miles  south  of  the 
southern  limits  of  the  city,  a  new  charter  procured  and  a  new  board 
of  regents  elected.  Now,  said  he,  is  the  time  to  act. 


The  University  of  Chicago — The  i  Tower  Group 


After  a  lengthy  discussion  those  present  gave  formal  expression 
to  the  prevailing  opinion  to  the  effect  that  it  was  practically  impos- 
sible to  raise  the  funds  wherewith  to  lift  the  mortgages  on  the  univer- 
sity property,  and  recommended  that  a  committee  of  fifteen,  appointed 
the  previous  year  at  the  educational  convention  held  in  Farwell  Hall, 
Chicago,  be  empowered  to  plan  a  new  university.  The  result  of  these 
resolutions  was  the  conveyance  of  the  university  property  to  the  mort- 
gagees, the  Mutual  Union  Life  Insurance  Company,  the.  same  year  and 
the  closing  of  the  university. 

Thus  the  old  University  of  Chicago  disappeared  after  an  existence 
of  29  years  of  pecuniary  embarrassment.  Its  patrons,  however,  desired 
that  it  be  supplanted  by  a  new  institution,  and  this  view  was  shared  by 
prominent  Baptists  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  During  the  next 
two  years  the  project  was  discussed  extensively  at  meetings  and 
through  correspondence.  The  first  move  towards  realizing  the  plan 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  !4I 

was  made  in  May,  1888,  when  a  society,  called  the  American  Baptist 
Education  Society,  was  organized  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a  college  in  Chicago — a  university  they  dared  not 
think  of — and  to  raise  funds  for  the  support  of  Baptist  institutions  of 
learning  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 

These  initiative  steps  were  followed  with  great  interest  by  Mr. 
Rockefeller,  who,  as  already  shown,  had  contributed  to  the  maintenance 
of  the  theological  school.  He  conferred  with  Professor  Willam  R. 
Harper,  of  Yale  University,  a  man  who  then  already  had  attained  a 
reputation  as  a  scholar  and  a  man  of  exceptional  executive  ability. 
These  two  men  soon  agreed  that  the  Baptist  Church  should  again  take 
up  its  educational  work  in  Chicago  and  on  an  enlarged  scale.  Mr. 
Rockefeller  declared  his  willingness  to  contribute  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  such  an  institution. 

In  December,  1888,  the  preliminary  work  had  advanced  to  a  stage, 
where  the  plan  could  be  laid  before  the  directors  of  the  American 
Baptist  Education  Society.  The  plans  were  approved,  and  they  pledged 
their  hearty  support  in  carrying  the  enterprise  forward,  instructing 
their  secretary,  Rev.  Fred  T.  Gates,-  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to 
insure  its  success.  Early  the  following  year  Rev.  Gates  opened  nego- 
tiations with  Mr.  Rockefeller,  and,  after  numerous  conferences  between 
them,  a  committee  of  nine  was  appointed  to  draft  a  plan  for  the  new 
institution,  propose  a  site,  estimate  the  amount  of  money  required  for 
safeguarding  the  enterprise  financially,  and  to  learn  to  what  extent  the 
support  of  the  Education  Society  might  be  counted  upon.  Prof.  Harper 
was  the  first  man  appointed  on  that  committee. 

After  thorough  inquiries  this  committee  submitted  a  full  report 
on  the  basis  of  which  the  Education  Society,  at  its  annual  meeting  in 
Boston,  in  May,  1889,  passed  a  formal  resolution  to  establish  the  pro- 
posed college  in  Chicago.  Immediately,  a  letter  from  Mr.  Rockefeller 
was  read,  wherein  he  pledged  himself  to  give  $600,000  as  a  fund  for  the 
institution,  on  condition  that  others  contributed  $400,000,  before  June 
1,  1890,  to  be  used  for  the  purchase  of  a  site  and  the  erection  of  build- 
ings. Shortly  after  this  meeting,  another  one  was  held  in  Chicago, 
attended  by  fifteen  Baptist  clergymen,  and  fifty-five  businessmen.  At 
this  meeting  a  college  committee  of  thirty-six  members  was  chosen  to 
issue  a  call  for  subscriptions  toward  the  $400,000  fund.  Before  this 
meeting  was  adjourned,  one  quarter  of  the  amount  required  had  been 
subscribed  by  those  in  attendance. 

In  January,  1890,  Mr.  Marshall  Field,  the  Chicago  millionaire 
merchant,  announced  his  willingness  to  donate  a  tract  of  land,  situated 
between  Washington  and  Jackson  parks,  to  the  proposed  college,  pro- 
vided the  conditions  set  up  by  Mr.  Rockefeller  were  met.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  board  of  the  Education  Society  in  the  spring  of  that 


I42  CHICAGO 

year  it  was  announced  that  the  aggregate  sum  of  $402,000  had  been 
subscribed,  books  and  scientific  apparatus  valued  at  $15,000  promised, 
and  that  subscriptions  were  still  coming  in  at  the  rate  of  $1,000  a  day. 
These  numerous  and  generous  responses  to  the  call  for  funds  made 
it  clear  to  the  committee  that  the  previous  plan  to  establish  a  college, 
which  was  to  be  gradually  enlarged  to  a  university,  had  to  be  aban- 
doned and  the  institution  laid  out  on  university  lines  from  the  start. 
This  line  of  action  was  subsequently  followed.  To  begin  with,  ground 
was  purchased  adjoining  the  tract  comprising  one  and  one-half  blocks, 
donated  by  Mr.  Field.  The  Education  Society  board  for  the  sum  of 
$132,000  bought  of  Mr.  Field  an  equal  tract,  making  a  total  of  20  acres, 


The  University  of  Chicago — The  Walker  Museum 

bounded  on  the  north  and  south  by  56th  and  59th  streets  and  on  the 
east  and  west  by  Greenwood  and  Ellis  avenues.  Shortly  afterwards, 
the  block  located  farthest  north  was  traded  for  one  bounded  by  57th 
and  58th  streets,  and  Greenwood  and  Lexington  avenues,  whereupon 
still  another  block  was  purchased,  completing  a  quadrangle  two  blocks 
square  in  a  beautiful  and  rapidly  developing  part  of  the  city.  A  better 
location  for  a  university  would  be  difficult  to  find. 

In  order  to  prevent  possible  complications,  arising  from  the  fact 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


143 


that  an  institution  named  the  University  of  Chicago  had  existed  before, 
the  directors  of  that  institution  met  June  14,  1890,  and  formally  author- 
ized the  use  of  that  name  for  the  new  university.  At  another  meeting 
September  8th  the  same  board  decided  to  call  their  institution  The  Old 
University  of  Chicago  and  to  turn  over  all  its  books  and  records  to  the 
new  university  corporation.  This  was  done  partly  to  distinguish  the 
graduates  of  the  old  institution,  partly  to  enable  them,  if  they  so 
desired,  to  be  recognized  as  graduates  of  the  new  university. 

These  and  other  preliminaries  having  been  disposed  of,  the  new 
university  was  chartered  September  10,  1890,  under  the  name  of  the 
University  of  Chicago,  the  incorporators  being  John  D.  Rockefeller, 
E.  Nelson  Blake,  Marshall  Field,  Francis  E.  Hinckley,  Fred  T.  Gates, 
and  Thomas  W.  Goodspeed.  The  charter  stipulated  that  the  university 
regents  should  be  twenty-one  in  number,  two-thirds,  as  also  the  presi- 
dent, to  be  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  On  the  contrary,  church 
affiliations  were  to  play  no  part  in  the  selection  of  professors  and  in- 
structors. 

Scarcely  had  the  institution  been  incorporated  when  Mr.  Rocke- 
feller, on  the  16th  of  September,  made  an  additional  donation  of  one 
million  dollars,  one  of  the  conditions  being  that  the  Baptist  Union 
Theological  Seminary  should  be  moved  from  Morgan  Park  to  the 
university  grounds,  be  made  its  theological  department,  and  furnished 
with  a  special  building.  These  terms  were  gratefully  accepted  by  the 
Baptist  Theological  Union. 

At  their  second  meeting,  held  September  18th,  the  trustees  elected 
as  president  of  the  university  Dr.  W.  R.  Harper,  who  after  six  months 
accepted  the  call  and  shaped  the  destinies  of  this  great  university  with 
superior  energy  and  ability. 

The  working  plan  of  the  university  had  already  been  prepared 
and  submitted  to  the  boards  of  more  than  fifty  different  universities 
and  colleges  for  approval.  Having  been  thus  criticised,  the  plan  was 
made  public  Jan.  1,  1891.  According  to  this  plan,  the  work  of  the 
institution  was  to  be  arranged  under  the  following  three  heads,  the 
university  proper,  the  university  extension  work  and  the  university 
publication  work. 

The  first-named  department  was  to  comprise  the  following  sub- 
divisions: (a)  Academies,  or  preparatory  departments,  the  first  to  be 
established  at  Morgan  Park  and  other  branch  institutions  to  be  either 
formed  from  existing  schools  or  erected  anew,  as  opportunity  offered; 
(b)  Colleges,  as  follows,  (1)  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts,  with  a  course 
leading  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  (2)  the  College  of  Science, 
leading  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science,  (3)  the  College  of  Liter- 
ature, giving  also  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science,  (4)  the  College  of 
Practical  Arts,  with  comprehensive  courses  in  practical  subjects,  lead- 


144  CHICAGO 

ing  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science;  (c)  affiliated  colleges,  the 
nature  of  whose  relations  to  the  university  was  to  be  determined  by 
the  conditions  in  each  individual  case;  (d)  schools,  as  follows:  (1)  The 
Graduate  School,  to  comprise  all  non-professional  post-graduate  work, 
(2)  the  Divinity  School,  with  the  customary  theological  courses,  (3) 
the  Law  School,  (4)  the  Medical  School,  (5)  the  School  of  Engineering, 
(6)  the  School  of  Pedagogy,  (7)  the  School  of  Fine  Arts,  (8)  the  School 
of  Music.  The  two  first-named  were  to  be  established  at  once,  the 
remaining  six  in  due  order,  as  financial  conditions  would  permit. 

The  university  extension  work  was  to  comprise,  (a)  regular  courses 
of  lectures,  to  be  given  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere,  according  to  the 
best  plans  for  university  extension;  (b)  evening  courses  in  college 
and  university  subjects  in  and  outside  of  Chicago;  (c)  correspondence 
courses  in  college  and  university  subjects  for  students  all  over  the 
country;  (d)  special  courses  in  biblical  subjects,  studied  from  the 
original  texts  and  translations;  (e)  library  extension. 

The  university  publication  work  was  to  embrace,  (a)  university 
bulletins,  catalogues  and  other  official  documents;  (b)  special  news- 
papers, journals  and  reviews  of  a  scientific  nature,  written  and  edited 
by  instructors  in  the  various  departments:  (c)  books  written  and 
edited  by  instructors  of  the  university;  (d)  collection  by  exchange  of 
newspapers,  journals  and  reviews,  similar  to  those  published;  (e) 
purchase  of  books  and  disposal  of  same  to  students,  professors  and  to 
the  university  library. 

In  connection  herewith  the  inner  organization  of  the  institution 
in  the  matter  of  faculties,  officers,  the  division  of  the  school  year,  etc., 
was  mapped  out.  In  these  respects  the  University  of  Chicago  was  to 
differ  materially  from  other  universities  and  colleges  in  the  United 
States.  For  instance,  while  most  of  these  divide  the  scholastic  year 
into  three  terms,  viz.,  the  fall,  the  winter  and  the  spring  term,  with  a 
long  "vacation  following  the  latter,  its  year  was  to  be  divided  into 
quarters,  beginning  with  the  first  day  of  July,  October,  January  and 
April,  respectively,  each  quarter  to  comprise  twelve  weeks,  with 
intervals  of  one  week's  vacation.  In  order  to  accommodate  those 
desiring  to  spend  a  still  shorter  period  at  the  university  each  quarter 
was  subdivided  into  two  terms  of  six  weeks. 

The  advantages  of  this  new  arrangement  were  apparent.  In  the 
first  place  the  waste  of  time  under  the  old  system  was  precluded;  in 
the  second,  it  enabled  students  to  attend  one  or  two  quarters  and 
spend  the  remainder  of  the  year  in  some  profitable  occupation,  earning 
the  means  to  continue  their  studies ;  in  the  third,  it  was  made  possible 
to  prepare  for  examinations  in  shorter  time ;  in  the  fourth,  the  courses 
of  instruction  could  be  arranged  more  conveniently  for  the  professors 
and  instructors.  While  their  term  of  service  was  nine  months  out  of 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  I45 

the  year,  they  might  be  granted  permission,  at  any  time  suiting  their 
purpose,  to  pursue  special  studies  or  take  a  vacation  for  their  health. 
By  serving  longer  than  the  prescribed  periods,  they  might  earn  either 
longer  vacations  or  an  extra  income. 

Another  result  of  this  division  of  the  university  calendar  was  the 
abolition  of  classes  and  their  names,  such  as  Freshman,  Sophomore, 
Junior  and  Senior,  and  with  that  the  class  spirit.  The  result  of  the 
quarter  system  was  that  a  student  might  begin  his  studies  any  time  of 


The  University  of  Chicago — The  Women's  Dormitories 

the  year  and  take  his  examinations  at  the  end  of  any  of  the  four 
quarters. 

The  University  of  Chicago  held  its  first  convocation  October  1, 
1892.  An  imposing  corps  of  professors  and  instructors  had  already 
been  selected,  comprising  men  who  had  served  at  American  and  Euro- 
pean universities,  and  no  less  than  five  hundred  students  had  then  been 
enrolled.  Adding  to  this  the  fact  that  the  financial  position  of  the 
institution  had  been  further  strengthened  by  new  donations  by  Mr. 
Rockefeller  and  others,  it  will  appear  that  the  future  of  the  new  uni- 
versity was  exceptionally  bright.  The  rich  promises  given  at  the  start 
have  been  most  handsomely  realized. 

The  development  of  the  University  of  Chicago  has  been  phenom- 
enal in  every  respect,  and  at  its  present  pace  the  university  inspires 
the  confidence  that  it  will  in  a  short  time  become  one  of  the  best  organ- 
ized and  most  largely  attended  universities  in  the  world.  A  few 


146  CHICAGO 

figures  may  be  quoted  as  showing  most  clearly  the  rapid  progress 
already  made  during  the  first  decade  of  its  existence.  The  enrollment 
increased  during  the  decade  of  1892-02  from  698  to  4,450  and  the 
endowment  funds  during  the  same  period  from  $1,539,561  to  $9,165,126, 
the  value  of  the  real  estate,  building,  etc.,  from  $1,618,778  to  $6,000,000 
and  the  total  value  of  all  the  property  of  the  university  to  $15,128,375 ; 
the  number  of  professors  and  instructors  grew  from  135  to  323,  and  the 
current  annual  expenditures  from  $109,496  to  $944,348. 

This  magnificent  material  growth  was  made  possible  by  continued 
donations,  aggregating  over  $18,000,000  for  the  same  period.  The  prin- 
cipal donor  is  Mr.  Rockefeller,  whose  gifts  during  this  same  decade 
amounted  to  more  than  $10,000,000.  Since  then  he  has  donated  millions 
more.  Other  wealthy  men  and  women,  especially  Chicagoans,  have  con- 
tributed munificently  to  the  university,  such  as,  Miss  Helen  Culver,  who 
gave  one  million  to  the  department  of  biology;  Mrs.  Emmons  Blaine, 
who  donated  over  a  million  to  the  School  of  Education  for  the  training 
of  expert  teachers;  Martin  A.  Ryerson,  who  founded  the  Ryerson 
Physical  Laboratory  in  memory  of  his  father  and  gave  large  sums 
towards  its  equipment ;  Sydney  A.  Kent,  who  founded  the  Kent  Chemi- 
cal Laboratory;  Charles  T.  Yerkes,  who  gave  to  the  university  the 
world's  largest  telescope  and  besides  contributed  liberally  toward  the 
equipment  of  the  university  observatory  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  which 
bears  the  donor's  name;  Marshall  Field,  who  made  large  donations  to 
the  general  funds;  Silas  B.  Cobb,  founder  of  Cobb  Hall;  George  C. 
Walker,  who  donated  the  Walker  Museum  and  has  shown  his  generosity 
in  other  ways;  Mrs.  Charles  Hitchcock,  who  erected  the  dormitory  for 
boys  as  a  memorial  to  her  husband,  Mr.  Charles  N.  Hitchcock;  Mrs. 
Caroline  E.  Haskell,  who  donated  a  building  and  established  a  lecture- 
ship in  memory  of  her  husband,  Mr.  Frederick  Haskeil,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
G.  Kelly,  who  founded  Kelly  and  Green  halls  for  female  students ; 
Mrs.  Mary  Beecher,  Mrs.  Henrietta  Snell  and  Mrs.  Nancy  S.  Foster, 
who  have  each  had  university  halls  erected,  bearing  their  names; 
Adolphus  C.  Bartlett,  who  equipped  the  Bartlett  Gymnasium  in  mem- 
ory of  his  son,  Frank  Dickinson  Bartlett ;  Leon  Mandel,  who  founded 
the  Assembly  Hall;  the  William  B.  Ogden  estate,  which  has  donated 
property,  the  income  from  which  was  used  in  founding  the  Ogden 
Graduate  School  of  Science;  John  J.  Mitchell  and  Charles  L.  Hutchin- 
son,  who  have  also  remembered  the  university  with  substantial 
donations. 

The  university  buildings  in  1902  numbered  20  and  the  grounds 
comprised  75  acres  in  Chicago  and  65  acres  at  Williams  Bay,  Wisconsin. 

By  an  agreement  between  the  directors  of  the  Rush  Medical 
College,  established  in  Chicago  in  1837,  and  the  regents  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago,  that  renowned  medical  institution  in  April,  1901, 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 


147 


became  identified  with  the  university  to  the  extent  that  the  medical 
students  during  the  first  two  years  of  the  course  pursued  their  studies 
at  the  university  proper.  A  year  later  the  directors  of  the  medical 
school  proposed  a  complete  merger  which,  however,  has  not  yet  been 
effected,  owing  chiefly  to  economic  obstacles. 

On  March  11,  1902,  the  university  regents  appropriated  $50,000 
towards  the  purchase  of  a  law  library  and  the  establishment  of  the 
law  school  already  decided  upon.  Other  professional  and  technical 
schools  are  to  be  established  as  the  exigencies  will  permit. 

The  splendid  progress  made  by  this  university  is  proof  positive  of 
the  wisdom  and  care  with  which  the  broad  and  practical  plans  were 
mapped  out. 

The  total  attendance  for  the  year  ending  July  1,  1907,  compiled  on 
the  basis  of  three  quarters  or  nine  months  to  the  school  year,  was 
5,070.  Of  these  2,629  were  men  and  2,441  women.  Since  1893  the 
number  of  grauates  has  been  4,131. 

On  Jan.  10,  1906,  the  university  suffered  an  incalculable  loss  in  the 
death  of  President  William  Rainey  Harper,  who  had  served  through 
fourteen  and  one-half  years.  On  the  death  of  Harper,  Harry  Pratt 
Judson  was  appointed  acting  president  of  the  university,  and  on  Feb. 
20,  1907,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency.  Judson  prepared  at  Williams 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1870  and  received  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  in  1883 ;  was  principal  of  the  high  school  in  Troy,  N.  Y. ;  pro- 
fessor at  the  University  of  Minnesota  1885-92 ;  received  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.  from  his  alma  mater  1893,  and  has  the  same  title  from  the 
Queen's  University,  Ontario,  the  State  University  of  Iowa  and  the 
Washington  University,  St.  Louis;  was  co-editor  of  the  "American 
Historical  Review"  1895-1902;  became  professor  of  political  science 
and  head  dean  of  the  colleges  of  the  University  of  Chicago  1892 ;  after 
two  years  he  was  made  head  of  the  department  of  political  science 
and  dean  of  the  faculties  of  arts,  literature  and  science,  a  position  held 
until  1907,  when  elected  president  of  the  university. 

The    World's    Fair    at    Chicago 

As  the  four  hundreth  anniversary  of  the  discovery  of  America  by 
Columbus  drew  near,  suggestions  were  made  from  various  directions 
that  the  event  be  celebrated  by  means  of  a  world's  exposition,  just  as  in 
1876  the  one  hundreth  anniversary  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  was  celebrated.  The  first  step  toward  the  400th  anniversary 
celebration  was  taken  in  November,  1885,  when  the  directors  of  the 
Chicago  Inter-States  Exposition  Company  passed  a  resolution  declaring 
in  favor  of  such  a  plan.  The  second  step  was  taken  July  6th  of  the 
following  year,  when  the  Iroquois  Club  of  Chicago  invited  six  other 
clubs  of  the  city  to  co-operate  with  it  in  arranging  for  "an  international 


148 


CHICAGO 


celebration,  in  Chicago,  of  the  four  hundreth  anniversary  of  the  dis- 
covery of  America  by  Columbus."  With  that  the  matter  rested  for 
some  time. 

The  newspapers  of  the  country,  however,  began  to  discuss  the 
project  and  cast  about  for  the  most  suitable  location  for  a  new  world's 
exposition,  Washington,  New  York,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis  being  stren- 
uously advocated  by  their  respective  papers.  Then  the  citizens  of 
Chicago  no  longer  confined  themselves  to  a  discussion  in  the  abstract, 
but  took  action  long  before  the  other  three  proposed  cities  had  closed 


World's  Fair — Administration  Building 

the  debate.     Thus  Chicago  again  went  on  record  as  a  most  energetic 
and  progressive  community. 

After  having  advised  with  men  of  prominence,  such  as  J.  W.  Scott, 
the  editor  of  the  "Chicago  Herald,"  Thomas  B.  Bryan,  the  lawyer  and 
politician,  and  others,  Mayor  Dewitt  C.  Cregier  on  July  22,  1889,  laid 
the  matter  before  the  city  council,  which  at  once  requested  the  mayor 
to  appoint  a  committee  of  one  hundred  (later  increased  to  250)  citizens 
to  further  the  exposition  project  among  the  people  and  hold  forth  the 
advantages  of  Chicago  for  that  purpose.  Pursuant  to  this  resolution,  a 
large  meeting  was  held  August  1st,  at  which  a  set  of  resolutions,  framed 
by  Thomas  B.  Bryan,  were  adopted  and  subsequently  published 
throughout  the  United  States.  An  executive  committee  also  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  51  persons,  to  take  active  charge  of  the  pre- 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 


149 


liminary  preparations  for  the  exposition.  Its  first  act  was  to  form  an 
exposition  company  with  a  capital  stock  of  $5,000,000  in  shares  of  $10 
each.  So  rapid  was  the  progress  made  that  the  company,  whose  cor- 
porate name  was  The  World's  Exposition  of  1892,  was  legally  incor- 
porated on  the  14th  of  the  same  month,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  sell 
stock. 

The  competition  among  the  four  cities  bidding  for  the  exposition 
now  grew  extremely  brisk.  From  New  York  and  Washington  it  was 
urged  that  Chicago  was  situated  entirely  too  far  inland  to  attract 
foreign  participation.  These  and  other  objections  were  successfully 
combated  by  the  Chicago  committee,  which  was  ably  assisted  by  the 
influential  men  of  Illinois  and  neighboring  states. 

On  Jan.  12,  1890,  the  committees  of  the  four  cities  had  a  hearing 
in  Washington  before  a  special  committee  appointed  by  the  senate. 
New  York  was  represented  by  more  than  one  hundred  of  its  foremost 
citizens,  whose  combined  wealth  aggregated  several  hundred  millions, 
and  who  lost  no  opportunity  to  press  the  claims  of  their  city.  But 
the  Chicago  representatives  proved  conclusively  thai  their  city  had  a 
greater  volume  of  trade  in  portion  to  its  population  than  New  York  and 
had  a  far  more  suitable  site  to  offer. 

While  congress  had  the  matter  under  consideration  its  decision 
was  awaited  with  the  greatest  interest.  Along  towards  spring  the 
question  was  passed  on,  and  Chicago  was  the  choice. 

On  April  25,  1890,  President  Harrison  signed  the  congressional 
act  by  which  the  quadri-centennial  exposition  was  located  at  Chicago. 
According  to  the  terms  of  said  act,  the  president  named  eight  com- 
missioners-at-large  together  with  two  commissioners  and  two  alternates 
from  each  state  and  territory  in  the  Union  and  the  District  of  Columbia. 
This  commission  chose  as  Director-General  of  the  exposition  Col. 
George  R.  Davis  of  Chicago,  as  President  ex-senator  Thomas  W.  Palmer 
of  Michigan,  and  as  Secretary  John  T.  Dickinson  of  Texas.  The  corn- 
commission  delegated  part  of  its  authority  to  a  Board  of  Reference 
and  Control,  half  of  its  members  being  appointed  by  the  exposition 
company. 

Pending  the  act  of  congress,  stock  had  been  liberally  subscribed, 
so  that  at  the  time  congress  took  action  the  number  of  stockholders 
had  reached  about  30,000.  These  were  called  to  meet  in  Battery  D,  on 
April  10th,  when  the  organization  was  completed  by  the  election  of 
forty-five  directors,  picked  from  among  the  wealthiest  citizens.  Two 
days  later  the  board  of  directors  met  at  the  Sherman  House  and  chose 
a  committee  on  finance  and  a  committee  to  draft  by-laws.  At  the  next 
meeting  April  30th,  Lyman  J.  Gage  was  elected  president  of  the  board, 
Thomas  B.  Bryan  first  and  Potter  Palmer  second  vice-president.  On 
May  6th  the  board  elected  William  J.  Ackerman  auditor  and  Anthony 


150  CHICAGO 

F.  Seeberger  treasurer,  and  finally  on  July  llth  Benjamin  Butterworth 
secretary.  The  president  of  the  board  appointed  a  number  of  auxiliary 
committees  to  have  charge  of  various  departments  of  work. 

June  12th  the  stockholders  at  an  extra  meeting  changed  the  name 
to  The  World's  Columbian  Exposition  Company,  in  accordance  with 
the  congressional  act,  and  also  decided  to  increase  the  capital  stock 
from  $5,000,000  to  $10,000,000,  to  comply  with  another  condition  named 
by  congress,  that  the  time  and  place  of  the  exposition  should  be  fixed, 
the  grounds  and  buildings  assured  and  ten  million  dollars  subscribed 


World's  Fair — Government  Building 

for  the  enterprise  before  the  President  of  the  United  States  would  issue 
to  foreign  nations  the  official  invitation  to  take  part. 

Besides  these  two  boards  there  was  still  another,  the  Board  of 
Lady  Managers,  consisting  of  two  lady  representatives  and  alternates 
from  each  state  and  territory  and  nine  for  the  city  of  Chicago.  Mrs. 
Potter  Palmer  of  Chicago,  a  woman  of  prominence  no  less  for  her  high 
intellectual  attainments  than  for  her  great  wealth  and  social  position, 
was  chosen  as  its  president.  To  this  board  was  entrusted  the  manage- 
ment of  everything  pertaining  to  the  participation  of  women  in  the 
exposition  and  to  the  woman 's  department  of  exhibits. 

In  the  matter  of  choosing  a  site  a  diversity  of  opinions  arose.  Some 
of  the  directors  suggested  Jackson  Park,  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
city,  while  others  favored  a  more  central  location.  The  former  opinion 
prevailed,  and  building  operations  were  begun  as  soon  as  a  construction 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  I$I 

department  had  been  formed,  with  Daniel  H.  Burnham  as  chief,  John 
W.  Root  as  architect,  Abram  Gottlieb  as  engineer,  and  the  firm  of 
Olmstead  &  Co.  as  landscape  architects.  In  order  to  have  the  buildings 
constructed  with  a  view  to  artistic  beauty  as  well  as  practical  uses, 
a  board  of  consulting  architects  was  picked  from  among  the  most 
skillful  men  of  the  craft  in  Chicago.  Besides,  architects  from  New 
York,  Boston,  and  other  cities  were  called  in  to  assist  in  making  the 
drawings.  The  expenditures  for  the  grading  of  the  site  and  the  erec- 
tion of  the  buildings  were  estimated  at  $16,075,453. 


World's  Fair — Illinois  Building 

Ground  was  broken  for  the  exposition  on  Feb.  11,  1891.  Swamps 
were  drained,  depressions  filled,  old  lagoons  and  ponds  dredged  and 
new  ones  scooped  out,  walks  and  drives  constructed  and  extensive  im- 
provements in  the  landscape  planned.  Piles  were  driven,  foundations 
were  laid,  and  soon  the  "White  City"  began  to  rise  in  splendor.  In 
spite  of  changes  that  had  to  be  made  in  the  plans  from  time  to  time, 
the  work  progressed  without  interruption,  thanks  to  efficient  manage- 
ment both  of  the  finances  and  the  actual  operations. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  raise  the  necessary  ten  millions,  but 
the  leaders  of  the  enterprise  were  equal  to  the  task,  Through  their 
influence,  the  state  legislature  was  prevailed  upon  to  grant  Chicago  the 
privilege  of  issuing  bonds  to  the  amount  of  five  millions  in  order  to 
invest  said  amount  in  exposition  stock.  But  besides  this  amount  and 


152 


CHICAGO 


the  aggregate  amount  subscribed  by  individuals,  six  or  seven  millions 
were  still  needed.  Numerous  plans  to  raise  money  were  devised,  but 
none  was  found  altogether  satisfactory.  Finally,  it  was  proposed  to 
issue  souvenir  coins  to  be  sold  at  an  advanced  price  as  a  means  of 
raising  the  additional  amount  required.  The  plan  was  laid  before 
congress,  which  with  some  reluctance  resolved  that  souvenir  half 
dollars  should  be  struck  to  the  amount  of  $2,500,000  and  sold  at  one 
dollar  each,  thus  netting  the  exposition  $5,000,000.  Furthermore,  the 


World's  Fair — Agricultural  Building 

exposition  company  issued  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $5,000,000  more, 
payable  Jan.  1,  1894. 

Neither  plan  brought  the  desired  results,  and  new  exertions  were 
made.  To  the  railway  companies  were  sold  $850,000  worth  of  bonds 
and  several  Chicago  banks  made  loans  to  the  exposition  company  tak- 
ing unsold  souvenir  coins  as  security. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  April,  1891,  Lyman  J.  Gage  resigned  the 
presidency  and  was  succeeded  by  William  J.  Baker. 

Despite  all  preparations,  there  prevailed  in  the  East  and  especially 
throughout  Europe  a  lack  of  confidence  in  Chicago 's  ability  to  manage 
a  universal  exposition.  The  notion  was  general  that  Chicago  was 
located  on  the  outskirts  of  civilization  and  therefore  incapable  of 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 


153 


producing  a  world's  fair  such  as  had  been  seen  in  London,  Paris  and 
Vienna.  The  exposition  management  resolved  to  overcome  this  preju- 
dice and  to  that  end  appointed  a  special  commission  to  visit  the  nations 


of  northern  Europe  and  their  governments.  This  commission,  con- 
sisting of  five  members,  started  for  Europe  in  July,  1891,  and  per- 
formed its  arduous  work  systematically  and  with  marked  success.  As 
a  result  of  its  efforts,  coupled  with  those  of  the  government  in  the  same 
direction,  favorable  responses  to  the  invitation  extended  to  the  nations 
were  received  from  a  great  number  of  governments  and  private  cor- 
porations. To  represent  the  exposition  in  a  similar  manner  in  southern 
Europe,  Thomas  B.  Bryan  and  Harlow  N.  Higinbotham  were  ap- 
pointed. The  first  gained  an  audience  with  the  Pope  himself  and 


154 


CHICAGO 


succeeded  in  gaining  his  co-operation  and  good  will.    The  Holy  Father 
with  his  own  hand  wrote  a  cordial  endorsement  of  the  enterprise,  which 


was  subsequently  translated  into  a  number  of  languages  and  published 
far  and  wide.  Its  reassuming  effect  on  the  Catholic  nations  was  un- 
questionable. The  efforts  of  the  two  commissioners  were  crowned 
with  success  throughout.  In  recognition  of  his  services,  Mr.  Higin- 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  I55 

botham,  upon  his  return  to  Chicago  in  February,  1892,  was  chosen  vice- 
president  of  the  exposition. 

While  this  work  was  in  progress  abroad  the  exposition  buildings 
were  rapidly  nearing  completion  and  the  time  for  the  opening  of  the 
fair  was  not  far  off.  Up  to  this  time  the  board  of  directors  and  the 
board  of  commissioners  had  borne  the  entire  responsibility  for  the 
financial  administration.  The  number  of  members  being  equal  in  the  two 
boards,  a  tie  might  easily  result  in  important  decisions.  In  order  to 
preclude  deadlocks  and  resultant  delays  a  council  of  administration 
was  created,  consisting  of  members  from  both  boards.  As  representa- 
tives of  the  directors  were  chosen  Harlow  N.  Higinbotham  and  Charles 
H.  Schwab  and  for  the  commissioners  George  G.  Massey  of  Delaware 
and  J.  W.  St.  Clair  of  West  Virginia.  These  elected  Mr.  Higinbotham 
their  chairman,  and  he  was  about  the  same  time  chosen  president  of 
the  exposition.  This  council  had  absolute  authority  to  determine  'all 
questions  of  administrative  policy,  but  were  not  empowered  to  pass 
appropriations  beyond  those  made  by  the  directors.  One  of  the  first 
acts  of  the  council  was  to  postpone  the  date  of  the  dedication  of  the 
exposition  from  October  12th,  the  day  fixed  by  congress,  to  October 
21st.  This  was  done  partly  because  the  city  of  New  York  had  fixed 
on  the  former  date  for  the  holding  of  a  grand  naval  review  in  com- 
memoration of  the  400th  anniversary,  partly  from  a  desire  to  bring  the 
celebration  as  near  as  possible  to  the  date  of  the  landing  of  Columbus 
on  American  soil. 

The  dedicatory  exercises  six  months  prior  to  the  opening  were  held 
in  order  to  publish  to  the  world  the  extent  of  the  preparation  and  the 
magnitude  of  the  undertaking.  The  exercises  opened  with  a  salute  of 
cannon  at  sunrise.  In  the  forenoon  the  directors,  commissioners,  lady 
managers  and  specially  invited  guests  assembled  in  Michigan  avenue, 
in  front  of  the  Auditorium  hotel,  where  they  formed  in  line,  the  parade 
passing,  with  flags  flying  and  music  playing,  down  the  avenue  and  on 
to  the  World's  Fair  grounds.  Here  they  were  joined  by  Vice-President 
Levi  P.  Morton,  representing  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
President  Thomas  W.  Palmer  of  the  board  of  commissioners.  In  Wash- 
ington Park  15,000  national  troops  from  various  points  passed  in  re- 
view before  the  guests  of  honor,  the  procession  then  passing  along 
Midway  Plaisance  to  the  entrance  to  the  grounds.  The  place  of  assem- 
blage was  the  gigantic  Manufacturers'  Building,  where  luncheon  was 
served  to  70,000  people.  At  the  time  set  for  the  dedicatory  ceremonies 
an  immense  mass  of  people  crowded  about  the  gateways  to  the  ex- 
position grounds,  and  at  the  command  of  President  Higinbotham  the 
gates  were  thrown  open  and  the  public  given  free  admittance  for  that 
day. 

The  order  of  ceremonies  was  as  follows :  Columbian  March,  com- 


156 


CHICAGO 


posed  for  the  occasion  by  Prof.  J.  H.  Paine  of  Cambridge,  was  ren- 
dered by  the  Columbian  Orchestra  and  chorus.  Following  a  prayer, 
offered  by  Bishop  Fowler,  an  introductory  address  was  made  by 


Director-General  GTeorge  R.  Davis.  Mayor  Hempstead  Washburne  next 
welcomed  Vice-President  Morton  and  the  foreign  representatives,  offer- 
ing them  the  freedom  of  the  city.  Mrs.  Sarah  Le  Moyne  then  read  the 
World's  Fair  Ode,  written  by  Miss  Harriet  Monroe,  portions  of  the 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 


157 


poem,  set  to  music  by  George  W.  Chadwick,  being  subsequently  ren- 
dered by  the  Columbian  Chorus.  Director  of  Works  Daniel  H.  Burn- 
ham  now  presented  the  buildings  to  President  Higinbotham  and  in- 
troduced to  him  the  engineers,  architects  and  artists  who  had  con- 
structed and  decorated  them.  President  Higinbotham  responded,  pre- 
senting to  each  of  these  a  special  medal  in  recognition  of  their  work  in 
behalf  of  the  exposition.  During  this  presentation  the  chorus  rendered 
Mendelssohn's  "To  the  Sons  of  Art." 

Mrs.  Potter  Palmer,  president  of  the  Board  of  Lady  Managers, 
then  followed  with  an  address  on  the  work  accomplished  by  that  body, 
whereupon  President  Higinbotham  presented  the  exposition  buildings 
to  President  Palmer  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  Commis- 
sioners, he  in  turn  presenting  them  to  Vice-President  Morton,  who 
dedicated  them  to  their  various  uses.  The  Columbian  Chorus  sang 
the  "Alleluiah  Chorus"  from  Handel's  Messiah;  Col.  Henry  Watter- 
son  of  Kentucky  made  an  address,  followed  by  another  song,  "The 
Star-Spangled  Banner,"  by  the  chorus;  another  address  was  made  by 
Mr.  Chauncey  M.  Depew  of  New  York,  and  the  ceremonies  were  con- 
cluded with  a  prayer  by  Cardinal  Gibbons  of  Baltimore,  the  singing  of 
Beethoven's  "In  Praise  of  God"  by  the  chorus  and  the  benediction, 
pronounced  by  Rev.  Henry  C.  McCook  of  Philadelphia.  Immediately 
following  the  conclusion  of  the  dedicatory  ceremonies,  the  artillery 
post  stationed  in  the  park  fired  the  national  salute. 

The  opening  of  the  World's  Fair  was  set  for  May  1,  1893,  and  an 
enormous  amount  of  work  still  remained  to  be  accomplished  during  the 
intervening  six  months.  Thanks  to  the  energy  and  push  of  the  directors 
almost  all  exterior  work  was  finished  in  the  time  fixed.  The  arrange- 
ment of  exhibits,  however,  required  additional  time,  and  the  exposition, 
therefore,  was  not  in  proper  order  until  the  first  of  June. 

The  festivities  in  connection  with  the  formal  opening  were  held  in 
that  part  of  the  grounds  called  the  Court  of  Honor.  Here  gathered,  in 
the  forenoon  of  May  1st,  the  following  guests  of  honor  and  officiating 
personages,  namely,  the  Duke  of  Veragua,  specially  invited  as  the 
direct  descendant  of  Columbus,  together  with  his  family ;  Grover  Cleve- 
land, President  of  the  United  States;  Adlai  Stevenson,  Vice  President 
of  the  United  States ;  members  of  the  cabinet,  of  the  diplomatic  corps 
and  of  congress;  the  three  departments  of  the  exposition  management, 
namely,  the  Board  of  Directors,  the  Board  of  Commissioners  and  the 
Board  of  Lady  Managers ;  foreign  commissioners,  members  of  the 
different  state  commissions  and  chiefs  and  other  officials  of  the  various 
exposition  departments. 

The  opening  of  the  exposition  took  place  according  to  the  following 
order  of  ceremonies:  Music,  Columbian  March  (John  H.  Paine),  by  the 
orchestra ;  prayer  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Milburn  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  poem. 


158 


CHICAGO 


"the  Prophecy,"  by  W.  A.  Croffut  of  Washington;  music,  "Overture 
to  Rienzi"  (Wagner),  by  the  orchestra;  address  by  the  Director- 
General  of  the  exposition;  address  by  the  President  of  the  United 


States;  starting  of  the  machinery  in  Machinery  Hall,  while  Handel's 
"Alleluiah  Chorus"  was  sung;  official  reception  in  the  Manufacturers' 
Building,  by  President  Cleveland  and  the  World's  Fair  directors,  of 
the  foreign  commissioners. 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  159 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  President's  address,  the  chief 
magistrate  pressed  the  button  of  an  electric  line  connecting  with  a 
great  steam  engine  of  2,000  horse  powers,  starting  the  engine  and  this 
in  turn  bringing  the  fountains  and  cascades  of  the  Court  of  Honor  into 
play.  At  the  same  instant  the  flags  of  all  the  Fair  buildings  were 
unfurled  to  the  breeze,  and  amid  the  roar  of  steam  whistles  throughout 
the  city  and  harbor,  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  thundering  huzzas  of 
the  sea  of  humanity  assembled  in  the  grounds,  the  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion was  opened  the  the  world.  Chicago,  Queen  of  the  West,  had 
reached  the  goal  of  her  ambition:  the  World's  Fair  was  an  accom- 
plished fact. 

Before  describing  the  further  progress  of  the  exposition  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  directors  managed  to  carry  the  enormous  financial 
burdens  laid  upon  their  shoulders,  a  comparison  may  properly  be 
drawn  between  this  and  previous  world's  expositions  with  reference  to 
area,  number  of  exhibitors,  and  visitors,  appropriations,  etc.  This  is 
given  in  the  following  table  : 

No.  of  No.  of  No.  of 

Year.         Place.  exhibitors.  visitors.  Acres,     days  open. 

1851       London 15,500  6,039,195  13.  144 

1855       Paris 23,954  6,162,330  22.1  200 

1862      London 28,653  6,225,000  25.6  171 

1867      Paris 52,200  9,238,967  31.  217 

1873      Vienna 42,584  7,254,687  56.5  186 

1876       Philadelphia 60,000  9,910,966  236.  159 

1878       Paris 40,366  16,032,725  loo.  191 

1889      Paris 55,000  28,149,353  173.  183 

1893       Chicago '. 27,539,521  645.  183 

The  capacity  of  the  various  buildings  of  the  Chicago  exposition  is 
shown  in  the  following  table  : 

Buildings.                                                                                                 Square  feet.  Acres. 

Administration 51,456  1.18 

Agriculture 589,416  13.53 

Art 261,073  5-99 

Electricity 265,500  6.09 

Fisheries 104,504  2.39 

Government 155,896  3.57 

Horticulture 237,956  5.46 

Machinery 796,686  18.28 

Manufactures 1,345,462  30.88 

Mines 246,181  5.65 

Transportation 704,066  16.16 

Woman's 82,698  1.89 

Minor 1,630,514  37.43 

State 450,886  10.35 

Foreign 135,663  3.11 

Concessions  (Midway  Plaisance buildings,  booths,  etc.)   801,238  18.39 

Miscellaneous 317,699  7.29 


Total 8,176,894        187.69 


!6o  CHICAGO 

Midway  Plaisance  was  the  name  of  the  narrow  stretch  of  open 
space  extending  from  Jackson  to  Washington  parks.  This  was  at  the 
disposal  of  the  commissioners  and  was  utilized  for  the  extra  attractions 
or  side  shows  to  the  exposition.  Here  various  semi-  and  uncivilized 
nations  were  assigned  space  for  their  exhibits  and  performances,  show- 
ing the  life  and  customs  of  various  races.  Great  panoramas  of  natural 
sceneries  from  foreign  lands  were  exhibited.  Products  and  curios  from 
every  clime  were  sold,  and  in  numerous  variety  theaters  the  plays  and 
pastimes  of  the  nations  were  more  or  less  correctly  presented.  Also  a 
great  number  of  restaurants  and  cafes  of  various  kinds  were  located 
there.  One  of  the  most  original  attractions  of  the  Midway  was  the  so- 
called  Ferris  Wheel,  constructed  by  Engineer  Ferris  and  named  after 
him.  It  was  the  Chicago  counterpart  of  the  Eiffel  Tower  at  the  Paris 
Exposition  of  1889.  From  the  hanging  cars  of  this  gigantic  wheel  was 
afforded  a  charming  birds-eye  view  of  the  White  City  and  its  environ- 
ments. 

Thirty-seven  states  of  the  Union  had  their  own  buildings  at  the 
Fair.  The  majority  of  these  were  a  combination  of  exposition  building 
for  products  of  a  state  and  meeting  place  for  its  citizens.  Forty-seven 
foreign  nations  had  made  appropriations  to  the  exposition  and  of  these 
eighteen  had  their  own  buildings,  besides  being  represented  in  one  or 
more  of  the  seventeen  main  departments.  Exhibitors  from  no  less  than 
eighty-six  countries  were  present. 

Among  exhibiting  nations  was  the  United  Kingdom  of  Sweden  and 
Norway,  the  Swedish  riksdag  having  made  an  appropriation  of  350,000 
crowns  for  the  purpose.  A  national  pavilion  of  a  distinct  type,  capped 
by  an  antiquated  steeple,  was  built  in  Sweden,  the  material  shipped 
over  and  the  building  reconstructed  on  its  site  at  the  exposition 
grounds.  Portions  of  the  Swedish  exhibits  were  arranged  in  this 
pavilion,  while  the  remainder  were  apportioned  among  the  proper 
departments.  The  royal  commissioner  of  the  Swedish  exhibit  was 
Arthur  Leffler,  the  secretary,  Axel  Welin.  Tom  Bergendal  represented 
the  Swedish  Iron  Institute,  embracing  fourteen  industrial  establish- 
ments, and  a  large  number  of  manufacturers  and  institutions  and 
organizations  in  Sweden  had  sent  personal  representatives  to  the 
exposition. 

Besides  the  $2,500,000  appropriated  by  the  United  States  in  the 
form  of  souvenir  coins,  the  national  government  set  aside  the  amount 
needed  for  the  erection  of  a  splendid  government  building  and  $500,000 
for  a  suitable  exhibit  therein.  The  total  amount  appropriated  by  the 
individual  states  was  $6,120,000,  Illinois  alone  expending  $800,000.  The 
total  foreign  appropriations  were  approximately  $6,500,000.  Private 
citizens  of  Chicago  signed  for  shares  $5,608,206,  and  the  city  of  Chicago 
purchased  shares  for  the  sum  of  $5,000,000,  raised  by  an  issue  of  bonds. 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  :6i 

In  order  to  heighten  the  interest  in  the  exposition  a  series  of  inter- 
national congresses  was  arranged  by  a  special  board,  established  Oct. 
30,  1890,  as  the  World's  Congress  Auxiliary  of  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition,  headed  by  Charles  Carroll  Bonney,  the  originator  of  the 
idea.  This  work  was  divided  into  twenty  departments,  each  of  which 
was  subdivided  into  various  divisions,  numbering  altogether  224.  The 
congresses  held  1,283  sessions,  making  a  total  of  753  days.  According  to 
the  printed  announcements,  there  were  5,978  addresses  and  papers  by 
5,822  speakers  and  authors.  The  most  noteworthy  one  was  doubtless 
the  Parliament  of  Religions,  in  which  many  prominent  representatives 
of  the  principal  religions  of  the  world  in  addresses,  treatises  and  discus- 
sions endeavored  to  show  their  relative  positions. 

Swedish  Day  a.t  the  World's  Fair 

A  great  number  of  festivals,  special  days  set  aside  for  various 
nationalities  or  occupations,  memorial  days,  etc.,  furnished  the  addi- 
tional events  of  the  Fair.  Among  the  national  festivals,  Swedish  Day, 
July  20th,  may  be  mentioned  as  one  of  the  most  successful  and  pictur- 
esque celebrations  during  the  entire  exposition. 

Swedish  Day  at  the  World's  Fair  was  a  gala  day  for  the  Swedish 
nationality  in  Chicago.  The  celebration  began  early  in  the  day  with  a 
street  parade  in  the  down-town  district,  participated  in  by  10,000 
people,  according  to  estimate.  On  the  exposition  grounds  there  was  a 
second  parade,  followed  by  an  afternoon  concert  at  Festival  Hall, 
exercises  at  the  Swedish  pavilion  at  sunset  and  a  pyrotechnic  display  in 
the  evening. 

Early  in  the  morning  Swedish  organizations  of  the  north  and  west 
sides  began  to  assemble  on  Chicago  avenue.  Marshalled  by  Dr.  S'ven 
Windrow  and  Mr.  L.  F.  Hussander,  they  marched  to  Lake  Front  Park, 
to  join  the  south  side  organizations  and  other  participants.  Forming 
in  Michigan  avenue,  the  parade  wound  its  way  through  the  city,  on  the 
following  line  of  march:  Michigan  ave.,  Monroe  st.,  State  st.,  Lake  St., 
Fifth  ave.,  Madison  st.,  Market  st.,  Monroe  st.,  Fifth  ave.,  Jackson  st.., 
Wabash  ave.,  Congress  st.,  Michigan  ave. 

The  parade,  headed  by  Robert  Lindblom  as  chief  marshal,  with 
N.  N.  Cronholm  as  adjutant,  was  made  up  of  three  divisions,  in  the 
following  order :  First  division — platoon  of  police ;  band ;  American 
Union  of  Swedish  Singers;  distinguished  guests  and  ladies  in  carriages. 
Second  division — marshals ;  band ;  John  Ericsson  Legion,  Select  Knights 
of  America;  Belmont  Legion  of  the  same;  First  Swedish  Uniformed 
Ranks.  Knights  of  Pythias ;  Svea  Society  in  carriages ;  Swedish  Glee 
Club  members  in  carriages ;  First  Swedish  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows ;  North 
Star  Lodge,  Knights  of  Honor;  band;  Svithiod  Club  members  in  car- 
riages ;  Linnaeus  Club  members  on  horseback  and  in  carriages ;  publish- 


l62 


CHICAGO 


ers  and  personnel  of  Swedish- American  newspapers,  "Svenska  Ameri- 
kanaren,"  "Svenska  Tribunen"  and  "Humoristen,"  in  carriages; 
band;  Gustaf  Adolf  Society;  Court  Vega  Pleasure  Club;  Monitor 
Council,  Eoyal  Arcanum,  in  carriages;  Nordenskjold  Lodge,  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Honor;  Gotha  Lodge  of  the  same;  Thor  Society;  Led- 
stjernan  Lodge,  Sons  of  Temperance;  Court  Stockholm,  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters;  band;  Independent  Order  of  Vikings.  Third 
division — marshals;  band;  Svenska  Gardet,  preceded  by  their  band; 
Uniformed  Ranks,  Knights  of  Pythias,  South  Chicago;  Swedish  Gym- 


World's  Fair — Swedish  Building 


nastic  and  Fencing  Club;  ladies  in  Swedish  provincial  costumes;  Nord- 
stjernan  Society,  preceded  by  their  band;  United  Brotherhood  of  Car- 
penters and  Joiners;  Iduna  Society;  Verdandi  Lodge,  K.  of  P.,  Burn- 
side  ;  Balder  Society ;  Linnea  Society ;  Svenska  Understodsf oreningen ; 
Pullman  Band;  Harmony  Lodge,  K.  of  P.,  Pullman;  Lyran  Singing 
Club,  Pullman ;  Phoenix  Lodge,  No.  7,  W.  S.  A.,  Englewood ;  citizens  in 
carriages.  Scattered  through  the  parade  were  a  number  of  picturesque 
and  characteristic  floats  and  groups,  as  follows :  John  Ericsson 's  ' '  Mon- 
itor," furnished  by  John  Ericsson  Lodge;  "A  Feast  in  Valhall,"  by  the 
Svithiod  Club;  "Svea,  Columbia  and  Fama, "  by  the  Svea  Society; 
' '  The  Bellman  Room, ' '  by  Mr.  Colliander ;  group  of  Laplanders,  exhibit- 
ing at  Midway  Plaisance ;  groups  of  ladies  in  provincial  costumes ; 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  ^3 

''Old  Time  Swedish  Iron  Smelter";  "Swedes  of  Delaware  in  1638';; 
"Swedes  and  Indians",  by  Iduna  Society. 

From  the  piers  on  the  lake  front  the  paraders  boarded  the  boats 
waiting  to  carry  them  to  the  exposition  grounds.  Upon  arrival  they 
were  met  by  a  procession  from  the  Swedish  pavilion,  headed  by  the 
Swedish  commissioner,  Arthur  Leffler,  and  his  suite,  escorted  by  a  detail 
of  Columbian  Guards.  At  the  Casino  the  paraders  again  formed  m 
line  and  marched  through  the  Court  of  Honor,  past  the  principal  build 
ings  to  the  Swedish  pavilion  where  they  disbanded  and  scattered 
through  the  grounds. 

Thousands  repaired  to  Festival  Hall,  which  was  crowded  long 
before  four  o  'clock,  the  hour  set  for  the  grand  concert,  given  under  the 
auspices  of  the  American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers.  For  this  occasion 
no  less  than  three  celebrated  artists  from  the  Royal  Opera  at  Stockholm 
had  been  engaged,  namely,  Caroline  Ostberg,  soprano;  C.  F.  Lundquist, 
tenor,  and  Conrad  Behrens,  basso.  Adding  to  this  the  Theodore 
Thomas  Orchestra  and  the  United  Singers,  led  by  John  R.  Ortengren, 
a  grand  chorus  of  four  hundred  male  voices,  and  the  array  of  talent 
was  such  as  to  make  this  a  notable  Swedish  musical  event  in  Chicago, 
rivaled  only  by  the  appearance  of  Christina  Nilsson  twenty  years  prior. 

Following  the  concert  and  after  a  medley  of  Swedish  melodies  had 
been  played  on  the  chimes  in  Machinery  Hall  by  A.  E.  Bredberg  of  St. 
James'  Cathedral,  the  people  gathered  for  a  folkfest  at  the  Swedish 
pavilion.  Addresses  were  made  by  Arthur  Leffler,  Swedish  commis- 
sioner, T.  B.  Bryan,  of  the  exposition  directors,  and  Dr.  J.  A.  Enander ; 
songs  were  rendered  by  Mr.  Lundquist  and  the  A.  U.  S.  S.  chorus,  and 
"greetings  from  fifty  thousand  Swedish-Americans"  were  telegraphed 
to  his  majesty,  King  Oscar  II. 

All  day  the  flag  of  yellow  and  blue  was  everywhere  in  evidence, 
floating  over  the  parading  hosts,  draping  the  interior  of  Festival  Hall 
and  waving  beside  the  stars  and  stripes  on  many  a  pinnacle  in  the 
White  City.  The  days'  celebration  added  about  50,000  to  the  average 
daily  attendance  at  the  fair,  raising  the  total  to  more  than  126,000.  It 
was  a  day  of  national  inspiration  to  all  Swedish- Americans  participat- 
ing and  in  every  way  a  splendid  success,  fully  comparable  to  the 
celebrations  of  other  nationalities. 

The  principal  historical  celebrations  were  Patriotic  Day,  Inde- 
pendence Day  and  Chicago  Day,  the  last-named  in  commemoration  of 
the  great  Chicago  fire  in  1871.  This  celebration  occurred  October  9th 
and  was  marked  by  an  enormous  attendance  from  the  city  and  the  state 
at  large.  The  number  of  visitors  to  the  Fair  that  day  was  716,880,  this 
being  undoubtedly  the  greatest  concourse  of  people  in  the  United  States 
at  any  one  time  and  place.  During  the  summer  the  exposition  manage- 
ment gave  several  banquets,  the  most  brilliant  affair  being  the  reception 


1 64  CHICAGO 

given  to  the  foreign  commissioners  October  llth.  This  was  held  at  the 
Music  Hall  and  was  very  largely  attended. 

During  the  month  of  May  the  total  receipts  amounted  to  $583,031, 
and  during  June  to  $1,256,180.  The  promise  implied  in  these  figures 
was  made  good.  Thus  the  month  of  August  showed  the  remarkable 
total  of  $2,337,856.25.  The  receipts  of  the  exposition  from  all  sources, 
including  city,  state  and  national  appropriations,  were  $28,151,168.75. 
The  gate  receipts  amounted  to  $10,626,330.76  and  the  special  concessions 
realized  $3,699,581.43. 

The  expenditures  of  the  Exposition  Company,  including  cost  of 
organization,  construction,  and  administration,  were  summed  up  March 
31,  1894,  at  $27,151,800.  If  the  expenses  of  the  various  states  and  the 
foreign  nations  are  added,  the  total  outlay  for  the  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion will  be  found  to  reach  almost  forty-five  million  dollars. 

Extensive  preparations  were  made  to  close  the  Fair  October  30th 
in  a  manner  befitting  its  grandeur,  but  a  lamentable  event  threw  a  pall 
over  the  city  and  made  it  expedient  to  simplify  the  closing  celebration 
to  a  degree.  On  October  28th,  Carter  H.  Harrison,  the  mayor  of  the 
city,  fell  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  an  Irish  fanatic,  named  Patrick 
Prendergast.  In  consequence  the  events  of  the  closing  day  were 
marked  by  gloom  rather  than  gayety.  Festival  Hall  was  packed  with 
humanity.  President  Palmer  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  stepped 
forward  with  the  announcement  that  owing  to  the  sad  circumstances 
most  of  the  numbers  of  the  proposed  program  had  been  eliminated, 
whereupon  he  pronounced  the  exposition  officially  closed.  After  a  few 
brief  remarks,  Dr.  Barrows  pronounced  the  benediction  over  the 
assembled  hosts,  which  then  regretfully  departed  from  the  hall  to  the 
strains  of  Beethoven's  "Funeral  March."  The  flags  on  the  pinnacles 
of  the  exposition  halls  were  lowered,  the  doors  were  closed,  and  the 
echo  of  the  final  artillery  salute  died  as  daylight  waned  on  the  domes 
of  the  exposition  city.  A  strong  sense  of  the  vanity  of  all  things  created 
by  the  hand  of  man  pressed  home  to  every  thoughtful  spectator  as  he 
bade  the  fabulous  beauty  and  splendor  of  the  White  City  a  last  fare- 
well. Thus  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  the  pride  of  Chicago 
and  of  the  nation,  passed  into  history. 

The   Chicago   Drainage  Canal 

The  growth  of  Chicago  made  it  apparent  to  the  municipal  author- 
ities that  something  had  to  be  done  to  lead  the  flow  from  the  extensive 
sewer  system  of  the  city  into  some  other  channel  than  the  Chicago 
River,  which  empties  into  the  lake,  or  the  water  supply  from  this  last 
named  source  would  eventually  become  entirely  unfit  for  use.  At  first 
they  tried  to  remedy  the  matter  by  deepening  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal  so  as  to  cause  the  river  to  run  west  instead  of  east,  i.  e..  from  the 


THE  DRAINAGE  CANAL  165 

lake  instead  of  into  it.  This  work  was  carried  out  in  1865-1871. 
Although  a  pumping  station  was  established  at  the  juncture  of  the  river 
and  the  canal  at  Bridgeport,  calculated  to  assist  in  the  reversal  of  the 
current  of  the  river  and  force  it  into  the  canal,  yet  this  experiment 
proved  unsuccessful. 

The  intakes  of  the  water  works  were  then  located  several  miles  out 
in  the  lake,  but  even  that  arrangement  was  inadequate.  Spring  floods, 
storms  and  heavy  rainfalls  would  at  frequent  intervals  carry  great 
volumes  of  impure  water  out  as  far  as  the  cribs,  where  it  would  be  ab- 
sorbed at  the  intakes  and  carried  back  through  the  mains  and  be  dis- 


The  Drainage  Canal — Gates  at  Controlling  Works,  Lockport 

tributed  throughout  the  city,  imperiling  the  health  of  its  inhabitants. 
This  condition  was  not  to  be  tolerated,  and  other  remedies  were  sug- 
gested from  time  to  time,  yet  no  plan,  however  plausible,  pointed  out  a 
way  of  surmounting  the  chief  obstacle,  a  lack  of  funds. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1885,  H.  B.  Hurd,  who  had  served  on 
the  Board  of  Drainage  Commissioners  in  1855,  was  urged  by  a  number 
of  leading  men  to  make  a  careful  study  of  the  problem.  After  he  had 
convinced  himself  and  others  that  the  question  offered  no  legal  difficul- 
ties, provided  the  legislature  would  pass  the  necessary  measures,  the 
city  council  on  Jan.  27,  1886,  passed  a  resolution  authorizing  the  mayor 
to  name  a  commission,  consisting  of  one  engineer  with  a  knowledge 
of  sanitary  affairs,  and  two  assistant  engineers,  to  investigate  the  water 
and  sewer  systems  and  submit  a  report  on  the  result.  The  elder  Mayor 
Harrison  appointed  as  expert  engineer  Rudolph  Hering  of  Philadelphia 
and  as  his  assistants  two  Chicago  engineers,  Benezette  Williams  and 
S.  G.  Artingstall.  At  the  next  session  of  the  legislature,  in  1887,  two 
bills  on  this  subject  were  submitted.  The  one,  the  so-called  Hurd  bill, 


r66  CHICAGO 

proposed  that  the  necessary  funds  for  sanitary  improvements  be  raised 
by  general  taxation  and  by  an  issue  of  bonds ;  the  other,  known  as  the 
Winston  bill,  proposed  special  taxation,  or  assessment,  for  the  same 
purpose.  When  it  became  evident  that  neither  bill  had  any  chance  of 
passage,  a  new  and  simpler  one,  called  the  Roche-Winston  bill,  was 
submitted  and  passed  toward  the  end  of  the  session.  This  provided  for 
a  commission,  consisting  of  two  senators,  two  representatives  and 
Mayor  Roche  of  Chicago,  to  investigate  the  drainage  question  still 
further,  and  also  proposed  a  canal  running  from  the  Desplaines  River 
north  of  the  city  to  Lake  Michigan,  to  carry  off  the  waters  of  that  river 


The  Drainage  Canal — The  Bear  Trap  Dam,  from  Downstream 

and  the  north  branch  of  the  Chicago  River.     Nothing,  however,  was 
accomplished  to  this  end. 

In  the  next  legislature  (1889)  the  commission  made  a  favorable 
report,  and  a  new  drainage  bill  was  submitted,  essentially  providing 
for  the  organization  of  a  so-called  Sanitary  District,  the  digging  of  a 
drainage  canal  of  suitable  width  and  depth  through  the  watershed 
between  the  basin  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Desplaines  river  valley, 
the  appointment  of  a  drainage  board  of  nine  members  and  the  raising 
of  the  requisite  funds  by  general  assessment  on  all  taxable  property  in 
the  district  created.  The  bill  met  with  strong  opposition,  principally 
from  the  people  dwelling  along  the  Illinois  River,  who  feared,  partly 
that  Chicago's  sewage  would  permanently  impair  the  wholesomeness 
of  the  river  water,  partly  that  the  volumes  of  water  from  the  canal 
would  flood  the  bottomlands  along  the  river.  The  friends  of  the  bill 
urged  to  the  contrary  that  if  the  canal  were  built  and  the  Desplaines 
and  Illinois  rivers  were  dredged  between  Joliet  and  LaSalle,  an  excel- 
lent waterway  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi  would  be 


THE  DRAINAGE  CANAL  ^ 

opened.  During  the  eighteen  months  that  this  bill  hung  in  the  balance, 
largely  attended  conventions  were  held  in  Peoria,  Memphis  and  other 
cities,  at  which  the  bill  was  warmly  endorsed.  The  fear  that  the  canal 
would  lower  the  watermark  in  the  lake  was  dispelled  by  experts,  who 
explained  that  even  with  a  flow  of  600,000  cubic  feet  per  minute,  this 
being  the  maximum  estimate,  the  surface  of  the  lake  would  be  lowered 
at  most  three  inches. 

This  bill,  so  highly  important  to  the  city  of  Chicago,  was  passed  by 
the  legislature  May  29,  1889.  At  the  general  election  in  Chicago  Nov. 
5th  following,  the  proposition  to  organize  the  aforesaid  sanitary  district 
was  carried  by  a  large  majority.  This  district  comprises  all  that  part  of 


The  Drainage  Canal — Seventeen  Miles  of  the  Canal  are  Sawed  Out 
of  the  Solid  Rock 

Chicago  north  of  87th  street,  together  with  an  area  of  about  47  square 
miles  in  Cook  county,  outside  of  the  city  limits.  It  measures  18  miles 
north  and  south,  has  a  maximum  width  of  15  miles,  its  area  being  185 
square  miles,  with  a  population  of  1,800,000.  At  a  special  election  Dec. 
12th  the  same  year  the  members  of  the  drainage  board  were  chosen. 
Their  first  important  duty  was  to  make  the  authorized  assessment, 
amounting  to  one-half  per  cent,  of  the  tax  value  of  all  property  found 
in  the  district.  When  later  it  became  apparent  that  the  amount  thus 
realized  was  inadequate,  the  board  was  authorized  to  raise  the  assess- 
ment to  one  and  one-half  per  cent,  for  a  period  of  five  years  from  1895, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  the  former  rate  was  to  prevail.  In  addition, 
the  board  was  empowered  to  raise  funds  by  issuing  bonds. 

The  financing  of  the  entire  enterprise  was  thus  assured.  But  owing 
to  differences  arising  among  the  trustees,  actual  work  on  the  canal  was 
delayed  almost  two  years.  Four  trustees  having  resigned  and  other 


!68  CHICAGO 

men  elected  to  fill  their  places,  the  work  was  begun.  The  first  sod  was 
turned  near  Lemont  Sept.  3,  1892,  by  Frank  Wenter,  president  of  the 
board.  Necessary  gradings,  surveys,  condemnations  and  letting  of 
contracts  had  previ6usly  been  made.  The  work  was  now  pushed  with 
vigor  towards  completion,  despite  obstacles  of  one  kind  or  another. 
The  route  was  divided  into  sections,  each  being  let  to  one  or  more 
contractors  according  to  the  nature  of  the  work  to  be  done.  For  long 
stretches  the  bedrock  was  being  blasted  by  means  of  dynamite,  fired 
night  and  day  by  electric  contacts,  in  other  localities  laborers,  busy  as 
ants,  were  digging  through  soil  and  clay,  while  still  others  were  work- 
ing like  beavers  constructing  costly  dams.  The  work  progressed 


The  Drainage  Canal — Walls  of  Solid  Stone  Artificially  Laid 

steadily,   and  seven   years  after  ground  was  broken  the   canal  was 
completed. 

The  drainage  canal  starts  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  city,  at 
the  point  were  Robey  street  crosses  the  south  branch  of  the  river,  and 
runs  parallel  with  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  in  a  straight  line 
southwest  to  Summit,  a  distance  of  eight  miles.  This  stretch  of  canal 
has  a  width  of  110  feet  at  the  bottom  and  198  feet  at  the  waterline,  and 
a  minimum  depth  of  22  feet.  At  Summit  the  canal  turns  southward  and 
a  little  farther  down  takes  a  westward  course  to  Willow  Springs,  five 
miles  from  Summit.  This  section  is  202  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and 
290  at  the  water's  edge,  the  depth  being  uniform  throughout.  From 
Willow  Springs  it  runs  west  past  Sag  and  Lemont  to  Romeo  where  it 
makes  a  sharp  curve  southward  towards  Lockport,  the  western  ter- 
minus, located  about  fifteen  miles  from  Willow  Springs.  This  stretch 
is  cut  through  solid  rock  and  the  corresponding  measurements  are  160 
and  162  feet.  The  entire  length  of  the  canal  is  28  miles. 


THE  DRAINAGE  CANAL 


169 


The  total  excavations  comprised  41,410,000  cubic  yards,  28,500,000 
being  earth,  clay  and  gravel  and  12,910,000,  rock.  But  other  work  was 
also  necessary.  The  Desplaines  River,  which  was  cut  or  touched  by 
the  canal  route  at  a  number  of  points,  had  to  be  led  into  other  channels, 
and  for  this  purpose  an  extra  canal,  13  miles  in  length,  was  dug  and  a 
levee  built  for  a  distance  of  19  miles.  The  new  river-bed  is  200  feet 
wide  at  the  bottom  and  represents  an  excavation  of  2,068,659  cubic 
yards,  bringing  the  total  excavations  up  to  43,478,659  cubic  yards.  If 
all  this  material  had  been  dumped  into  the  lake  it  would  have  formed 
an  island  one  square  mile  in  area  and  12  feet  high  above  water  level. 
The  total  cost  of  digging  the  canal  was  $33,525,691.20. 


The  Drainage  Canal — Two  Mile  Curve  at  Romeo,  111. 

For  the  regulation  of  the  current  costly  locks  were  constructed  at 
the  western  terminal  of  the  canal  at  Lockport.  There  are  seven  smaller 
locks  20  by  30  feet  and  one  large  one,  the  so-called  Bear  Trap  Dam 
with  a  width  of  160  feet  and  a  vertical  play  of  17  feet.  The  latter 
consists  of  two  huge  sheet  iron  plates  joined  by  means  of  hinges,  the 
lower  one  being  firmly  fastened  to  a  substantial  substructure,  while 
the  upper  one  is  so  placed  as  to  obstruct  the  current.  This  mechanism 
is  operated  by  the  power  of  the  current  itself,  the  water  being  let  into 
special  conduits  and  regulated  by  a  set  of  valves  placed  directly  under 
the  iron  dam.  This  is  claimed  to  be  the  most  ingenious  piece  of  mechan- 
ism of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Near  the  locks  there  is  a  basin  large 
enough  to  permit  vessels  of  maximum  draft  to  turn. 

This  gigantic  piece  of  engineering  work  was  completed  in  seven 
years.  On  Jan.  2,  1900,  the  current  was  turned  into  the  canal,  and  on 
Jan.  17th,  when  this  had  been  filled,  the  great  locks  were  opened, 
causing  the  interesting  spectacle  of  the  Chicago  River  reversing  its 


I  yo  CHICAGO 

current.  Its  waters,  thick  with  filth  and  sewage,  foul-smelling  and 
almost  stagnant,  yet  sluggishly  moving  in  the  direction  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, now  suddenly  changed  their  course  and  began  to  move  with  a 
speed  of  a  mile  and  a  half  per  hour  in  the  opposite  direction,  away  from 
the  river's  mouth  toward  its  source.  Its  color  quickly  changed  from 
its  traditional  mud  color  to  a  light  greenish  tint,  lent  by  the  pure  waters 
drawn  from  the  lake.  Thus  the  constant  danger  to  the  purity  of 
Chicago's  water  supply  was  practically  averted  by  reversing  the  cur- 
rent of  a  navigable  stream.  At  the  same  time,  a  portion  of  waterway 
between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi,  planned  years  before,  had 
been  completed. 

The   Hennepin.  Canal 

For  the  sake  of  completeness,  a  brief  sketch  of  this  latter  project 
is  here  subjoined.  The  old  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  soon  was  found 
too  narrow  and  too  shallow  for  large  deep  draft  vessels,  and  in  the 
early  seventies  the  question  of  building  a  new  canal  across  the  state 
was  raised.  A  canal  bill  was  presented  in  congress  and  in  1871 
government  engineers  made  a  preliminary  survey.  In  1890  an  appro- 
priation bill,  based  on  said  survey,  was  submitted,  and  Sept.  19th  the 
needed  appropriation  was  granted.  Work  was  begun  at  the  western 
canal  terminus  in  July,  1892,  and  at  the  eastern  end  in  1894,  and  has 
been  in  progress  ever  since. 

The  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal,  also  termed  the  Hennepin  Canal, 
starts  at  the  Illinois  River  one  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  the 
city  of  Hennepin,  at  the  point  where  the  river  changes  its  course  from 
west  to  south.  Passing  the  Bureau  Creek  valley  it  cuts  the  watershed 
between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers  and  empties  into  the  Rock 
River  at  the  point  where  the  Green  River  empties  into  that  stream, 
thence  following  the  Rock  its  entire  navigable  length  and  reaching 
the  Mississippi  after  flanking  the  rapids  at  the  village  of  Milan.  This 
the  main  line  of  the  canal  is  75  miles  in  length.  A  branch,  or  feeder, 
constructed  at  its  highest  altitude,  extends  from  a  point  near  Sheffield, 
located  28  miles  from  its  eastern  terminus,  in  a  northerly  direction  to 
Sterling,  where  it  taps  the  Rock  Falls.  A  dam  built  at  that  point  to 
force  the  current  into  the  canal  makes  the  Rock  River  navigable  to 
Dixon,  several  miles  northeast  of  Sterling.  This  feeder  has  a  length 
of  29  miles,  which,  added  to  the  main  channel,  makes  a  total  of  104 
miles  of  waterway,  or  seven  miles  more  than  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal.  From  the  Illinois  River  to  the  highest  point  there  is  a  rise  of 
196  feet,  and  this  section  has  21  locks,  varying  in  height  from  six  to 
fourteen  feet.  From  that  point  to  the  Mississippi  the  incline  is  93  feet 
which  is  overcome  by  means  of  ten  similar  locks.  The  canal  is  80  feet 
wide  and  7  feet  deep  throughout.  Along  its  entire  length  the  banks 


THE  HENNEPIN  CANAL 


171 


are  reinforced  with  solid  masonry.  The  sluices  are  170  feet  in  length 
and  35  feet  in  width,  admitting  vessels  140  feet  long,  32  feet  wide  and 
with  a  tonnage  of  600.  The  locks,  bridges  and  aqueducts  are  all  built 
of  cement  and  steel,  the  smaller  culverts  of  steel  mains. 

This  canal  shortens  the  route  by  water  from  Chicago  to  the  Missis- 
sippi by  no  less  than  400  miles  by  cutting  across  from  the  great  bend 
of  the  Illinois  River  almost  directly  westward  to  the  Mississippi.  The 
extension  of  the  old  canal  was  the  Illinois  River  which,  after  meander- 
ing through  the  state,  empties  into  the  Mississippi  not  far  from  the 
confluence  of  the  Missouri.  But  in  order  to  open  a  deep  waterway 
all  the  way  from  the  lakes  to  the  Mississippi  it  will  be  necessary  to 
deepen  the  old  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  between  the  terminus  of 
the  drainage  canal  at  Lockport  and  the  city  of  La  Salle,  where  the 
Illinois  becomes  navigable.  The  first  steamer  passed  through  the  Hen- 
nepin  Canal  in  November,  1907. 

The  cost  of  the  Hennepin  Canal  was  estimated  at  $6,926,000,  in- 
cluding $1,858,000  for  the  feeder,  but  through  certain  changes  in  the 
course  and  reduced  cost  of  material,  a  substantial  saving  was  made. 


CHAPTER  III 

The  First  Swedes  in  Illinois 

Raphael  Widen,  the  First  Swedish  Pioneer  in  the  State 

HE  first  Swede  in  Illinois  was,  so  far  as  known  to  a  cer- 
tainty, one  Kaphael  Widen.  The  year  and  place  of  his 
birth  are  unknown,  but  it  is  a  matter  of  record  that  at 
the  age  of  eight  he  was  brought  from  Sweden  to  France 
where  he  was  educated  for  the  Catholic  priesthood.  It  is 
not  known  when  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  It  is  noted  in  the 
Territorial  Records  of  Illinois  that  Raphael  Widen  was  appointed 
justice  of  the  peace  of  St.  Clair  county  on  Jan.  12,  1814,  by  the  terri- 
torial governor,  Ninian  Edwards.  He  lived  at  Cahokia,  the  county  seat,, 
where  he  married,  in  1818,  into  a  French  family  of  that  place.  Remov- 
ing to  Kaskaskia,  Randolph  county,  he  was  one  of  the  fourteen  terri- 
torial justices  who  conducted  the  affairs  of  Randolph  county  during 
the  interregnum  from  December,  1818,  to  May,  1819,  the  last  meeting 
being  held  April,  19,  1819.  Widen  continued  to  act  as  justice  of  the 
peace  as  late  as  1831  and  presumably  still  longer. 

Eleven  manuscripts  in  Widen 's  hand  are  preserved  in  the  Menard 
collection  of  manuscripts  at  the  Chicago  Historical  Society.  The  earliest 
is  a  contract  for  the  rent  of  a  piece  of  land.  It  is  written  in  French,  is 
dated  May  24,  1819,  and  covers  two  pages.  The  signatures  of  the  con- 
tracting parties  are  made  in  Widen 's  hand,  they  each  marking  a  cross. 
A  photograph  of  a  promissory  note  written  in  French  is  repro- 
duced on  the  opposite  page.  There  are  four  notes  in  English,  two 
executions  and  two  summons  papers.  The  latest  date  on  the  papers  is 
Oct.  24,  1831.  There  is  also  a  trust  deed  for  $409.97  to  secure  a  loan 
from  Pierre  Menard,  first  lieutenant  governor  of  Illinois,  to  Maurice 
D.  Smith  and  wife,  Raphael  Widen  and  Felix  St.  Vrains  being  named 
as  trustees. 

Widen  became  a  man  of  more  than  local  prominence.    He  was  the 
representative  of  Randolph  county  in  the  second  and  third  General 


RAPHAEL  WIDEN 


173 


Assemblies  of  the  young  state  (1820-24),  and  a  member  of  the  senate 
in  the  fourth  and  fifth  General  Assemblies  (1824-28).  During  the  second 


f 

o 

s' 

s 
o 

a 
P 

g. 


3 
Crq 

V 

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i 


session  of  the  fourth  General  Assembly  in  1826,  he  was  president  of 
the  senate. 

His  career  as  legislator  of  the  new  frontier  state  was  coincident 
with  the  period  of  heated  debate  over  the  question  whether  the  state 
was  to  be  slave  or  free.  Widen  took  a  stand  by  which  he  deserves 


174 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


lasting  honor  and  respect.  He  was  the  sworn  enemy  of  slavery  and 
expressed  his  views  freely  and  fearlessly  in  the  legislature.  When  on 
the  llth  day  of  February,  1823,  while  he  was  serving  his  second  term 
as  representative,  a  motion  was  made  in  the  house  to  submit  to  a 
popular  vote  the  question  of  calling  a  convention  for  the  revision  of 
the  constitution  in  the  interest  of  slavery,  Widen  was  among  those 
who  voted  resolutely  against  it.  This  is  all  the  more  notable  when  it 
is  considered  that  he  was  one  of  the  only  two  anti-convention  repre- 
sentatives from  the  middle  or  southern  portion  of  the  state  to  oppose 
the  bill.  The  motion  carried  with  a  majority  of  one  vote  in  the  house, 
after  having  passed  the  senate  by  a  majority  of  two-thirds,  and  as  told 
in  foregoing  pages,  the  question  was  submitted  to  the  people  at  the 
election  of  August  2,  1824.  The  pro-slavery  convention  proposition 
was  lost  by  a  vote  of  6,640  against  it  to  4,972  in  its  favor,  settling  the 
slavery  question  for  all  time  in  the  state. 

Widen  lived  in  Kaskaskia  when  Lafayette  made  his  visit  at  that 
place  April  30,  1825.  A  reference  has  been  found  to  "Edward  Widen, 
the  polished  gentleman  and  enterprising  merchant,"  as  having  been 
one  of  those  present  at  the  reception  to  the  French  hero.  This  un- 
doubtedly refers  to  Raphael  Widen  in  spite  of  the  inaccuracy.  Widen 
died  in  Kaskaskia  from  cholera  in  1833. 

That  there  were  a  number  of  Swedes  among  those  who  settled  in 
Illinois  in  its  territorial  period  admits  of  no  doubt.  Though  Widen  is 
the  first  of  whom  we  have  definite  information,  most  likely  there  were 
others  of  whom  we  will  never  know.  In  the  annals  of  early  Illinois 
names  characteristically  Swedish  are  not  infrequent.  One  Paul  Haral- 
son  (also  written  Harrolson  and  Harelston),  is  said  to  have  settled 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  near  the  mouth  of  Camp's 
Creek,  in  Randolph  county,  in  1802.  He  became  a  man  of  prominence 
in  those  early  days  and  is  said  to  have  held  the  office  of  sheriff  for  a 
short  time.  In  the  period  of  1803-09  he  served  as  county  commissioner, 
and  also  as  county  clerk  of  Randolph  county,  being  the  third  man  to 
hold  that  office.  The  public  records  make  no  mention  of  him  as 
sheriff,  but  in  the  official  list  of  surveyors  the  name  of  Paul  Harrolson 
is  third  in  order.  His  appointment  by  Gov.  Edwards  to  the  latter 
office  was  dated  April  7,  1814.  In  the  absence  of  proofs  of  his  Swedish 
origin,  we  can  merely  suppose  that  he  was  a  Swedish  descendant, 
whose  name  was  originally  written  Haraldson. 

In  looking  over  the  lists  of  members  of  the  Illinois  militia  in  the 
War  of  1812,  several  names  instantly  impress  one  as  being  Swedish. 
One  is  that  of  Bankson — an  Americanized  form  of  Bengtson,  common 
among  the  Delaware  colonists.  One  of  the  eminent  personages  among 
the  Delaware  Swedes  was  Andrew  Bankson.  And  here  we  find  the 
same  name,  borne  by  a  man  who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Second  Regi- 


JACOB    FALSTROM  !75 

ment,  from  St.  Clair  county,  before  the  war  and  during  the  war  a 
private  in  a  company  of  mounted  riflemen.  He  was  subsequently 
promoted  second  lieutenant  under  the  name  of  Bankston,  manifestly 
a  misspelling. 

On  April  5,  1817,  Andrew  Bankson  was  appointed  major  of  the 
second  militia  regiment  by  Ninian  Edwards,  the  territorial  governor, 
and  on  March  3,  1818,  promoted  colonel  of  the  tenth  militia.  He 
resigned  his  colonelcy  Sept.  9th  following  but  the  name  of  Col.  Andrew 
Bankson  reappears  in  the  old  records  ten  years  later,  in  the  list  of 
thirty-three  men  chosen  managers  of  McKendree  College  in  1828. 

In  the  military  lists  are  mentioned  two  other  men  of  the  same 
surname — James  Bankson,  sergeant  of  Capt.  Nathan  Chambers'  com- 
pany of  infantry,  and  Patton  Bankson,  private  in  the  same  company. 
One  Elijah  Bankson  was  a  brother  of  Andrew  and  Patton  Bankson. 
Not  unnaturally  the  inference  may  be  drawn  that  these  were  descend- 
ants of  Delaware  families  of  the  same  name,  but  the  probability, 
admittedly  slight,  is  not  strengthened  by  the  known  fact  that  the 
Banksons  here  encountered  came  to  Illinois  from  Tennessee. 

Among  the  comrades  of  Andrew  Bankson  was  one  David  Eckman. 
That  he  was  a  Swede  or  of  Swedish  descent  cannot  be  doubted.  Of 
him  we  know  nothing  more  than  this,  that  he  voluntarily  shouldered 
the  musket  and  risked  his  life  to  protect  the  community  against  its 
foes.  Again,  in  the  list  of  privates  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  we  find 
two  names  with  a  decidedly  Swedish  ring — John  and  Andrew  Hallin. 
These  men,  presumably  brothers,  were  members  of  Capt.  Dudley 
Williams'  company  of  the  Fourth  Illinois  Militia. 

Jacob  Falstrom,  Frontiersman  and  Missionary 

In  the  Northwest  Territory  there  lived  among  the  Indians  for 
about  forty  years,  dating  from  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
a  Swede  by  the  name  of  Jacob  Falstrom.  He  seems  to  have  come  to 
the  West  contemporaneously  with  Raphael  Widen  and  is  said  to  have 
arrived  in  Minnesota  prior  to  the  year  1819.  Falstrom  was  born  in 
Stockholm,  July  25th  in  the  year  1793  or  1795.  He  left  home  at  twelve 
or  fourteen  years  of  age  and  went  to  sea  with  his  uncle.  Stories  differ 
as  to  how  he  came  to  emigrate.  One  version  has  it  that  he  lost  his  way 
in  London  and,  unable  to  find  his  way  back  to  his  uncle's  ship,  took 
passage  to  America ;  another  that  he  ran  away  from  his  uncle,  who  was 
cruel  to  him,  both  agreeing  that  he  landed,  in  Canada.  Col.  Hans 
Mattson,  who  met  Falstrom  at  St.  Paul  in  1854,  says  that  the  boy 
deserted  a  Swedish  ship  in  the  port  of  Quebec  and,  picking  his  way 
through  the  wilderness,  sought  refuge  among  the  Indians.  He  was 
content  to  stay  among  the  redskins  and  ultimately  became  more  closely 


1 76  THE  FIRST  SWEDES 

allied  with  the  natives  by  marrying  into  one  of  their  tribes.  He  was 
a  man  well-known  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  to  the  early 
settlers  in  the  upper  Mississippi  valley. 

Falstrom,  who  spoke  French  and  several  Indian  languages,  was 
employed  by  the  American  Fur  Company  to  trade  with  the  natives 
around  Lake  Superior.  With  his  Indian  wife  he  had  several  children. 
Some  of  his  descendants  are  still  living  in  Washington  county,  Minn., 
where  Falstrom  staked  a  claim  in  1837.  In  relating  his  experience  to 
Col.  Mattson,  he  stated  that  for  about  thirty-five  years,  or  until  he  met 
the  first  Swedish  settlers  in  the  St.  Croix  valley,  he  had  not  heard  a 
word  of  Swedish  spoken  and  as  a  consequence  had  almost  completely 
lost  command  of  his  native  tongue.  During  his  later  years  Falstrom 
was  very  religious  and  for  a  long  time  acted  as  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians,  apparently  affiliating  with  Methodism.  As  a  missionary 
he  probably  antedated  all  other  Swedish  pioneer  preachers  in  the  West. 
Falstrom  passed  away  in  the  year  1859.  He  exerted  but  little  of  a 
civilizing  influence,  and  his  descendants  are  said  to  live  in  semi- 
savagery  to  this  day. 

Christian  Benson,  the  First  Swedish  Farmer  in  Illinois 

In  the  year  1835  a  Swedish  pioneer  of  Illinois  arrived  in  the  person 
of  Christian  Benson,  who,  however,  made  no  mark  in  public  life,  but 
lived  quietly  as  a  farmer. 

He  was  born  in  Goteborg  in  1805,  went  to  sea  at  the  age  of  seven 
and  followed  that  occupation  until  his  thirtieth  year.  He  first  came  to 
America  in  1819.  In  1827  he  married  Maria  Bantherson  at  Providence, 
R.  I.  Later  he  returned  to  his  seafaring  life,  coming  to  America  for  the 
third  time  in  1835.  That  year  he  settled  in  Portland  township,  White- 
side  county,  Illinois,  not  far  from  the  present  city  of  Rock  Island,  and 
went  to  farming.  In  his  old  age  he  was  cared  for  by  his  two  children. 
Benson  was  the  first  known  Swedish  farmer  in  the  state.  He  was 
still  living  in  1880  and  was  spoken  of  as  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 

Jonas  Hedstrom,  the  First  Swedish  Clergyman  in  Illinois 

Among  the  first  Swedes  to  set  foot  on  Illinois  soil  was  Jonas 
Hedstrom.  As  Widen  had  acquired  prominence  in  the  field  of  politics, 
so  Hedstrom  became  renowned  as  a  pioneer  in  church  work.  He  was 
the  first  man  to  preach  the  gospel  in  the  Swedish  language  here  and 
became  the  founder  and  pioneer  of  Swedish  Methodism  in  the  West. 

An  elder  brother,  Olof  Gustaf  Hedstrom,  persuaded  Jonas  to  emi- 
grate to  America.  The  elder  Hedstrom  was  born  in  Tvinnesheda,  Notte- 
back  parish.  Smaland,  May  11,  1803.  The  parents  were  Corporal  Hed- 


JONAS  HEDSTROM 


177 


strom  and  his  wife  Karin,  who  had  four  sons  besides  Olof  Gustaf,  and 
two  daughters.  The  eldest  son  was  put  to  work  as  a  tailor's  apprentice 
at  an  early  age,  but  in  1825,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  left  the  old 
country  and  came  to  the  United  States  the  following  year.  His  trip 
across  the  Atlantic  was  made  under  remarkable  circumstances.  He 
became  secretary  to  the  commander  of  a  frigate  named  "af  Chapman," 
one  of  the  Swedish  war  vessels  sold  to  the  republic  of  Colombia,  to  be 
used  by  that  and  other  South  American  colonies  in  their  war  for  inde- 
pendence against  Spain.  This  transaction,  as  every  one  familiar  with 
Swedish  history  knows,  caused  international  complications  and  came 


Olof  Gustaf  Heclstrom 

near  involving  Sweden  in  war.  This,  however,  was  averted  when  a 
later  sale  of  three  other  warships  was  annulled.  The  frigate  ' '  af  Chap- 
man," which  departed  from  Karlskrona  in  the  summer  of  1825  arrived 
safely  at  Cartagena,  Colombia,  but  orders  awaited  Commodore  C.  R. 
Nordenskiold,  its  commander,  not  to  transfer  the  ship  to  the  Colombian 
government.  In  March,  1826,  the  frigate  was  ordered  from  Cartagena 
to  New  York,  where  the  expedition  disbanded  after  numerous  diffi- 
culties and  complications,  and  the  vessel  was  sold.  Having  been  fully 
paid,  the  crew  were  granted  passage  back  to  Sweden,  but  young  Hed- 
strom and  several  others  chose  to  remain  in  New  York. 

Hedstrom  had  no  intention  of  remaining  permanently,  but  a  mis- 
fortune forced  him  to  do  so.  The  same  day  that  the  crew  was  paid  and 
mustered  out  of  service,  Hedstrom  and  a  number  of  comrades  went 


I78 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


ashore  to  see  the  city,  and  at  night  they  took  lodging  at  a  hotel  for 
seamen.  When  he  woke  up  in  the  morning  he  found  to  his  chagrin 
that  he  had  been  robbed  of  everything,  even  to  his  clothes.  He  told 
Iris  hostess,  an  Irishwoman,  of  his  misfortune  and  she  kindly  procured 


Jonas  Hedstrom 

a  suit  of  clothes  for  him.    Destitute  as  he  was,  a  journey  to  Sweden  was 

out  of  the  question,  so  he  submitted  to  fate  and  remained  where  he  was. 

The  trade  he  had  learned  in  Sweden  now  proved  very  useful  to 

him.     He  was  employed  by  an  American  tailor,  Townsend  by  name, 


JONAS  HEDSTROM  !79 

and  after  a  year  or  two  he  secured  employment  as  cutter,  earning  good 
wages.  In  the  same  shop  was  employed  a  young  woman,  Caroline 
Pinckney,  a  cousin  of  Townsend,  to  whom  Hedstrom  was  married  June 
11,  1829.  She  was  of  the  Methodist  faith,  and  through  her  influence 
Hedstrom  a  few  weeks  later  joined  that  denomination,  becoming  at 
once  an  ardent  worker  in  the  church.  Later  he  removed  to  Pittsville, 
Pa.,  where  he  opened  a  tailor  shop  of  his  own.  The  venture  proved 
rather  unsuccessful,  causing  him  to  sell  out  his  stock.  He  returned  to 
Sweden  in  1833  apparently  with  a  view  to  awakening  his  parents  to 
their  spiritual  wants,  a  mission  in  which  he  seemed  to  have  been 
successful. 

On  the  return  voyage  the  same  year  Hedstrom  brought  with  him 
his  younger  brother  Jonas,  born  Aug.  13,  1813,  and  at  that  time  a 
youth  of  twenty.  The  trip  was  a  perilous  one.  One  awful  night,  when 
death  seemed  to  lurk  on  every  side,  the  younger  Hedstrom  underwent 
a  total  change  spiritually,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  elder  brother.  On 
their  arrival  in  America,  Olof  Gustaf  Hedstrom  began  to  preach ;  in 
1835  he  was  received,  on  probation,  into  the  New  York  Conference  of 
the  Methodist-Episcopal  Church ;  for  ten  years  he  labored  as  itinerant 
preacher  among  the  American  Methodists  in  the  Catskill  region.  By 
dint  of  his  fiery  and  convincing  eloquence,  equalled  by  few,  he  met 
with  great  success.  It  was,  however,  not  among  the  American  popula- 
tion, but  among  his  own  countrymen  and  other  Scandinavians,  that  he 
was  to  perform  his  life-work.  In  1844  he  entered  into  earnest  corre- 
spondence with  friends  in  New  York  with  referenc.e  to  the  opening  of 
a  new  Methodist  mission  among  the  large  numbers  of  Scandinavian 
seamen  who  annually  visit  that  port  and  among  the  immigrants  and 
the  few  Swedes  that  had  already  settled  in  New  York  City.  The  ship 
"Henry  Leeds"  was  purchased  with  money  subscribed  for  that  pur- 
pose, the  vessel  remodeled  as  a  mission  ship  with  chapel  and  Sunday 
school  rooms,  re-named  the  "John  Wesley"  and  anchored  at  suitable 
points  in  the  North  River.  In  this  mission  ship,  better  known  as  the 
Bethel  ship,  Hedstrom  conducted  the  first  services  on  Whitsunday, 
May  25,  1845.  He  was  ably  assisted  by  several  others,  among  whom 
Peter  Bergner,  a  former  sailor  and  ship's  carpenter.  In  1857  a -new 
Bethel  ship  took  the  place  of  the  old  one,  but  Hedstrom  remained  at  his 
post.  Pie  made  occasional  trips  to  other  ports,  and  founded  the  Swedish 
Methodist-Episcopal  churches  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  Chandler's 
Valley,  Pa.,  in  1851,  and  at  Chicago  the  following  year.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1863  he  re-visited  Sweden,  preaching  in  many  places  to  large 
concourses  of  interested  listeners.  He  labored  without  interruption 
until  1875  when  he  was  forced  to  retire  owing  to  failing  health,  but 
still  retained  much  of  his  former  fire  and  vigor  even  in  old  age.  Hed- 
strom died  in  New  York  City  May  5,  1877,  at  the  age  of  74.  A  hand- 


i8o  THE  FIRST  SWEDES 

some  monument  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  Brooklyn,  marks  his  last 
resting  place.  By  his  side  reposes  his  beloved  wife,  who  died  in  1890 
at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-six  years.  They  had  three  children,  one  being 
Dr.  Wilbur  Hedstrom,  who  is  still  living. 

We  have  traced  the  life  of  the  elder  Hedstrom  thus  minutely  by 
reason  of  its  intimate  connection  with  that  of  the  younger  brother,  to 
whose  career  we  now  turn. 

Jonas  Hedstrom  remained  for  a  short  time  in  New  York,  then 
spent  some  years  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  earned  his  living  in  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  and  a  very  good  blacksmith  was  he.  At  this  time 
he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Sornberger 
which  soon  afterward  removed  to  Knox  county,  111.  The  young 
Swedish  artisan  had  formed  an  attachment  for  Diantha  Sornberger,  a 
daughter  in  the  family,  and  in  1837  or  1838  Hedstrom  followed.  After 
marrying  his  affianced,  he  removed  to  the  little  village  of  Farmington, 
in  Fulton  county,  where  he  opened  a  blacksmith  shop.  Shortly  after- 
wards he  began  preaching,  having  been  duly  licensed  by  the  local 
authorities  of  the  Methodist  Church.  His  license  was  renewed  the  next 
year.  Later  he  removed  to  Knox  county  and  became  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  town  of  Victoria,  where  he  lived  at  the  time  of  the  first 
Swedish  immigration  to  Illinois,  and  continued  to  reside  until  his  death. 
By  diligent  and  skillful  application  to  his  trade,  he  there  acquired  a 
sufficient  income  to  build  a  rather  comfortable  home,  where  many  a 
poor  immigrant  and  weary  wayfarer  enjoyed  hospitable  entertainment. 
And  he  preached  as  energetically  as  he  sledged.  During  the  years  fol- 
lowing, he  preached  in  the  English  language  to  the  Americans  in  the 
various  school-houses  round  about  Victoria  as  well  as  in  the  neighbor- 
ing towns  of  Lafayette,  Knoxville  and  others.  There  being  no  Swedish 
settlers  in  that  region  or  in  any  other  part  of  the  state  at  this  time,  he 
had  no  occasion  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  his  mother  tongue.  By  con- 
stant disuse,  the  Swedish  language  was  gradually  forgotten  by  him; 
but  when  in  the  early  summer  of  1845  he  received  a  letter  from  his 
brother  saying  that  he  had  been  appointed  missionary  to  the  Scandi- 
navian seamen  and  had  already  begun  preaching  in  the  Swedish  lang- 
uage* it  occurred  to  the  younger  brother  that  he  also  ought  to  revive 
his  mother  tongue,  in  order  that  he  might  expound  the  Gospel  to  the 
Swedish  immigrants  which  his  brother  predicted  soon  would  begin  to 
arrive  and  settle  in  those  parts.  He,  therefore,  procured  first  a  copy  of 
the  New  Testament  in  Swedish  and  English,  then  a  Swedish  Bible  com- 
plete, and  fell  to  study  his  forgotten  native  tongue  with  great  assiduity. 
His  brother's  predictions  were  soon  fulfilled.  Group  after  group  of 
Swedish  immigrants  arrived  at  New  York,  where  they  were  first  met 
by  the  elder  Hedstrom,  who  took  a  keen  interest  in  their  temporal  as 
well  as  their  spiritual  welfare.  With  his  knowledge  of  conditions  in 


JONAS    HEDSTROM  !8i 

Illinois,  acquired  through  his  brother,  he  was  in  a  position  to  recom- 
mend that  region  as  a  desirable  place  of  settlement.  Many  were  they 
who  followed  his  advice,  journeying  westward  to  Victoria  where  the 
younger  Hedstrom  stood  ever  ready  to  assist.  By  renewed  use,  in  the 
next  few  years  he  again  acquired  the  ability  to  speak  the  Swedish 
tongue  fluently. 

Although  great  tracts  of  good  agricultural  land  were  to  be  had 
much  nearer,  large  numbers  of  Swedish  immigrants  came  all  the  way 
to  Illinois,  owing  to  the  activity  of  the  brothers  Hedstrom.  To  them  is 
due  also  no  small  share  of  credit  for  the  continued  influx  of  Swedes 
into  this  state.  But  there  is  a  third  Swedish  pioneer  who,  as  we  will 
presently  see,  played  an  important  part  in  directing  Swedish  immi- 
grants to  Illinois. 

Hedstrom  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  Swedish  language  Dec. 
15,  1846,  in  a  little  blockhouse  in  the  woods,  about  three  miles  south- 
east of  the  present  town  of  Victoria,  the  occasion  being  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  first  Swedish  Methodist  Church.  This  congregation,  started 
with  five  members,  was  also  the  first  church  organization  of  Swedish 
nationality  in  this  country  since  the  time  of  the  Delaware  settlements. 
The  Erik  Janssonists  of  Bishop  Hill,  who  will  be  dealt  with  in  the 
following  chapter,  had  begun  to  arrive  in  July  of  the  same  year  and 
constituted  a  sort  of  religious  band,  but  could  not  as  yet  be  said  to 
exist  as  a  church  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word.  The  Methodist  prop- 
aganda among  the  Swedish  settlers  grew  apace  under  the  direction  of 
Hedstrom,  several  new  churches  being  founded  in  the  course  of  the 
next  few  years.  This  growth  will  be  more  fully  shown  in  the  chapter 
dealing  especially  with  Swedish  Methodism  in  Illinois. 

Owing  to  his  restless  endeavors  and  the  great  privations  attending 
his  constant  travels  in  the  service  of  his  cause,  Hedstrom 's  health 
broke  down,  compelling  his  retirement  in  the  fall  of  1857.  His  powers 
continued  to  wane,  and  on  May  11,  1859,  he  ended  his  useful  career, 
dying  at  the  age  of  nearly  46  years.  His  body  was  buried  in  the  Vic- 
toria cemetery,  where  a  monument  was  placed  upon  his  grave.  His 
wife  died  in  1874  and  was  buried  at  his  side.  The  pair  had  five  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  thought  to  be  still  living,  viz.,  Luther  Hedstrom 
and  Mrs.  Becker. 

Hedstrom  has  been  very  differently  judged  according  to  the  sec- 
tarian viewpoints  of  those  making  the  estimate.  By  his  adversaries  he 
has  been  made  out  a  lying,  cheating,  deceitful,  fanatical  and  selfish 
person,  while  his  close  friends  and  brethren  in  the  faith,  on  the  other 
hand,  ascribe  to  him  every  virtue  and  set  him  up  as  a  model  of  per- 
fection. Both  sides,  however,  appear  to  have  exaggerated  his  personal 
traits.  During  this  early  and  formative  period  in  our  history, 
the  lines  were  sharply  drawn  between  the  different  religious  groups. 


1 82  THE   FIRST    SWEDES 

To  respect  the  opinions  of  others  these  early  settlers  had  not  yet 
learned,  and  intolerance  reigned  supreme.  Hedstrom  was  fanatically 
devoted  to  Methodism  and  did  everything  in  his  power  to  disseminate 
its  teachings  among  his  countrymen.  Possessing  a  greater  proportion 
of  zeal  and  enthusiasm  than  of  erudition  and  good  judgment,  he  fre- 
quently, by  a  lack  of  deference  and  tact,  gave  rise  to  serious  contro- 
versies with  representatives  of  other  denominations,  themselves  devoid 
of  spiritual  moderation.  That  he  acted  from  pure  motives  and  with  a 
sincere  purpose  of  benefiting  his  fellowmen,  no  one,  however  bigoted, 
can  deny. 

As  his  elder  brother,  0.  G.  Hedstrom,  may  be  styled  the  father  of 
Swedish  Methodism,  and  the  Bethel  ship  in  New  York  harbor  its  cradle, 
so  Jonas  Hedstrom  may  with  equal  justice  be  called  the  founder  and 
pioneer  of  Methodism  among  the  Swedes  of  the  West,  and  the  rude 
blockhouse  near  Victoria  the  starting-point  of  his  endeavors.  Jonas 
Hedstrom  was  not  only  the  first  Swedish  preacher  in  Illinois,  but  the 
first  Swedish  exponent  of  material  progress  in  these  regions.  For  these 
reasons  his  name  will  always  have  a  prominent  place  in  the  history  of 
the  Swedes  in  the  state  and  in  the  entire  country. 

O.  G.  Lang'e,  tKe  First  Swede  in  Chicago 

O.  G.  Lange  was  another  early  Swedish  pioneer  of  Illinois,  and 
he  also  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  known  Swede  in  Chicago 
and  Cook  county. 

Olof  Gottfrid  Lange  was  born  July  4,  1811,  in  the  city  of  Goteborg. 
July  27,  1824,  he  hired  as  cabin  watch  on  an  American  brig,  bound  for 
Boston,  where  he  landed  Sept.  30th.  He  remained  a  sailor  for  more 
than  ten  years,  serving  in  the  American  and  the  British  navies. 

In  1838  he  abandoned  the  sea  for  the  great  West  and  arrived  on 
Sept  18th  at  Chicago,  which  had  received  its  city  charter  one  year  ago. 
If  there  had  been  any  of  his  countrymen  ahead  of  him,  he  would  have 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  them,  for  at  that  time  the  city  had  a  popu- 
lation of  only  4,179.  Several  Norwegians,  however,  had  settled  here, 
and  these  he  gave  lessons  in  the  English  language,  meeting  his  pupils 
at  Fort  Dearborn. 

Later  he  opened  a  drug  store  near  Chicago,  at  a  point  on  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  which  was  then  being  dug.  A  severe 
attack  of  the  ague  soon  caused  him  to  give  up  the  business,  whereupon 
he  went  to  Milwaukee  and  became,  as  in  Chicago,  the  first  Swedish 
settler  in  the  community.  It  was  his  privilege  to  receive  Gustaf 
Unonius  and  his  companions,  when  they  arrived  in  Wisconsin  in  the 
fall  of  1841.  In  Milwaukee  Lange  became  the  manager  of  a  hardware 
store,  owned  by  a  man  who  later  became  governor  of  Wisconsin.  After 
a  short  time,  Lange  went  into  business  for  himself  in  co-partnership 


O.  G.  LANGE 


183 


with  one  Hulbert  Reed.  It  was  at  this  time  Fredrika  Bremer.  the 
Swedish  authoress,  visited  the  United  States.  When  she  left  Chicago 
for  Milwaukee  in  September,  1850,  Lange  received  her  into  his  home, 
entertained  her  for  several  days,  and  then  accompanied  her  on  a  visit 
to  the  Pine  Lake  settlement  founded  by  Gustaf  Unonius. 

Afterwards  Lange  became  traveling  representative  of  the  Rath- 
bone  &  Corning  stove  manufacturing  company  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  Hav- 
ing lived  a  short  time  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  he  settled  in  Watertown, 


?-r#..*,  >  • 

Olof  Gottfrid  Lange 

Wis.,  and  became  passenger  agent  for  a  section  of  the  Chicago 
and  Northwestern  Railway.  Not  content  with  this  occupation, 
Lange,  who  had  cultivated  a  taste  for  change  and  variety,  moved  to 
Kenosha,  Wis.,  in  1856  and  there  started  a  foundry  which  four  years 
later  was  removed  to  the  corner  of  Kingsbury  and  Michigan  streets, 
Chicago.  Thus  Lange  became  a  Chicagoan  for  the  second  time. 

In  1866  he  made  a  trip  to  Sweden  for  his  health.  On  his  return 
he  brought  a  library  of  500  volumes  together  with  a  number  of  art 
portfolios,  for  the  Svea  Society,  a  Swedish  association  already 
existing  in  Chicago.  A  large  part  of  the  collection  was  donated  by 


1 84  THE  FIRST  SWEDEvS 

King  Charles  XV.  of  Sweden  and  his  family.  For  this  service  to  the 
society  Lange  was  made  an  honorary  member  and  presented  with  a 
valuable  badge.  The  library  of  this  society  was  totally  destroyed  in 
the  great  fire  of  1871. 

Lange  is  said  to  have  tried  his  fortune  at  one  time  on  the  board  of 
trade.  The  fact  that  he  did  not  continue  to  trade  on  the  board  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  his  venture  was  not  successful.  The  last  twenty- 
five  years  of  his  life  he  devoted  to  soliciting  life  insurance  for  various 
companies.  With  reference  to  the  250th  anniversary  of  the  landing  of 
the  Swedes  on  the  Delaware,  commemorated  in  the  fall  of  1888,  Lange, 
in  the  issue  of  "The  Swedish- American "  for  April  18,  1889,  proposed 
that  his  countrymen  in  America  annually  celebrate  "Forefathers' 
Day, ' '  and  in  many  localities  the  suggestion  was  carried  out  during  the 
next  few  years. 

In  July,  1893,  the  venerable  pioneer  had  an  attack  of  pneumonia 
and  was  prostrated  at  his  home,  292  Irving  ave.,  Chicago.  During  his 
illness  he  was  visited  by  Rt.  Rev.  K.  H.  G.  von  Scheele,  Bishop  of  Got- 
land, who,  on  his  first  tour  of  the  United  States,  took  the  opportunity 
to  bring  cordial  greetings  from  Lange 's  old  schoolmates  in  the  old 
country.  July  13th,  two  days  after  this  visit,  Lange  breathed  his  last. 
He  reached  the  ripe  age  of  82  years.  Having  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  Swedish  fraternities,  Nordstjernan,  Balder  and  many  others  had, 
like  Svea,  conferred  upon  him  honorary  membership,  and  now  showed 
their  appreciation  by  sending  large  delegations  to  attend  the  obsequies. 
A  bronze  bust  in  memory  of  him  may  be  seen  in  the  lodge  hall  of  the 
Svea  Society. 

Lange,  commonly  called  "Captain"  Lange,  presumably  on  account 
of  his  early  career  as  a  sailor,  was  one  of  those  Swedes  who  are  not 
ashamed  of  their  nationality.  Although  having  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  away  from  his  native  country,  he  never  forgot  or  concealed 
his  Swedish  ^nativity,  but  took  every  occasion  to  glory  in  the  fact  and 
extol  all  that  is  best  in  Swedish  character  and  culture.  The  best  proof 
of  the  genuineness  of  his  Swedish  patriotism  is  found  in  his  proposal 
of  a  Swedish  "Forefathers'  Day"  celebration.  Being  kind-hearted 
and  generous,  he  gave  freely,  but  without  ostentation,  to  his  less  fort- 
unate fellows.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  dying  early.  With 
his  second  wife,  Catharine  O'Brien  from  Ireland,  he  was  united  April 
23,  1843,  the  golden  anniversary  of  that  occasion  occurring  a  few 
months  before  his  demise.  Mrs.  Lange  was  a  lady  of  refinement.  Fred- 
rika  Bremer  describes  her  as  "a  kindly  little  Irishwoman."  They  had 
five  children,  one  son  and  four  daughters.  The  eldest  daughter  was  the 
wife  of  B.  A.  E.  Landergren,  deceased,  who  was  for  many  years  chief 
deputy  in  the  Internal  Revenue  office  at  Chicago. 


NELSON— FLACK 


Sven  Nelson.,  tine  Recluse  of  Andover 

The  next  Swede  to  arrive  in  Illinois,  following  Lange,  was  doubt- 
less Sven  Nelson,  like  two  of  his  predecessors  a  sailor.  He  came  to  the 
state  in  1840  and  settled  in  Andover,  Henry  county,  a  settlement  found- 
ed five  years  before  by  Americans  from  the  East.  There  he  dwelt  in 
peace  and  almost  perfect  seclusion  for  almost  forty  years,  dying  in  the 
late  seventies. 

Nelson  in  the  latter  forties  married  a  woman  known  by  the  name 
of  Stigs  Lena,  who  in  1849  came  over  from  Hassela,  Helsingland,  with  a 
party  of  Erik  Janssonists. 

Gustaf  FlacR.,  the  First  Swedish  Merchant  in  Chioag'o 

Following  Sven  Nelson,  the  next  Swedish  immigrant  to  Illinois 
was  Gustaf  Flack  from  Alfta  parish,  Helsingland.  The  year  of  his 
arrival  is  unknown,  as  also  his  early  life  here.  In  the  early  forties 
we  find  him  in  Victoria,  111.,  and  in  1843  in  Chicago,  where  he  owned  a 
small  store  near  the  ferry  landing  at  Clark  st.  His  stay  in  Chicago 
and  America  was  cut  short  by  his  return  in  1846,  to  Sweden,  where  he 
suddenly  died  on  the  way  from  the  city  of  Gefle  to  his  native  home. 
During  his  sojourn  in  Illinois,  Flack  wrote  letters  to  his  friends  at 
home  freely  lauding  this  state  and  predicting  for  it  great  future  pros- 
perity. His  glowing  descriptions  primarily  caused  the  Erik  Janssonists 
to  emigrate  and  settle  here.  Flack  thus  shares  with  the  Hedstrom 
brothers  the  credit  for  directing  the  main  current  of  early  Swedish 
immigration  to  the  Prairie  State. 

The  Pine  LaKe  Settlement  in  Relation  to  Swedish 
Immigration  to  Illinois 

While  only  individual  Swedes  kept  moving  into  Illinois,  Gustaf 
Unonius  and  others  in  the  early  forties  founded  at  Pine  Lake,  in  the 
neighboring  state  of  Wisconsin,  the  first  Swedish  settlement  in  America 
since  the  time  of  the  Delaware  Swedes.  The  history  of  this  settlement 
and  of  its  founder  sustain  so  intimate  a  relation  to  that  of  the  Illinois 
settlements  as  to  merit  a  brief  sketch  in  this  connection. 

Gustaf  Elias  Marius  Unonius  was  born  Aug.  25,  1810,  in  Helsing- 
fors,  the  son  of  Israel  Unonius,  a  barrister,  and  Maria  Gardberg,  his 
wife.  The  father  came  of  an  old  Swedish  family  in  Finland,  and  re- 
moved to  SAveden  when  Finland  was  ceded  to  Russia.  He  became  post- 
master and  revenue  collector  at  Grisslehamn.  A  military  career  was 
mapped  out  for  the  son,  who  at  thirteen  became  a  cadet  at  the  Karlberg 
military  school.  Among  his  comrades  were  C.  F.  Ridderstad,  Georg 
Adlersparre,  and  Wilhelm  von  Braun,  whom  he  joined  in  literary  pur- 


186 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


suits,  the  results  of  which  appeared  in  the  literary  periodicals  of  that 
time. 

Young  Unonius  soon  left  the  military  academy  for  Upsala,  where 
he  finished  his  college  course  in  1830  and  the  course  in  law  three  years 
later.  He  subsequently  entered  upon  a  course  fitting  him  for  practice 
before  the  highest  courts  of  the  realm,  but  when  in  1834  a  cholera 
epidemic  caused  the  closing  of  the  sessions  at  the  university,  he  took  a 
position  as  assistant  physician  at  one  of  the  pest  houses  of  Stockholm 
and  became  interested  in  that  profession.  When  the  epidemic  subsided, 
he  returned  to  Upsala  to  take  up  medical  studies,  but  shortly  after- 


Gustaf  Unonius 

wards  he  again  left  the  university  to  take  a  position  in  the  provincial 
government  offices  at  Upsala. 

In  1841  he  was  married  to  Charlotta  Margareta  Ohrstromer,  and 
soon  afterwards,  for  reasons  known  only  to  himself,  he  decided  to 
emigrate.  On  May  llth  of  that  year  the  couple  left  Upsala  for  Gefle  to 
embark  for  America  together  with  a  small  company  of  friends  and 
acquaintances.  In  the  party  were,  an  old  maid-servant  from  the  home 
of  Mrs.  Unonius,  Christine  by  name,  Ivar  Hagberg,  a  young  student  of 
twenty-one,  and  a  relative  of  Unonius  by  the  name  of  Carl  Groth. 
According  to  the  statement  of  Unonius  himself,  he  and  his  company 
were  the  first  to  take  advantage  of  a  recent  decree  granting  the  right 
to  leave  the  country  without  obtaining  a  special  permit  from  the  crown. 


THE  PINE  LAKE  SETTLEMENT  ^7 

For  some  reason  the  vessel  did  not  get  ready  to  weigh  anchor  until, 
June  3rd.  The  vessel  was  named  "Minnet,"  and  its  captain  was  C.  J. 
Bohlin,  with  whom  Unonius  had  contracted  for  passage  for  the  entire 
party  to  the  port  of  New  York  for  a  total  sum  of  five  hundred  Swedish 
crowns,  the  passengers  to  supply  their  own  provisions.  Before  they  got 
ready  to  sail,  still  another  person  joined  them,  viz.,  one  Vilhelm  Pol- 
man,  a  former  university  student.  The  ship  carried  a  cargo  of  iron. 
Having  made  the  ports  of  Elsinore  (Helsingor)  and  Portsmouth,  the 
vessel  finally  reached  its  destination  Sept.  10th,  three  months  and 
seven  days  after  weighing  anchor.  The  emigrants  stopped  for  a  week 


Unonius'    Cabin  at  Pine  Lake 

in  New  York,  where  a  Swedish  merchant,  named  Brodell,  together  with 
the  captain,  who  spoke  English,  rendered  them  every  assistance.  In- 
quiries were  made  as  to  the  most  suitable  location  for  a  Swedish  settle- 
ment, and  upon  learning  that  large  tracts  of  cheap  land  were  to  be  had 
in  Illinois,  it  was  decided  to  settle  there,  whereupon  arrangements  were 
made  for  transportation  to  Chicago  at  $12  a  person. 

They  started  on  their  journey  inland  Sept.  17th,  going  by  steam- 
boat up  the  Hudson  to  Albany,  thence  via  the  Erie  oanal  to  Buffalo. 
Here  they  encountered  fresh  difficulties,  the  captains  of  the  lake  steam- 
ers refusing  to  recognize  the  validity  of  their  tickets.  Finally,  through 
the  good  offices  of  one  Morell,  a  Swedish  jeweler  who  had  spent  many 
years  in  America,  they  were  able  to  continue  on  their  way,  and  went 
by  boat  to  Detroit.  Here  Hagberg  separated  from  the  company  and 
went  to  Cleveland,  while  the  others  proceeded  across  lakes  "St.  Clair, 
Huron  and  Michigan,  past  Fort  Mackinaw,  to  Milwaukee.  Being  now 
weary  of  travel,  and  having  been  told  that  Wisconsin  was  preferable. 


1 88  THE  FIRST  SWEDES 

to  Illinois  for  agricultural  purposes,  they  determined  to  stop  here,  after 
having  spent  two  weeks  on  the  way  from  New  York.  They  took  lodg- 
ing at  the  principal  hotel,  where  they  found,  first  a  Norwegian  servant 
girl  with  whom  they  were  able  to  communicate,  and  later  met  their 
countryman,  Captain  0.  G.  Lange,  who  had  emigrated  several  years 
before. 

After  several  days  of  rest,  Unonius  left  the  women  in  charge  of  a 
German  family  and,  accompanied  by  Lange,  set  out  to  inspect  the 
country.  The  date  was  Oct.  7,  1841.  At  that  time  Wisconsin  was  still 
a  territory,  with  a  population  estimated  at  45,000.  The  prospectors 
traveled  afoot  westward  through  forests  and  over  prairies  a  distance 
of  thirty  miles,  eventually  reaching  the  dwellingplace  of  a  man  named 
Pearmain,  for  whom  they  had  letters  from  the  land  office  at  Milwaukee. 
He  lived  in  a  log  cabin,  the  first  of  its  kind  seen  by  the  prospective 
settlers.  With  Pearmain  as  guide  they  traversed  the  surrounding 
country  and,  after  a  long  and  wearisome  journey  on  foot,  reached  the 
shores  of  a  picturesque  little  lake,  called  Pine  Lake,  from  the  fact  that 
its  shores  were  fringed  with  pine. 

The  lake  was  about  two  miles  in  length,  with  sloping,  well- 
drained  shores.  .Finding  the  region  fertile  and  picturesque,  the  travel- 
ers determined  to  search  no  farther.  The  soil  was  found  to  be  a  deep 
black  loam,  mixed  with  clay;  near  the  shores  of  the  lake,  the  surface 
was  rolling,  gradually  changing  to  a  level  and  easily  cultivated  prairie. 

Here  the  settlers  determined  to  found  their  long  wished  for  home. 
They  selected  a  tract  of  land  owned  by  a  canal  company  which,  having 
discontinued  work  on  the  canal,  was  likely  to  forfeit  its  title  to  the 
property,  and  on  the  advice  of  Pearmain  and  Lange  they  staked  as 
their  claim  the  west  half  of  Section  33,  Township  8,  Range  18,  expect- 
ing to  get  full  possession  under  the  pre-emption  law,  when  after  two  or 
three  years  the  title  should  revert  to  the  government. 

They  now  returned  to  Milwaukee  and,  having  procured  provisions, 
the  pioneers,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Unonius  and  the  maid-servant, 
traveled  back  to  the  chosen  site  in  a  wagon,  drawn  by  a  yoke  o?  oxen. 
The  women  got  temporary  lodging  in  the  simple  home  of  Pearmain, 
located  on  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Delafield,  and  the  men  began 
to  open  a  road  to  the  new  homestead  and  to  erect  a  loghouse.  For  tem- 
porary shelter  they  built  a  hut  of  logs,  piled  on  one  another  in  a  square, 
and  with  a  covering  of  dried  grass.  After  Unonius  had  made  another 
trip  to  Milwaukee  and  purchased  a  stove  and  other  indispensable 
household  articles,  the  family  moved  into  their  new  home  Nov.  llth, 
exactly  six  months  after  their  departure  from  Upsala.  Of  the  toil  and 
the  trials  of  pioneer  life  these  people  got  their  full  share.  Although 
coming  from  the  so-called  better  class  in  the  old  country  and  being  as 
such  unaccustomed  to  hard  work  and  privations,  they  never  lost  heart. 


THE  PINE  LAKE  SETTLEMENT  ^9 

but  labored  arduously  on,  breaking  ground,  cutting  down  trees,  build- 
ing fences,  patching  up  their  dwelling,  and  building  a  shed  for  their 
yoke  of  oxen  and  one  cow.  The  settlers  celebrated  their  first  Christmas 
in  America  with  joy  and  contentment  over  the  things  already  accom- 
plished but  with  tender  memories  of  the  old  home  and  those  left  behind. 

The  winter  was  bitterly  cold,  with  severe  storms  and  much  snow, 
and  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  could  not  begin  until  late  in  April.  That 
spring  Polman,  who  had  shared  the  cabin  with  the  others,  left  them  to 
begin  the  practice  of  medicine  in  a  more  populous  neighborhood  a  few 
miles  away.  He  had  studied  medicine  in  Sweden  and  proved  quite 
successful,  possessing,  as  he  did,  a  far  greater  knowledge  of  the  pro- 
fession than  the  average  doctor  in  the  West  at  that  time. 

The  Swedes  at  Pine  Lake  gradually  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
surrounding  settlers,  and  in  the  late  spring  they  had  a  visit  from  an 
American  clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  Church  who  had  started  a  mission 
a  few  miles  distant. 

True,  these  early  settlers  did  not  always  have  food  in  plenty,  nor 
of  the  most  nourishing  kind,  but  they  never  suffered  actual  want. 
Game  was  plentiful  in  the  surrounding  forests,  and  occasional  hunting 
trips  were  made  with  good  results.  Fishing  in  the  lake  also  proved 
profitable  to  the  family  larder.  The  cow  supplied  all  the  milk  needed, 
and  through  barter  and  trade  with  the  neighbors  several  pigs,  a  quan- 
tity of  corn,  potatoes,  rutabagas  and  other  necessaries  were  procured. 

One  day  the  settlers  were  surprised  by  some  very  distinguished 
visitors  viz.,  Baron  Thott  from  Skane,  Mr.  E.  Bergvall  from  Goteborg, 
and  one  Wadman,  a  retired  merchant  from  Norrkoping.  The  baron 
and  Mr.  Bergvall  each  purchased  a  piece  of  land  in  the  neighborhood, 
while  Mr.  Wadman  returned  to  Milwaukee  to  seek  employment  in  some 
line  of  business.  About  the  same  time  one  B.  Peterson,  a  shoemaker, 
arrived,  obtained  lodging  with  TJnonius,  and  began  to  ply  his  trade  in 
the  settlement. 

New  settlers  thus  kept  coming,  but  the  main  influx  began  when 
Unonius  in  correspondences  to  Swedish  newspapers  described  the  con- 
ditions in  Wisconsin,  and  especially  the  facilities  offered  emigrants  to 
acquire  their  own  homes.  Not  only  Swedes,  but  Norwegians  and  Danes 
emigrated  and  settled  there.  Among  the  first  to  arrive  from  Sweden 
was  a  lieutenant  in  the  army,  a  good  singer,  who  often  cheered  the 
hearts  of  the  colonists  by  singing  the  songs  and  ditties  of  their  father- 
land. Ivar  Hagberg,  his  traveling  companion,  came  there  for  a  visit, 
bought  a  piece  of  land,  but  for  some  reason  was  compelled  to  return  to 
Sweden,  and  never  came  back.  Among  other  Swedish  visitors  to  the 
settlement  about  this  time  were  one  Ihrmark,  a  man  of  sixty,  who  had 
settled  in  Illinois,  and  a  man  from  Goteborg,  by  the  name  of  0.  E. 
Dreutzer.  The  latter  lived  for  many  years  in  Wisconsin,  attaining  a 


i  go 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


respected  position  in  his  community.  Another  Swede,  named  Erick 
Wester,  a  veritable  adventurer,  whose  true  name  was  supposed  to  be 
Westergren,  visited  the  colony  in  the  alleged  capacity  of  a  Methodist 
minister,  preaching  here  and  there  in  the  homes,  but  without  note- 
worthy success.  Entirely  destitute,  he  left  Wisconsin  in  1850  for  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Princeton,  where  he  fell  into  bad  repute  among  his 
fellow  countrymen  on  account  of  repeated  acts  of  fraud  and  dishonesty 
in  business.  From  Princeton  he  went  to  Dallas,  Texas,  and  his  career 
is  little  known  from  that  time  on.  This  adventurer  will  reappear  in 
another  part  of  this  history. 

Some  time  later,  a  student  from  Vestergotland,  Bjorkander  by 
name,  and  a  number  of  others  arrived  from  Sweden  and  settled  at  Pine 
Lake.  Simultaneously,  many  Norwegians,  hardy,  industrious  folk,  but 
mostly  without  means,  came  there  directly  from  their  native  land.  The 
Swedes  settled  east  and  the  Norwegians  west  of  the  lake,  around  whose 
wooded  shores  thus  sprang  up  a  miniature  Scandinavia.  The  two  na- 
tionalities here,  as  at  home,  had  their  petty  differences,  resulting  in 
frequent  disputes  and  neighborhood  quarrels.  The  Norwegians  sur- 
passed the  Swedes  both  numercially  and  in  point  of  industry  and  enter- 
prise. 

As  previously  indicated,  the  Swedish  settlers  were  mostly  of  the 
bourgeoisie  class,  such  as  army  officers,  college  men,  and  decadent 
noblemen,  all  of  whom  were  unaccustomed  to  work  in  the  old  country 
and,  when  driven  to  it  by  necessity  in  the  new  land,  soon  tired  of  a 
task  that  seemed  to  them  both  odius  and  barren  of  immediate  returns. 
For  these  reasons  many  remained  in  the  colony  only  a  short  time,  leav- 
ing for  other  parts  in  the  hope  of  better  prospects  or  a  change  of  luck. 
Carl  Groth  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  established  himself  as  a 
cigar  and  news  dealer.  The  old  maid-servant  Christine  became  the  wife 
of  a  Norwegian  settler  and  left  the  Unonius  home  to  found  her  own 
household.  In  this  manner  the  settlers  were  dispersed ;  in  a  short  time 
the  founder  of  the  settlement  stood  alone  with  his  faithful  wife  and  the 
children  who  had  grown  up  in  the  course  of  years.  Not  long  after- 
wards, Unonius  himself  deserted  the  colony,  and  the  lands  formerly 
owned  by  the  Swedes  came  into  the  possession  of  Norwegians  and 
Americans. 

To  complete  the  story  of  this  historic  Swedish  settlement,  we  take 
pleasure  in  appending  some  excerpts  from  the  description  given  by 
Fredrika  Bremer,  the  Swedish  authoress,  of  her  visit  to  Pine  Lake. 

It  was  on  a  bright,  warm  Sunday  morning,  Sept.  29,  1850,  that  the 
authoress  arrived,  accompanied  by  Captain  Lange.  The  little  Swedish 
colony  was  already  broken  up,  but  a  half  dozen  families  still  remained, 
earning  their  livelihood  by  farming.  During  the  one  day  she  spent  in 
the  settlement,  several  Swedish  families  were  visited.  All  seemed  to 


THE  PINE  LAKE  SETTLEMENT 


191 


be  in  limited  circumstances,  most  of  them  living  in  log  cabins.  Among 
the  more  fortunate  ones  was  a  blacksmith  and  "one  Mr.  Bergvall,  who 
had  belonged  to  the  genteel  class  in  Sweden,  but  turned  out  an  excellent 
farmer  on  American  soil."  He  had,  continues  the  authoress,  "the 
prettiest,  most  charming  and  amiable  young  wife,  with  cheeks  of  a 
fresh  ruddiness,  such  as  one  seldom  sees  in  America.  This  was  a  happy 


Fredrika    Brenier 

and  cheerful  home,  a  good  Swedish  home  in  the  midst  of  the  American 
wilderness.  The  dinner  of  which  I  partook  was  delicious  in  all  its 
simplicity,  better  than  any  I  had  eaten  in  the  big,  pretentious  American 
hotels.  Delicious  milk,  excellent  bread  and  butter,  the  most  toothsome 
seafowl,  fine  cakes,  the  hearty  hospitality,  the  bright  good  cheer,  and 
the  Swedish  language  well  spoken  by  everyone,  all  these  things  com- 
bined to  make  the  simple  meal  a  veritable  feast."  The  widowed  Mrs. 
Petterson,  mother  of  Mrs.  Bergvall,  lived  in  the  oldest  house  in  the  Pine 
Lake  settlement.  There  Fredrika  Bremer  passed  the  evening  and  the 
following  night.  There  were  gathered  "one  and  twenty  Swedes  who 
spent  the  evening  with  games,  songs  and  dances,  in  genuine  Swedish 


192 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


fashion.  I  felt  happy  to  be  with  these  my  countrymen,  happy  to  find 
them  true  Swedish  folk  still,  although  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  And 
then  I  read  to  the  assembled  company  that  pretty  little  Norse  'Tale 
of  the  Pinetree, '  by  H.  C.  Andersen,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  I  re- 
quested them  to  sing  some  Swedish  folksongs.  The  fresh  Northern 
voices  had  lost  nothing  in  clearness  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  New 
World.  My  heart  filled  with  tenderness  as  the  men,  with  strong,  clear 
voices,  sang:  'Upp,  svear,  for  konung  och  f adernesland, '  and  followed 
it  up  with  several  other  old  patriotic  anthems.  Swedish  hospitality  I 
found  here  as  genuine,  Swedish  mirth  and  song  rang  as  true  as  ever  in 
our  native  land.  Finally  all  joined  in  singing  the  old  hymn :  '  Nu  hvilar 
hela  jorden, '  whereupon  all  broke  up,  bidding  each  other  goodbye  with 
firm  clasping  of  hands  and  hearty  good  wishes. ' ' 

The  first  Swedish  Lutheran  clergyman  in  America  since  the  time  of 
the  Delaware  colony  for  a  time  lived  and  labored  in  the  Pine  Lake 
settlement.  His  name  was  Peter  Vilhelm  Bockman.  He  was  born 
Dec.  5,  1806,  and  was  the  son  of  a  clergyman  in  the  parish  of  Soder- 
Hviddinge,  in  the  province  of  Skane.  He  was  graduated  from  college 
in  1824  and  entered  the  ministry  several  years  later.  With  the  aid  of 
private  persons  in  Sweden,  he  came  to  this  country,  presumably  in 
1844,  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Scandinavian  emigrants, 
and  eventually  drifted  to  the  settlement  at  Pine  Lake.  Without  suc- 
cess, he  sought  to  unite  the  settlers  into  one  congregation,  thereby  caus- 
ing a  conflict  with  Unonius.  After  having  vainly  sought  admission  to 
the  American  Episcopal  Church,  he  visited  various  Swedish  settlements 
as  a  traveling  physician,  having  studied  medicine  in  his  youth.  Finally 
he  returned  to  Sweden,  where  he  died  in  Goteborg,  Oct.  3,  1850. 
Bockman  seems  to  have  been  a  man  actuated  by  pure  motives  but  lack- 
ing in  energy  and  the  genius  of  organization,  qualities  indispensable  to 
a  clergyman,  especially  in  the  days  of  the  pioneers. 

Before  concluding  this  sketch,  we  are  constrained  to  add  that  the 
letters  of  Unonius,  which  appeared  in  Swedish  newspapers,  besides 
inducing  emigration  by  members  of  the  Swedish  bourgeoisie,  caused  a 
company  of  fifty  persons  to  emigrate  from  Haurida,  in  Smaland.  The 
voyage  was  made  in  the  sailing  vessel  "Superior"  which  landed  them 
at  Boston  after  ten  weeks.  All  but  one  traveled  from  Boston  to  She- 
boygan,  Wis.,  and  thence  scattered  to  various  parts  of  the  state.  Next 
to  that  of  Unonius,  this  was  the  earliest  company  of  Swedish  emigrants 
during  the  eighteenth  century. 

Unonius  and  his  family  at  length  removed  to  Chicago.  His  further 
career  will  be  recounted  later  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the 
Swedish  Episcopal  Church  in  Illinois.  We  now  proceed  to  tell  the 
story  of  another  member  of  the  Pine  Lake  colony,  one  who,  like 


P.  VON  SCHNEIDAU  I93 

Unonius,  was  destined  to  play  a  prominent  part  among  the  earliest 
Swedes  in  Illinois. 

P.  von  Schneidau,  First  Swedish  Vice-Consul  in  Chicago 

Polycarpus  von  Schneidau  was  born  in  1812,  being  the  son  of 
Major  von  Schneidau  of  Kisa,  Ostergotland.  While  still  a  very  young 
man,  he  was  enrolled  in  the  Svea  Artillery,  and  was  soon  made  lieuten- 
ant. As  such,  he  served  at  Fort  Vaxholm  during  the  summer  of  1833, 
when  he  became  one  of  the  chief  actors  in  an  episode  which  attracted 
much  attention  at  the  time. 

That  summer  certain  naval  surveys  were  carried  on  in  the  Baltic 
sea  by  the  mutual  agreement  between  the  Swedish  and  the  Russian 
governments.  The  chief  of  the  Russian  section,  M.  Schubert,  when  the 
operations  brought  them  near  Stockholm,  expressed  a  desire  to  visit 
the  Swedish  capital.  King  Charles  XIV.  John  granted  the  request  and 
sent  orders  to  Col.  Anders  Israel  Pancheen,  the  commander  at  Fort 
Vaxholm,  to  permit  the  Russian  flagship  "Hercules"  to  pass  the  fort 
unmolested.  The  royal  orders,  however,  did  not  relieve  the  ship  of  the 
ordinary  duties  of  warcraft,  such  as  laying  to  under  the  walls  of  a 
fort  in  order  to  report  to  its  commander  and  show  its  papers. 

So  one  day  a  warship  hove  in  sight  in  the  channel  and  approached 
Vaxholm  with  a  full  head  of  steam.  The  Russian  flag  designated  it?. 
nationality,  but  nothing  served  to  indicate  that  it  was  the  "Hercules." 
When  the  steamer  got  within  reach  of  the  guns  of  the  fort,  still  going 
with  full  speed,  it  was  signaled  to  stop,  but  paid  no  attention  to  the 
warning.  This  was  a  breach  of  international  naval  law  and  a  gratui- 
tous insult  to  the  flag  that  waved  above  the  ramparts  of  the  Swedish 
fort.  Consequently,  the  commander  ordered  Lieutenant  von  Schneidau 
to  open  fire  on  the  foreigner.  Two  shots  were  fired  as  a  warning,  but 
without  the  desired  effect.  The  man  of  war  steamed  ahead  undis- 
turbed. Then  the  commander  ordered  the  lieutenant  to  aim  at  the 
wheelhouse  of  the  intruder  and  fire.  The  order  was  carried  out  to  the 
letter.  Lieutenant  von  Schneidau  himself  fired  the  shot,  which  shat- 
tered the  wheelhouse  of  the  "Hercules"  into  smithereens.  Consterna- 
tion reigned  on  deck,  and  a  few  moments  later  a  boat  shot  out  from  the 
side  of  the  damaged  ship  and  made  directly  for  shore  under  the  walls 
of  the  fort.  An  officers  stepped  ashore,  hurried  to  the  commander  and 
explained  indignantly  that  the  vessel  was  the  "Hercules,"  which  had 
permission  to  pass.  Col.  Pancheen  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  ex- 
pressed regret  at  not  being  informed  of  the  fact  in  the  regular  way.  A 
quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  Russian  officer  had  returned  on  board,  two 
boats,  one  from  the  fort,  the  other  from  the  "Hercules,"  started  in  a 
race  for  Stockholm.  In  the  former  was  Lieutenant  von  Schneidau,  in 
the  latter  the  same  officer  who  had  carried  the  message  to  the  fort.  The 


194 


THE  FIRST  SWEDES 


Swedish  lieutenant  urged  his  men  to  the  utmost  exertion,  and  won  the 
race.  Arriving  in  Stockholm,  he  hastened  to  Count  Magnus  Brahe, 
the  king's  interpreter  and  confidential  adviser,  told  his  story,  and 
requested  the  count  to  repeat  it  to  the  king.  Count  Brahe,  greatly 
excited,  at  once  sought  the  presence  of  his  majesty.  A  few  moments 
later.  Lieutenant  von  Schneidau  was  called  in  and  asked  to  give  a 
minute  account  of  what  had  transpired.  When  he  told  of  the  effective 
shot  at  the  foreigner's  wheelhouse,  the  old  monarch  showed  signs  of 


Polycarpus  von  Schneidau 

pleasure  and  requested  the  narrator  to  carry  back  a  royal  greeting  to 
Col.  Pancheen  and  tell  him  that  he  had  acted  like  a  man  and  that  the 
king  was  entirely  satisfied  with  the  affair.  When  von  Schneidau  left 
the  royal  palace,  he  met  the  Russian  minister,  accompanied  by  the 
officer  from  the  " Hercules,"  hurrying  to  lodge  their  complaints  with 
the  same  high  tribunal. 

Lieutenant  von  Schneidau  was  a  gallant  officer,  eminently  fitted  for 
his  calling,  nevertheless,  his  military  career  was  soon  interrupted.  He 
was  compelled  to  resign  and  leave  his  country  almost  a  fugitive,  not  on 
account  of  any  crime,  but  for  the  mere  act  of  marrying  a  Jewess  below 


P.  VON  SCHNEIDAU 


195 


his  station  in  life,  and  thereby,  as  it  was  held,  putting  a  blot  on  the 
honor  of  the  military  corps.  It  Avill  be  remembered  that  at  this  time 
the  Jews  did  not  enjoy  the  rights  and  the  social  position  and  privileges 
in  Sweden  since  accorded  them.  Lieutenant  von  Schneidau  had  an 
early  acquaintance  with  Unonius,  and  in  1842  joined  his  little  colony, 
purchasing  a  piece  of  land  at  the  south  end  of  the  lake.  His  wife  and 
her  mother  arrived  later  and  for  a  time  all  found  a  home  in  the  log 
cabin  of  Unonius. 

The  young  officer's  prospects  of  success  here  were  scant.  He  was 
not  fitted  for  farming,  an  old  injury  to  one  of  his  legs  incapacitating 
him  for  physical  labor.  Circumstances  conspired  against  him,  and  in 
1845  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  hoped  more  easily  to  earn  a 
living.  His  presumption  proved  correct.  Being  a  skillful  civil  engi- 
neer, he  soon  obtained  profitable  employment.  When  in  1848  work  be- 
gan on  the  first  railroad  out  of  Chicago,  the  Chicago  and  Galena  Rail- 
way, now  a  branch  of  the  Northwestern  system,  von  Schneidau  was 
made  superintendent  of  construction.  On  her  American  tour  under 
the  management  of  P.  T.  Barnum,  in  1850.  Jenny  Lind,  the  great 
singer,  furnished  von  Schneidau  the  money  wherewith  to  purchase  a 
French  daguerreotype  apparatus  with  supplies,  and  he  then  established 
a  daguerreotype  studio,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Chicago  and,  doubtless, 
in  the  entire  West.  He  thus  became  the  pioneer  photographer  in  this 
part  of  the  country. 

After  Swedish  and  Norwegian  immigration  to  Chicago  and  vicinity 
had  acquired  greater  proportions  in  the  early  fifties,  von  Schneidau 
was  appointed  Swedish  and  Norwegian  vice  consul  here  in  1854,  being 
the  first  to  hold  that  office.  His  official  duties  he  discharged  with  the 
greatest  efficiency.  The  numerous  immigrants,  many  of  whom  were 
poor  or  afflicted  with  sickness,  found  in  him  a  friend  and  benefactor. 
In  his  work  for  the  welfare  of  his  countrymen  he  had  in  his  faithful 
wife  an  able  assistant,  who  has  been  described  as  a  loveable  and  noble- 
hearted  woman. 

Von  Schneidau 's  illness  was  gradually  aggravated,  and  soon  he  was 
unable  to  attend  to  his  consular  duties.  He  consequently  resigned  the 
office,  to  which  his  old  friend  Unonius  succeeded.  On  Dec.  28,  1859, 
von  Schneidau  died,  not  quite  forty-eight  years  of  age.  His  wife  had 
passed  away  the  year  before.  This  venerable  pair  is  still  cherished  in 
loving  remembrance  by  the  early  Swedish  citizens  of  Chicago. 

As  the  letters  of  Unonius,  published  in  the  newspapers  of  the  old 
country,  had  caused  the  exodus  of  a  company  of  emigrants  from 
Smaland,  so  von  Schneidau 's  letters  to  his  father  in  Kisa,  Ostergotland, 
early  induced  emigration  from  that  part  of  Sweden.  The  contents  of 
these  letters  were  reported  far  and  wide  throughout  the  neighborhood, 
giving  rise  to  much  speculation  as  to  the  great  West  and  the  promises 


196  THE  FIRST  SWEDES 

it  held  out  to  settlers.  Discussion  soon  ripened  into  decision  with  some 
of  the  most  determined  ones,  who  emigrated  under  the  leadership  of 
one  Peter  Hassel,  a  miller.  Besides  Hassel,  the  company  consisted  of 
Peter  Andersson,  his  brother-in-law,  one  John  Danielson,  a  Mr.  Berg, 
and  an  old  sailor  by  the  name  of  Dahlberg,  the  last  two  from  Stock- 
holm, and  one  Akerman,  who  had  served  in  the  American  army,  making 
five  families  ail  told.  They  made  the  voyage  in  1845  in  the  brig 
"Superb,"  embarking  at  Goteborg  and  landing  at  New  York.  Their 
original  intention  was  to  go  to  Wisconsin,  presumably  to  Pine  Lake, 
but  in  New  York  they  were  told  that  they  could  find  more  suitable  soil 
in  Iowa,  so  they  changed  their  destination.  They  traveled  first  to 
Philadelphia,  thence  to  Pittsburg,  where  they  took  passage  on  a  steamer 
down  the  Ohio  River,  and  then  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  as  far  as 
Burlington,  Iowa.  From  that  point  they  journeyed  forty-two  miles 
over  the  country  and  founded  New  Sweden,  in  Jefferson  county,  the 
first  Swedish  settlement  in  Iowa.  During  the  following  years  new 
groups  of  immigrants  from  the  same  part  of  Sweden  kept  continually 
coming;  soon  there  sprang  up  neighboring  settlements  known  as  Swede 
Point,  in  Boone  county,  and  Bergholm,  in  Wapello  county.  This  opened 
the  way  to  the  influx  of  Swedes  into  Iowa  during  the  subsequent  dec- 
ades, both  directly  from  the  old  country  and  from  the  earlier  settle- 
ments in  Illinois. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Bishop  Hill  Colony 

ILarly    History  of  EriH.  Janssonism 

BOUT  1840,  there  arose  in  Helsingland,  Sweden,  a 
peculiar  religious  sect,  named  Erik  Janssonists  from  the 
founder,  a  farmer  by  the  name  of  Erik  Jansson.  In 
order  that  the  reader  may  fully  understand  the  origin  of 
the  sect,  it  is  necessary  to  describe  briefly  the  religious 
conditions  in  that  province  just  before  and  at  the  time  of  Erik  Jans- 
son's  public  appearance. 

At  that  time  spiritual  decadence  was  general  throughout  Helsing- 
land. Whisky  distilling,  as  yet  a  lawful  business  for  the  peasantry, 
was  carried  on  at  almost  every  farmhouse,  and  drunkenness  aided  in 
brutalizing  the  minds  and  destroying  domestic  happiness.  Particularly 
were  the  young  people  notorious  for  their  unlicensed  behavior.  Brawls, 
thefts,  and  nocturnal  orgies  were  common  occurrences.  The  sturdiness 
and  immutability  characteristic  of  the  Helsingland  peasantry  by  no 
means  served  to  mollify  their  brutality.  Indeed,  there  were  many 
outwardly  pious  folk,  but  their  piety  consisted  primarily  in  observing 
certain  religious  customs,  such  as  attending  divine  worship  and  par- 
taking of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Many  of  the  ministers  were  persons  who 
made  light  of  their  duties  as  keepers  of  the  flock.  The  majority  of 
them  lived  a  life  of  outward  decency,  but  others  showed  even  in  their 
manners  by  what  spirit  they  were  governed,  and  not  a  few  were  steeped 
in  drunkenness;  others  were  so  absorbed  in  political  and  municipal 
affairs  or  in  agricultural  pursuits  that  they  neglected  the  duties  of 
their  calling. 

In  all  this  spiritual  darkness,  however,  there  were  certain  glimpses 
of  light.  For  half  a  century  the  province  had  been  the  field  of  religious 
movements  of  various  kinds,  and  although  these  had  resulted  in  strife 
and  disruption  in  many  places,  yet  in  a  part  of  the  population  here  and 
there  in  the  villages  they  had  awakened  and  sustained  a  true  Christian 
life.  The  better  class  of  ministers  took  an  intelligent  view  of  these 


I98  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

movements  and  encouraged  them  so  far  as  seemed  permissible.  Here 
as  elsewhere  the  pietistic  movement,  or  revivalism,  resulted  in  religious 
gatherings,  called  conventicles.  People  began  to  gather  in  private 
houses  for  mutual  edification,  devoting  themselves  to  singing  and  pray- 
ing, studying  the  Word  of  God,  and  discoursing  on  religious  subjects. 
These  gatherings  were  styled  "samlingar"  (meetings),  and  the  par- 
ticipants were  nicknamed  "lasare"  (readers),  for  their  zealous  study 
of  religious  books.  The  same  name  was  soon  applied  to  the  follow- 
ers of  any  revivalist  movement  in  Sweden,  no  matter  what  was  its 
origin. 

While  several  of  the  more  earnest  and  devoted  clergymen  allied 
themselves  with  the  "readers,"  watched  over  their  meetings,  and 
guided  them  in  their  Bible  studies  and  their  worship,  the  worldly- 
minded  portion  of  the  clergy  took  either  an  indifferent  or  an  inimical 
position  anent  the  movement.  Instead  of  endeavoring,  through  instruc- 
tion and  a  kindly  disposition,  to  lead  aright  the  souls  .that  felt  spiritual 
hunger  and  thirst,  they  looked  upon  the  conventicles  as  dangerous 
manifestations  of  dissension  which  ought  to  be  suppressed  by  the  aid  of 
the  law.  In  many  instances  the  so-called  Conventicle  Placard*  of  1726 
was  used  as  a  means  to  this  end.  These  attempts  to  assuage  by  injunc- 
tions and  fines  the  thirst  for  spiritual  enlightenment,  which  the  people 
sought  to  quench  at  the  fountain  of  Holy  Writ  and  other  religious 
writings,  since  the  average  clergyman  offered  them  no  other  spiritual 
nourishment  than  the  ordinary  sermons,  which  the  common  people 
found  dry  and  incomprehensible,  seemed  to  the  "readers"  harsh  and 
unreasonable ;  and  there  was  justice  in  their  complaint  over  the  fact 
that  while  gatherings  in  private  houses  for  the  purpose  of  gambling, 
dancing,  and  other  worldly  pleasures  were  left  unmolested,  it  was 
considered  a  crime  to  hold  private  meetings  to  praise  and  worship  God. 

In  defiance  of  the  letter  of  the  law,  the  "readers"  held  their 
private  religious  meetings,  taking  the  ground  that  so  long  as  they  were 
not  guilty  of  heresy,  the  law  did  not  apply.  Holding  as  they  did  that 
the  preaching  of  an  unregenerate  clergy  could  bear  no  good  fruit,  they 
recognized  ministers  of  proven  piety  only.  Although  the  conventicle 
law  charged  the  clergy  with  the  duty  of  conducting  meetings  in  private 
houses,  yet  devout  ministers  who  took  the  conventicles  in  their  own 
hands  would  frequently  incur  the  disfavor  of  the  consistories,  and 
worldly-minded  or  bigoted  clergymen  usually  led  in  the  persecution 
of  the  ' '  readers. ' ' 

It  is  not  surprising  that  members  of  congregations  having  such 
ministers  sought  to  satisfy  their  spiritual  cravings  by  reading  such 

*  A  law  designed  to  prevent  the  spread  of  heresy  by  forbidding  all  religious 
gatherings  not  conducted  by  the  clergy,  or  by  parents,  employers  or  heads  of 
households  exclusively  for  their  own  families  and  subordinates.  Infractions  were 
punishable  by  fines,  imprisonment  and  banishment. 


ERIK  JANSSONISM  I99 

religious  books  as  they  had  and  by  listening  to  preachers  who  arose 
from  among  the  common  people  and  claimed  to  give  that  which  the 
clergy  was  unable  to  bestow.  The  bitter  attacks  made  by  some  of  the 
pietist  writers  ofttimes  begot  a  fanatical  hatred  of  the  established 
church  forms,  and  their  criticisms  of  the  conduct  of  the  clergy 
frequently  gave  rise  to  wholesale  denunciations  of  the  state  church. 

The  consequences  of  these  religious  movements  were  not  slow  to 
manifest  themselves.  In  the  parishes  where  the  clergy  had  taken  active 
part  in  the  revival  and  gained  the  confidence  of  the  "readers"  by 
superintending  and  participating  in  the  meetings,  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  population  soon  became  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures  and  capable 
of  successfully  combating  any  false  teachings  that  self-appointed 
preachers  might  attempt  to  spread ;  but  in  many  places  the  peasantry 
had  been  left  entirely  to  themselves  and  had  become  accustomed  to 
listen  to  revivalist  preachers  of  various  kinds,  men  of  the  working  class, 
often  without  culture  or  experience,  but  endoAved  with  a  certain  readi- 
ness of  speech  and  an  ample  measure  of  self-assertiveness,  who  claimed 
to  have  become  regenerated  and  to  be  under  the  direct  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  By  their  hideous  depictions  of  hell  and  the  sufferings  of  the 
condemned,  and  by  scathing  denunciations  of  all  those  whose  views 
differed  from  their  own,  they  contrived  to  hold  their  followers 
completely  in  their  .power,  and  masses  of  people  followed  them  untir- 
ingly from  place  to  place,  from  parish  to  parish.  The  "readers" 
possessed  a  certain  amount  of  scriptural  knowledge,  but  their  reading 
was  generally  limited  to  modern  religious  writings;  the  Bible,  being 
considered  too  difficult  a  book  for  the  unlettered,  was  read  only  in 
exceptional  cases  or  brought  out  as  authority,  when,  in  the  meetings, 
some  one  sought  to  clinch  some  particular  assertion  or  give  added  force 
to  an  admonition.  For  these  reasons  the  revivalism  of  the  Helsingland 
parishes  was  misdirected  and  became  one-sided.  It  was  not  always 
characterized  by  that  spiritual  soundness,  vitality,  self-sacrificing  love, 
kindness  and  forbearance,  inseparable  from  the  true  life  of  faith,  but 
frequently  bred  bigotry,  intolerance,  hypocrisy  and  self-righteousness. 

These  conditions  had  paved  the  way  for  a  lay  preacher  of  extra- 
ordinary power,  who  at  first  taught  in  full  accord  with  the  doctrines, 
though  not  the  practices,  of  the  state  church  and  the  beliefs  of  the 
"readers,"  but  soon  departed  from  the  tenets  of  both,  headed  a  new 
sect,  was  charged  with  heresy  and  presently  found  himself  in  open 
warfare  with  the  authorities  of  church  and  state.  This  religious  leader. 
a  rather  remarkable  character  in  Swedish  church  history,  was  Erik 
Jansson — farmer,  preacher,  self-styled  prophet,  ambassador  of  God 
and  restorer  of  the  true  Christian  faith. 


200  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

EriK  Jansson's  Yo\itK  and  First  Public  Appearance 

Erik  Jansson  was  born  December  19,  1808,  in  the  village  of  Lands- 
berga,  in  Biskopskulla  parish,  Upland.  His  parents,  Jan  Mattsson,  a 
farmer,  and  his  wife  Sara  Eriksson,  lived  in  Thorstuna,  but  after  their 
marriage  in  1802  they  rented  a  small  farm  in  Landsberga.  To  them 
were  born  four  sons,  Johan,  Erik,  Peter  and  Karl,  and  one  daughter, 
Anna  Katarina.  In  1820  they  moved  back  to  Thorstuna,  and  lived  there 
until  1838,  when  Jan  Mattsson,  who  had  improved  his  condition  materi- 
ally by  diligent  application,  purchased  a  farm,  called  Klockaregarden, 
in  Osterunda  parish  of  the  same  province,  where  he  lived  with  his 
family  until  his  death  in  November,  1843,  the  estate  then  passing  to  his 
children.  His  boyhood  and  youth  Erik  Jansson  spent  at  home.  As  a 
boy  of  eight,  he  was  one  day  engaged  in  doing  some  hauling,  when  the 
horse  took  fright  and  ran  away,  overturning  the  wagon  and  throwing 
the  boy  violently  to  the  ground,  at  which  he  received  so  hard  a  blow 
on  the  head  that  for  several  weeks  he  hovered  between  life  and  death. 
For  many  years  after  his  recovery  the  boy  suffered  from  severe  head- 
aches. This  accident  seemed  to  have  had  a  marked  effect  on  his  mind. 
After  that  he  was  different  from  other  children  of  his  age,  he  avoided 
his  former  companions,  and  sought  out  some  secluded  spot  where  he 
would  spend  hours  in  tearful  prayer.  He  claimed  to  be  the  most 
unhappy  of  children,  for  he  could  not,  like  them,  join  with  zest  in  games 
and  amusements.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  prepared  for  admit- 
tance to  the  holy  communion.  To  him  this  was  a  period  of  comparative 
peace  of  mind;  the  youth  sought  spiritual  solace  in  the  reading  of  the 
Bible  and  other  religious  books.  However,  he  soon  ceased,  and  when 
his  old  fears  returned  he  vainly  endeavored  to  dissipate  them  by  joining 
the  young  people  in  dancing  parties  and  similar  amusements. 

The  parents  resented  the  "silly  notions"  of  their  son  and  kept  him 
hard  at  work,  thinking  that  this  would  cure  him.  But  the  remedy  had 
quite  the  contrary  effect.  He  continued  his  melancholy  ponderings  and, 
besides,  was  taken  physically  ill  with  a  severe  attack  of  rheumatism. 
Things  went  on  in  this  way  until  the  summer  of  1830,  when  Erik 
Jansson  experienced  his  conversion  proper.  While  on  his  way  to  the 
field  one  day  with  his  father's  horse,  he  had  an  acute  attack  of  his  com- 
plaint. Dismounting,  he  fell  to  the  ground  and  lay  for  a  while 
helpless.  Then,  according  to  his  own  assertion,  he  heard  a  voice, 
saying:  "It  is  written,  whatsoever  ye  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  that 
ye  shall  receive,  for  all  is  possible  to  him  that  believeth ;  and  when  ye 
cry,  I  shall  answer,  saith  the  Lord."  At  that  he  arose  to  his  knees 
and  prayed  long  and  fervently ;  and  from  that  moment  he  was  entirely 
rid  of  his  malady. 

In  another  sense,  that  moment  was  of  still  greater  significance  to 
Erik  Jansson,  for  then  and  there  his  spiritual  conversion  was  accom- 


ERIK  JANSSONISM  2OI 

plished,  according  to  the  narrative  found  in  his  autobiography.  Sorely 
oppressed  by  his  burden  of  sin,  here  in  the  solitude,  he  fled  to  Christ 
and  felt  that  he  had  obtained  remission  of  his  sins  and  mental  peace. 

It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  how  complete  was  this  regeneration, 
but  that  it  was  not  a  mere  sham  seems  evident  from  the  discourses  on 
divine  themes  written  by  him  about  this  time.  However,  Erik  Jansson 
was  not  satisfied  with  the  fact  that  he  himself  was  awakened  to 
spiritual  life;  he  wanted  others  to  be  similarly  awakened  and,  there- 
fore, began  the  very  next  day  after  his  conversion  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  those  about  him.  He  continued  preaching  thus  for  four  years. 
Meanwhile  he  sought,  by  home  study,  to  add  to  his  stock  of  knowledge, 
particularly  as  regards  religious  topics.  Although  Erik  Jansson  spent 
much  time  in  reading,  still  he  did  not  neglect  his  work,  since  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  mostly  at  night.  His  favorite  studies,  aside  from  the 
Bible,  were  the  works  of  Luther,  Arndt,  Nohrborg,  Murbeck  and  other 
religious  writers,  with  whom  he  thus  became  thoroughly  familiar. 

These  studies,  however,  imbued  Erik  Jansson  with  a  true  sense  of 
his  own  insignificance  in  the  field  of  Lutheran  teaching,  so  he  deter- 
mined to  discontinue  preaching  altogether.  It  was  especially  from 
reading  "True  Christianity,"  by  Johan  Arndt,  that  he  was,  at  least 
for  a  time,  cured  of  his  desire  to  preach,  for  he  found  a  passage 
in  that  work  admonishing  people  to  stick  to  their  calling  instead  of 
seeking  to  become  the  teachers  of  others. 

About  this  time,  Erik  Jansson  married  Maria  Kristina  Larsson,  a 
servant  to  his  parents,  who,  like  himself,  was  a  devoted  student  of  the 
Bible.  The  parents  obstinately  opposed  the  match  for  a  long  time, 
until  circumstances  forced  them  to  permit  the  union.  At  this  they 
took  still  greater  offense,  and  when  the  son  set  up  his  own  household 
they  dismissed  him  curtly,  a  cow  and  a  pig  being  the  only  dower. 
He  was  not  discouraged,  but  began  life  on  his  own  account  by  renting 
part  of  a  farm  in  Vappeby,  also  going  into  business  in  a  small  way  as  a 
grain  dealer  in  company  with  his  oldest  brother.  He  soon  earned  the 
reputation  of  being  the  best  farmer  in  the  neighborhood,  and  in  spite 
of  several  crop  failures  he  had  done  so  well  that  in  1838  he  was  able  to 
purchase  the  Lotorp  estate,  near  Sankarby,  in  Osterunda  parish,  for 
one  thousand  crowns  in  cash.  Here  he  is  said  to  have  lived  in  quiet 
seclusion  for  a  time,  working  diligently  on  the  farm,  and  trying  to 
live  the  life  of  a  humble  Christian.  At  times,  however,  his  former 
desire  to  preach  returned,  when  he  would  publicly  expound  the 
Scriptures  with  power  and  ability,  acquired  doubtless  through  his 
extensive  reading. 

The    ILriH.   Jansson   Dissenters 

In  the  year  1840  occurred  what  Erik  Jansson  himself  has  termed 
his  second  conversion.  Together  with  his  youngest  brother,  Karl,  he 


2O2 


THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 


went  to  the  October  fair  in  Upsala  to  sell  cattle.  The  rowdy  and 
ungodly  conduct  of  the  people  attending  the  fair  impressed  him  in  a 
manner  to  awaken  anew  his  desire  to  preach.  Upon  his  return  home, 
he  consulted  his  pastor,  Rev.  J.  J.  Risberg,  in  the  matter  and  from  him 
received  the  advice  to  follow  the  inner  call.  About  this  time  he 
deserted  Luther,  Arndt,  as  well  as  all  other  religious  authors,  for 
which  he  conceived  an  intense  hatred,  and  kept  to  the  Bible  alone. 
Then  he  noted  the  overwhelming  power  and  simplicity  of  Holy  Writ, 
as  compared  with  other  writings,  and  he  soon  acquired  the  fixed  con- 
viction that  the  Bible  alone  ought  to  be  read.*  In  the  community  where 


<W  ^^^^^^(Jla^u^ja,  .  W&r-i;  7/tu  £L*Ja^  <y£a/ 

r_  '^W     +™  x  V  /  /  '/„  /0 


<  duast^^&^??^0ft?+e^  (i/tjb^%&&tv 


Fac-Simile  of  Page  from  Erik  Jansson's  Church  Prayers 

he  lived  were  held  meetings  at  which  Erik  Jansson  often  appeared 
together  with  Risberg.  This  man  as  wTell  as  C.  C.  Estenberg,  the 
adjunct  clergyman  of  the  parish,  publicly  lauded  Erik  Jansson  in  the 
most  cordial  terms,  giving  him  every  encouragement  to  continue  his 
activity. 

*  It  will  be  noticed  that  he  soon  changed  his  mind  on  this  point,  by  publish- 
ing books  of  his  own  From  wholesale  condemnation  of  other  printed  interpreta- 
tions of  the  Bible  to  the  publication  of  his  own,  the  step  was  easy  for  Erik  Jans- 
son, on  the  ground  that  his  was  the  divine  and  only  true  interpretation. 


ERIK  JANSSONISM  203 

Erik  Jansson's  religious  discourses  soon  began  to  show  marked 
divergences  from  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  Sweden.  He  taught 
complete  freedom  from  sin  on  the  part  of  the  true  believer,  maintained 
the  full  and  complete  sanctification  of  the  Christian  once  and  for  all, 
his  inability  to  do  wrong  and  still  remain  a  Christian,  and  held  that 
the  trespasses  spoken  of  in  the  Lord's  Prayer  have  reference  only  to 
the  unregenerate.  This  was  Erik  Jansson's  first  serious  departure  in 
doctrine.  He  defended  his  view  by  means  of  an  ingenious  combination 
of  scriptural  passages,  an  art  which  he  had  completely  mastered.  He 
further  aroused  the  opposition  of  the  clergy  by  claiming  to  be  sent  as 
the  special  messenger  of  God  to  restore  the  true  faith.* 

By  these  contentions  he  aroused  much  adverse  sentiment  in 
(Jsterunda.  The  rumor  that  the  "readers"  were  very  numerous 
in  Helsingland  gave  him  the  idea  that  there  he  might  find 
a  more  receptive  field  of  operation  than  at  home.  For  the 
alleged  purpose  of  selling  wheat  flour,  but  really  to  gain  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  religious  movements  in  those  parts,  he  made  a  trip  to 
Helsingland  in  January,  1843,f  accompanied  by  a  hired  man.  Arriving 
at  Soderala  socken,  at  that  time  one  of  the  hotbeds  of  revivalism,  he 
first  made  inquiries  whether  there  were  any  prominent  religious  teachers 
in  that  locality  and  was  promptly  referred  to  the  peasant  Jonas  Olsson 
of  Ina,  who,  together  with  his  brother  Olof  Olsson  of  Kingsta,  was 
a  revivalist  leader  in  the  parish.  Erik  Jansson  and  his  companion 
obtained  lodging  at  the  house  of  the  former  over  night.  They  arrived 
on  a  Saturday  evening.  Erik  Jansson  at  once  declared  himself  one  of 
the  faithful,  receiving,  nevertheless,  a  somewhat  cool  reception  at  the 
hands  of  the  devout  Jonas  Olsson.  The  following  morning  the  married 
sister  of  the  host  came  to  purchase  some  flour,  but  Erik  Jansson  refused 
to  do  business  on  the  Sabbath.  This  Jonas  Olsson  accepted  as  proof 
positive  that  the  visitor  was  a  true  "reader,"  and  adopted  a  more 
amiable  manner  toward  the  stranger.  Such  was  the  first  meeting 
between  these  two  men,  who  soon  were  to  have  so  many  weighty 
interests  in  common. 

That  Sunday  morning  Erik  Jansson  accompanied  the  host  and  his 
family  to  church,  and  in  the  evening  they  attended  a  meeting  held  in 
the  neighborhood.  Although  requested  by  Jonas  Olsson  to  rise  and 
speak  to  the  assemblage,  Erik  Jansson  sat  quiet  in  his  seat.  After  their 
return  home,  the  two  men  had  a  conversation  regarding  the  meeting, 
which  the  stranger  said  was  not  at  all  to  his  liking,  because  he  had 

*  His  usual  public  declarations  on  this  point  were  these:  "The  new  doctrine 
I  teach  is  of  God;  I  am  sent  by  God;  since  the  time  of  the  Apostles  there  has  been 
no  true  preacher  before  me." 

f  This  accords  with  all  writers  consulted,  except  Eric  Johnson  and  C.  F. 
Peterson,  who  say,  "in  the  spring  of  1842."  If  a  trip  was  made  prior  to  1843,  it 
was  of  no  apparent  consequence. 


204  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

detected  that  the  participants  did  not  hold  themselves  to  the  Bible 
alone.  At  the  meeting  a  portion  had  been  read  out  of  a  postil  and 
subsequently  expounded.  "What  kind  of  Christianity  is  this  you 
have?"  Erik  Jansson  inquired  sternly.  The  next  morning  he  repri- 
manded Jonas  Olsson  for  not  conducting  household  worship.  Hereby 
Erik  Jansson  made  a  profound  impression  on  his  host,  and  from  that 
time  the  latter  and  his  brother  Olof  became  stanch  supporters  of  Erik 
Jansson  and  pillars  of  his  sect.  From  his  own  diary  it  appears  that 
Erik  Jansson  felt  great  inner  satisfaction  at  having  got  even  with  Jonas 
Olsson  for  the  haughty  manner  in  which  he  was  received  at  his  first 
meeting  with  the  peasant  preacher. 

Erik  Jansson  now  continued  his  journey  northward.  In  the  next 
parish,  Norrala,  he  met  Per  Norin,  a  blacksmith,  who  was  the  virtual 
leader  of  the  "readers"  in  that  locality.  His  first  conversation  with 
Erik  Jansson  convinced  him  that  the  latter  was  an  impostor.  When 
they  parted  he  exacted  a  promise  from  him  never  to  return.  This 
exasperated  Erik  Jansson  to  such  an  extent  that  he  broke  forth  in 
execrations  over  the  community  of  Norrala.  Erik  Jansson  now 
journeyed  on  through  Enanger,  Njutanger,  Hudiksvall  and  Helsing- 
tuna,  preaching  everywhere  and  generally  winning  large  numbers  over 
to  his  views.  This  may  be  accounted  for  partly  by  the  fact  that  he 
deviated  only  slightly  from  the  tenets  held  by  the  "readers"  in  these 
parts,  but  what  mostly  impressed  the  multitudes  was  his  ability  to 
speak  for  four  or  five  hours  without  signs  of  exhaustion,  his  abnormal 
memory,  enabling  him  to  quote  almost  any  passage  of  the  Bible  at  will, 
and  his  forcible  advocacy  of  the  Bible  as  the  only  source  from  which 
truth  may  be  derived.  For  the  time  being,  he  shrewdly  concealed  his 
antipathy  to  the  writings  of  Luther,  Arndt,  Nohrborg  and  others. 
After  visiting  Helsingtuna  he  returned  home,  Jonas  Olsson  accompany- 
ing him  as  far  as  Gefle.  Here  several  meetings  were  held,  at  which 
Jonas  Olsson  invariably  was  loud  in  his  praise  of  Erik  Jansson.  When 
in  the  middle  of  February  he  arrived  home  to  Osterunda,  he  was 
warmly  received  by '  Risberg,  who,  however,  warned  him  against 
spiritual  arrogance. 

Erik  Jansson 's  impressions  of  conditions  in  Helsingland  were  so 
favorable  that  he  returned  there  in  the  latter  part  of  February  the 
same  year.  From  Soderala  he  journeyed  northward  together  with 
Jonas  Olsson  to  Enanger,  Njutanger  and  Hudiksvall,  but  did  not  meet 
with  the  same  degree  of  success  as  on  his  former  visit.  His  explanation 
of  this  was  that  the  "readers"  in  Norrala  were  opposing  him,  but  the 
real  reason  was  found  in  his  more  open  departures  from  the  teachings 
of  the  state  church  and  his  bitter  attacks  upon  the  revivalism  of 
the  "readers"  and  the  clergymen  who  upheld  it.  Disgusted  with  his 
meager  success,  he  determined  to  seek  other  fields  for  his  labors,  and, 


ERIK  JANSSONISM 


205 


with  a  girl  from  Delsbo,  Karin  Ersson  of  Nyaker,  acting  as  his  guide, 
he  went  to  Forssa.  From  there  he  went  to  Bjuraker,  where  at  first  he 
was  well  received  by  A.  G.  Sefstrom,  the  parson.  But  this  friendship 
did  not  last,  so  Erik  Jansson  soon  returned  to  Forssa,  where  he  was 
carrying  on  a  vigorous  propaganda  during  the  latter  part  of  March. 


Jonas  Olson,  Trustee  and  Preacher,  in  his  Later  Years 

Accompanied  by  the  girl  Karin  and  a  few  other  women  followers 
he  went  from  place  to  place,  preaching  many  times  a  day.  The  audi- 
ences grew  apace.  His  fiery  invectives  against  the  general  indiffer- 
ence on  the  part  of  the  spiritual  guardians  of  the  people  mightily 
increased  his  popularity.  Yet  there  were  those  who  opposed  him,  the 
principal  opponent  being  a  woman,  Karin  Jonsson  from  Utnas,  who 
traveled  from  village  to  village  antagonizing  and  disproving  Erik  Jans- 
son's  statements.  As  a  result  there  arose  a  vast  amount  of  controversy 
over  the  question  of  Erik  Jansson 's  divine  mission.  His  vindictiveness 


206  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

gained  the  day,  however,  convincing  the  majority  of  the  zealots  that 
he  was  the  special  messenger  of  God. 

Late  in  March  Erik  Jansson  left  Forssa.  After  a  brief  stay  in 
Soderala,  which  brought  him  many  converts,  he  reached  Osterunda  at 
the  end  of  April.  During  his  absence  the  "readers"  had  gained  so 
great  accessions  that  the  king's  bailiff  of  the  district  was  moved  to  have 
an  announcement  read  in  the  Osterunda  church  threatening  the  in- 
stigators of  the  movement  with  arrest  and  fines,  did  they  not  discon- 
tinue their  meetings.  Risberg,  who  had  encouraged  these  gatherings, 
was  warned  to  desist  and  urged  to  counteract  the  movement  by  means 
of  special  biblical  exegeses  in  church  and  the  introduction  of  private 
worship  in  the  homes.  These  warnings  were  not  given  without  cause, 
for  tumults  had  actually  occurred  in  connection  with  the  numerous 
meetings.  Erik  Jansson  was  also  met  by  the  news  that  in  his  absence 
part  of  his  personal  property  had  been  carried  away  by  thieves  and 
that  his  wife  had  been  harshly  treated  by  his  parents.  To  add  to  his 
misfortunes,  Risberg,  in  consequence  of  warnings  received,  had  now 
turned  against  him. 

Erik  Jansson  now  staid  at  home  for  two  months,  attending  to  the 
spring  work  on  his  farm.  About  midsummer,  he  claimed  to  have 
received  the  same  kind  of  a  revelation  that  King  Solomon  had,  accord- 
ing to  I.  Kings  3 :  5.  Like  King  Solomon,  Erik  Jansson  then  prayed  for 
"an  understanding  heart  to  judge  thy  (God's)  people,  that  I  may 
distinguish  good  from  bad,"  and  claimed  to  have  been  given,  like 
Solomon  of  old,  an  understanding  heart  in  response  to  his  prayer. 

Shortly  after  midsummer,  Erik  Jansson  made  another  journey  to 
Helsin gland.  This  time  he  traveled  through  Hanebo,  Bollnas  and 
Jerfso  to  Delsbo  and  Forssa,  in  which  latter  locality  he  went  about 
holding  meetings  in  the  pasture  fields.  In  these  parishes  he  spoke  with 
great  assurance,  claiming,  as  a  result  of  the  new  revelation,  ' '  greater 
light  than  ever  before."  At  a  meeting  in  Delsbo  he  announced  that  he 
and  Rev.  Estenberg  from  Osterunda  were  collaborating  on  a  new  trans- 
lation of  the  Bible,  for  which  he  was  now  taking  subscriptions. 

He  had  unbounded  confidence  in  himself.  In  order  to  command  still 
greater  respect  among  his  followers,  he  attempted  to  imitate  the  Savior 
and  his  apostles  by  performing  miracles.  In  Svedja.  Delsbo  parish, 
there  was  an  old  maid-servant  who  had  been  bedridden  for  years.  When 
Erik  Jansson  learned  of  this  he  at  once  went  to  her  bedside  in  order  to 
cure  her.  Standing  close  to  the  sickbed  he  commanded  the  woman  to 
take  him  by  the  hand  and  repeat  the  words,  "I  believe,"  when  she 
would  be  instantly  cured.  She  did  as  she  was  told,  but  without  any 
effect  whatever;  nevertheless  Erik  Jansson  turned  to  the  bystanders 
praising  God  for  what  had  been  done,  saying  he  had  driven  out  the 


ERIK  JANSSONISM  207 

devil  and  quoting  the  words,  "Today  hath  salvation  come  unto  this 
household." 

In  Kalkbo,  Forssa  parish,  there  was  a  young  man  aged  twenty- 
nine,  a  cripple  who  had  been  bedridden  from  his  childhood.  After 
having  made  the  house  his  headquarters  for  some  time,  Erik  Jansson 
attempted  to  heal  him  in  a. miraculous  manner.  He  predicted  that  on 
midsummer  day  (1844)  the  young  man,  suddenly  cured  of  the  malady, 
would  "leap  like  a  young  deer."  The  invalid  and  his  family  firmly 
believed  this,  and  clothes  were  ordered  for  him,  but  when  the  day 
arrived,  there  was  no  perceptible  change  in  his  condition.  The  failure 
cost  Erik  Jansson  a  number  of  adherents,  and  the  house  was  closed  to 
him  from  that  day.* 

During  a  drouth  in  the  early  summer  of  1845  Erik  Jansson  gave  it 
out  that  there  would  be  no  rain  for  three  years  and  six  months,  as  a 
result  of  his  prayers  to  that  effect.  When  in  July  the  drouth  was 
broken  by  rain,  Erik  Jansson  attempted  to  save  his  reputation  as  a 
prophet  by  explaining  that  out  of  pity  for  the  people  he  had  averted 
the  wrath  of  God  with  a  new  prayer. 

On  his  return  to  Osterunda,  he  was  met  by  opposition  in  many 
quarters.  Then  he  determined  to  sell  his  farm  and  remove  to  Helsing- 
land  to  remain  permanently  among  his  followers  there.  He  sacrificed 
Lotorp  for  900  crowns  for  that  purpose,  but  his  father  having  died,  he 
went  to  live  on  the  paternal  estate  until  April,  1844,  before  removing 
permanently  to  Helsingland.  On  this  journey  he  went  to  Bollnas 
and  thence  to  Delsbo  and  Forssa.  About  this  time  Erik  Jansson 
began  his  so-called  "apostolic  pilgrimages."  At  first  he  was 
followed  only  by  women,  but  soon  men  also  joined  him  at  the  meetings, 
sitting  in  a  semi-circle  around  him  as  a  kind  of  jury,  testifying  to  the 
truth  of  everything  he  said.  Urged  by  several  of  his  followers,  Erik 
Jansson  now  extended  his  operations  to  Alfta  parish,  in  western  Hel- 
singland. Here  he  discovered  a  very  grateful  field  for  his  labors,  it 
having  been  prepared  beforehand  by  traveling  evangelists,  who  had 
held  meetings  of  a  Methodist  character,  so  that  Erik  Jansson 's  doctrine 
of  freedom  from  sin  was  not  entirely  new  to  the  people.  Besides, 
license  and  contempt  for  the  clergy  were  prevalent  in  the  localities 
where  the  so-called  "readers"  were  numerous. 

Under  such  circumstances  it  was  but  natural  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Alfta  would  be  impressed  by  Erik  Jansson 's  spirited  antagonism  of 
the  established  church.  They  were  influenced  all  the  more  easily  by  his 
strong  insistence  on  their  reading  the  Bible  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other 
religious  books.  Step  by  step  marked  his  departure  from  the  estab- 
lished faith.  Gradually  he  began  to  pose  among  them  as  being  especially 

*   This   and    the   following   instance   are   cited    by   Landgren. 


208  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  set  up  his  claim  as  the  restorer  of  the 
pure  Christian  faith. 

Having  gained  the  greatest  number  of  followers  in  northern  Hel- 
singland,  he  decided  to  make  his  home  there.  With  his  wife  and  two 
children,  Erik  and  Mathilda,  he  moved  to  Forssa  in  April,  1844,  shortly 
afterward  purchasing  from  Jon  Olsson  of  Stenbo  the  right  of  home- 
stead at  Lumnas,  a  torp,  or  tenancy,  subject  to  Stenbo.  This  marked 
a  new  epoch  in  the  career  of  Erik  Jansson.  Prior  to  this,  he  had 
merely  been  preaching  to  his  followers,  who  were  scattered  throughout 
the  different  parishes.  Now  these  began  to  form  a  party  or  sect  of 
their  own,  known  as  the  Erik  Janssonists,  their  leader  simultaneously 
adopting  the  title  of  Prophet  and  assuming  the  authority  of  dictator 
and  lawmaker  for  his  faithful.  One  of  his  first  mandates  was  to 
prohibit  them  from  attending  the  regular  church  services,  commanding 
them,  instead,  to  be  present  at  the  meetings  now  regularly  conducted 
by  him. 

The  clergy  and  the  civil  authorities,  considering  the  attitude  now 
assumed  by  Erik  Jansson  all  too  defiant,  called  a  meeting  of  the  parish- 
ioners of  Forssa.  It  was  resolved  to  petition  the  provincial  govern- 
men  to  have  him  arrested  as  a  vagrant  and  brought  back  to 
his  home  parish.  Meanwhile,  Erik  Jansson  went  to  the  southern  part 
of  the  province,  operating  mostly  in  Alfta,  with  brief  excursions  to 
Ofvanaker,  Bollnas  and  Soderala.  He  held  meetings  everywhere, 
posing  as  the  "God-sent  prophet,"  "the  greatest  light  since  the  time 
of  the  Apostles,"  "the  restorer  of  the  true  faith,"  etc.  Almost  every- 
where he  was  received  with  high  enthusiasm,  and  great  masses, 
especially  the  "readers,"  believed  him  blindly.  He  had  now  entirely 
abandoned  the  caution  observed  earlier  in  his  career,  and  when  charged 
with  preaching  doctrines  different  from  his  earlier  teachings,  he 
replied  in  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  that  he  had  "desired  to  win  them 
over  by  cunning."  The  theory  of  sinlessness  was  all  along  the  central 
theme  in  his  doctrine.  To  anyone  who  ventured  to  protest  against  the 
teaching  or  to  dispute  the  divine  mission  of  the  teacher,  he  had  the  set 
retort:  "Thou  art  of  the  devil,"  or,  "Thy  faith  is  of  the  devil," 
proving  the  statement  by  the  assertion :  "It  is  written  in  the  Scriptures, 
the  devils  believe  likewise,  with  fear."  The  way  of  salvation  as  pointed 
out  by  Erik  Jansson  grew  the  more  free  and  easy  according  as  the 
number  of  proselytes  increased.  Reduced  to  its  simplest  terms  it  was 
to  confess  one's  belief  in  the  prophet.  Hardened  sinners,  who  showed 
no  sign  of  repentance,  are  said  to  have  been  shriven  in  this  manner: 
at  the  meetings  he  embraced  the  new  converts,  with  the  query, 
"Wouldst  thou  be  saved?"  If  the  answer  was,  "Yes,"  he  gave  the 
immediate  assurance,  "Thou  art  saved,"  and  Avrote  the  name  of  the 
convert  in  a  book. 


ERIK   JANSSONISM  209 

The  suppressive  measures  of  the  authorities  were  like  an  at- 
tempt to  fight  fire  with  oil.  They  served  to  increase  the  ardor  of  his 
adherents  and  caused  them  to  gather  all  the  closer  around  their  leader, 
declaring  that  no  evil  should  ever  befall  him.  They  loudly  protested 
that  he  was  sent  by  God  and  threatened  blodshed,  should  the  authori- 
ties violate  his  person.  So  far  did  they  go  in  their  devotion  that  they 
promised  to  follow  him  in  death  and  even  into  hell,  should  that  be  his 
ultimate  goal. 

The  alleged  sinless  state  of  the  believers  gave  them  great  latitude 
in  the  matter  of  behavior.  The  prophet  permitted  himself  the  ut- 
most freedom  of  conduct,  and  his  relations  with  his  women  followers 
were  not  always  above  reproach.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1843 
the  aforesaid  Karin  Ersson  traveled  about  with  him,  moved  by  religious 
infatuation.  She  had  implicit  confidence  in  this  "man  of  God"  until  he 
began  to  pay  her  such  attentions  as  seemed  to  her  improper  in  a  married 
man.  When  she  upbraided  him,  he  would  own  to  being  tempted  and 
pray  for  deliverance  from  temptation,  only  to  repeat  the  indecency 
with  growing  boldness.  When  at  length  he  made  her  a  shameless 
proposition  outright  and  was  promptly  repulsed,  he  made  the  insidious 
reply:  "Yes,  but  as  a  true  believer  in  my  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  I  might 
do  this  without  sinning."  He  adjured  her  not  to  say  a  word  about 
the  incident,  as  that  would  be  committing  a  grievous  sin,  and  the  girl 
kept  the  matter  secret  for  some  time.  When  she  finally  made  known 
his  conduct,  the  prophet  broke  into  a  towering  wrath  and  publicly 
denounced  her  as  a  liar  and  a  vixen,  praying  that  God  might  "add 
iniquity  unto  her  iniquity."  Some  time  in  the  winter  of  1844,  in  the 
presence  of  one  Isak  Rudolphi  and  five  women,  one  a  follower  of  the 
prophet,  Erik  Jansson  admitted  the  truth  of  the  charge  made  by  Karin 
Ersson,  as  attested  by  the  six  witnesses  in  a  signed  document  dated  at 
Delsbo,  May  6,  1844.*  Subsequently  the  prophet  alternately  denied 
the  confession,  charged  that  the  girl  had  been  the  guilty  party,  that  he 
had  merely  wished  to  put  her  to  a  test,  or  that  his  own  evil  desire  had 
been  sent  as  a  punishment  from  God. 

In  March,  1844,  Erik  Jansson  visited  Alfta  at  the  invitation  of 
certain  women,  including  an  unmarried  woman  of  Broddlagret,  Bollnas, 
who  also  had  been  his  traveling  companion.  During  his  sojourn  here 
the  prophet,  his  former  companion  and  another  woman  from  Bollnas 
shared  the  same  room  at  night.  The  villagers  led  a  simple  life  and 
were  no  sticklers  on  decorum,  but  this  could  not  pass  without  comment. 
One  woman,  who  with  her  husband  was  then  devoted  to  the  prophet, 

*  Landgren:  Erik-Jansismen,  p.  29. 


210  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

afterwards  said  of  Erik  Jansson  and  the  Bollnas  girl:  "Their  wanton 
and  unchaste  behavior  made  me  blush  on  behalf  of  our  sex." 

At  Hamre,  Forssa  parish,  Erik  Jansson  one  morning  just  before 
opening  a  meeting  had  a  frolic  with  two  or  three  girls,  who  had 
accompanied  him  from  Alfta.  His  wife,  who  was  present,  took  offense 
and  a  disagreement  ensued,  witnessed  by  a  number  of  the  worshipers. 
Before  these  the  prophet  justified  himself  in  this  wise,  "Because  ye 
lack  faith,  all  this  befalls  me ;  faith  is  not  in  you,  therefore  Satan  hath 
been  empowered  to  winnow  her  like  wheat." 

Erik  Jansson 's  moral  character  once  stained,  his  enemies  sought  to 
paint  the  man  entirely  black.  Other  rumors  were  set  afloat  impeaching 
his  private  and  public  conduct,  but  they  are  branded  as  false  by  the 
same  authority  upon  which  the  above  incidents  have  been  quoted. 
The  latter  were  enough  to  bring  the  prophet  into  ill  repute  with  the 
general  public,  but  the  faith  of  his  adherents  remained  unshaken.  He 
declared  himself  perfect  and  holy,  like  God  himself,  and  they  took  him 
at  his  word.  Even  granting  the  truth  of  the  damaging  evidence,  some 
still  held  him  blameless,  maintaining  that  the  heart  had  no  part  in  the 
doings  of  the  flesh. 

Many  iniquities  were  committed  against  the  prophet  and  his 
adherents  in  the  name  of  the  law.  One  of  the  most  flagrant  outrages 
was  perpetrated  in  August,  1844,  at  Klockaregarden,  Osterunda,  by 
the  parish  vicar,  N.  A.  Arenander,  one  of  Erik  Jansson 's  bitterest 
enemies.  Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  latter  from  his  fourth  apostolic 
pilgrimage  to  Helsin gland,  his  adherents  in  Osterunda  met  one  night  in 
Klockaregarden,  the  house  of  Olof  Stenberg.  Sophia  Sjon,  an  ardent 
believer  in  the  prophet,  was  staying  there.  At  midnight  Arenander 
arrived,  with  a  number  of  men,  and  demanded  entry.  This  being 
refused,  the  door  was  forced.  On  the  pretense  of  searching  for  Erik 
Jansson  the  minister,  who  is  said  to  have  been  drunk  at  the  time, 
entered  the  bedchamber,  where  Sofia  Sjon  and  Anna  Maria  Strale  slept. 
He  pulled  the  former  out  of  bed,  tore  handfuls  of  hair  from  her  head, 
pushed  her  out  to  the  men  in  her  night  garment,  and  after  finishing  his 
vain  search  through  the  house,  brought  the  woman  half  dressed  as  a 
prisoner  to  the  sheriff's  house  in  Thorstuna,  a  neighboring  village. 
To  justify  his  action,  the  parson  charged  the  woman  with  vagrancy, 
but  the  officer  promptly  ordered  her  release.  The  injured  woman 
brought  suit  against  the  vicar  for  disturbing  the  peace,  assault  and 
battery,  false  arrest,  and  sundry  minor  offenses,  for  all  of  which  crimes 
and  misdemeanors  she  sought  damages  and  urged  one  year's  imprison- 
ment and  fines.  At  the  preliminary  hearing  the  charges  were  fully 
substantiated  by  five  witnesses.  The  defendant  impeached  the  wit- 
nesses on  the  ground  that  they  belonged  to  the  "readers"  and  were 
not  church  members  in  good  standing,  and  accordingly  the  court 


ERIK    JANSSONISM  211 

declared  two  of  the  witnesses  incompetent.  The  case  was  continued, 
and  during  preparation  for  the  exodus  to  America  it  seems  to  have 
been  dropped.  This  same  Arenander  was  a  tireless  prosecutor  of  the 
"readers"  and  Erik  Janssonists,  but  according  to  an  official  report  of 
the  magistracy  the  cases  in  that  district  were  all  dismissed  'for  want 
of  equity. 

One  explanation  of  the  great  influence  Erik  Jansson  wielded  over 
his  followers  lay  in  the  hypnotism  of  his  eye,  which  few  were  able  to 
withstand.  Thereby  he  controlled  his  people  with  a  power  and  per- 
sonal influence  that  was  irresistible.  In  personal  appearance,  Erik 
Jansson  was  of  medium  stature,  with  brown  hair,  blue  eyes,  pale,  thin 
face,  with  high  cheek-bones,  and  thin  lips,  uncommonly  long  and  broad 
teeth,  especially  in  the  upper  jaw;  the  last  joint  of  the  right  index 
finger  was  lacking,  having  been  severed  with  an  ax  by  his  elder 
brother,  Johan,  in  their  boyhood.  His  voice  was  harsh  and  disagree- 
able in  tone,  and  his  speech  rather  indistinct,  as  though  he  had  some- 
thing in  his  mouth  while  speaking.  In  meeting  he  habitually  over- 
exerted himself,  when  his  voice  was  transformed  to  a  piercing  shriek. 
A  constant  grin,  which  may  have  been  the  result  of  involuntary 
muscular  contraction,  gave  him  a  repulsive  look.  Furthermore,  he  had 
frequent  recourse  to  .tears,  the  abundant  flow  of  which  did  not  tend 
to  make  his  appearance  more  attractive.  A  portrait  of  Erik  Jansson 
cannot  be  given,  he  having  never  sat  for  his  picture,  either  in  photo- 
graph or  on  canvas. 

BooK  Pyres  and  Consequent  Arrest  of  EriK  Jansson 
As  we  have  seen,  Erik  Jansson  ever  since  his  so-called  "second 
conversion"  had  a  bitter  aversion  to  the  writings  of  Luther  and  Arndt. 
By  and  by,  he  conceived  a  plan  to  rid  himself,  once  and  for  all,  of  these 
hated  authorities  which  were  continually  quoted  in  rebuttal  of  his 
views  by  both  prospective  proselytes  and  outright  antagonists.  He 
would  have  liked  to  make  short  shrift  with  the  Lutheran  catechism 
and  psalmbook,  but  these  were  still  held  in  so  high  esteem  among  his 
own  followers  that  he  dared  not  as  yet  do  violence  to  them  directly, 
but  confined  himself  to  scathing  denunciations  in  his  sermons,  applying 
to  them  such  terms  as,  "an  empty  barrel  with  both  ends  closed"  and 
the  "wails  of  Satan."  The  beasts  of  the  Book  of  Kevelation,  he 
claimed,  were  the  prototypes  of  these  "false  and  devilish  teachers, 
Luther,  the  demigod,  an'd  Arndt,  the  murderer  of  souls."  The  follow- 
ing excerpt  is  quoted  to  give  some  idea  of  the  tone  of  the  sermons 
preached  by  Erik  Jansson  at  this  time : 

"The  Word  of  God  has  lain  fallow  from  generation  to  generation. 
There  is  no  salvation  in  the  sermons  usually  preached  in  times  past.  If 
ye  believe  my  words,  ye  shall  be  saved ;  if  ye  mistrust  me,  ye  also  mis- 


212  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

trust  God.  Once  a  man  set  himself  up  against  my  teachings,  but  what 
happened?  Within  three  days  he  was  taken  hence  and  thrust  into 
eternity.  Ye  would  read  the  idolatrous  books  of  the  accursed  Luther 
and  the  devilish  Arndt.  But  hear  ye !  Mark  well  my  words !  It  was 
not  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord,  but  of  the  devil ;  it  was  with  the  waters  of 
hell  that  he  deluged  the  whole  world.  Hear  ye!  Since  ye  will  not 
believe  the  pure  gospel  that  I  preach  unto  you,  the  Lord  shall  pour  out 
his  cups  of  burning  wrath  over  you,  and  ye  shall  be  thrust  into  nether- 
most hell!" 

These  rantings  soon  took  effect.  All  that  was  necessary  to  set  his 
followers  to  destroying  their  Lutheran  books  was  for  the  prophet  to 
point  to  the  words  of  the  19th  verse  of  the  19th  chapter  of  Acts :  "And 
not  a  few  of  them  that  practiced  magical  arts  brought  their  books 
together  and  burned  them  in  the  sight  of  all."  A  like  scene  was 
enacted  on  the  llth  of  June,  1844,  in  the  village  of  Tranberg,  in  Alfta 
parish.  People  in  great  numbers  from  Alfta,  Soderala,  Ofvanaker  and 
Bollnas  for  several  days  had  been  engaged  in  lugging  sacks  filled  with 
books  down  to  the  banks  of  the  lake  where  they  were  piled  into  a  great 
pyre  near  Fiskragarden.  Erik  Jansson  was  present  in  person,  encour- 
aging the  people  in  this  wise:  "Satan  celebrated  a  jubilee,  when  the 
works  of  Luther  were  first  published ;  when  we  now  burn  them,  it  will 
be  his  turn  to  grieve  " ;  or,  "  Those  who  take  part  shall  feel  a  heavenly 
joy  when  they  see  the  smoke  rise."  A  person  who  warned  them  of  the 
consequence  of  their  act  was  told  by  Olof  Olsson  of  Kingsta  that  so 
fixed  were  they  in  their  determination  that  blood  would  flow,  ere  a 
single  book  would  be  exempt  from  the  pyre.  Some  would  save  the 
covers  of  their  books,  but  Erik  Jansson  declared  in  a  loud  voice,  "Who- 
soever saves  the  coverings  of  his  idols  shall  be  damned!" 

The  pyre  was  lighted,  and  books  to  the  value  of  about  975  crowns, 
including  the  postils  of  Luther,  Nohrborg,  Linderoth,  Pettersson  and 
others,  "True  Christianity,"  by  Arndt,  and  great  masses  of  temperance 
tracts,  were  consumed  by  the  flames. 

"Behold,  how  Satan  opens  his  jaws!"  the  fanatics  exclaimed  when 
the  books  would  open  from  the  heat  and  draft.  To  the  vast  assemblage 
Erik  Jansson  read  the  18th  chapter  of  Revelations,  whereupon  two 
hired  men  chanted:  "Give  thanks  and  praise  unto  the  Lord,"  to  which 
the  crowd  sang  the  response :  "Glory  be  unto  the  Lord." 

The  heavenly  joy  predicted  by  the  prophet  did  not  materialize, 
however;  instead,  evil  forebodings  seemed  to  haunt  the  minds  of  the 
spectators  as  the  last  flicker  of  the  pyre  died  out. 

The  cup  of  fanaticism  was  now  brimming  over  and  the  authorities 
could  no  longer  watch  Erik  Jansson 's  operations  with  indifference. 
Two  days  after  the  burning  of  the  books,  he  was  arrested  after  a  bloody 
encounter  between  the  deputies  and  the  followers  of  the  prophet.  Erik 


EKIK  JANSSONISM  213 

Jansson  himself  was  near  being  killed  in  the  fray.  He  was  imprisoned 
first  at  Gefle,  then  at  Vesteras,  until  July  12th,  when  he  was  released 
after  a  hearing  before  the  provincial  governor  in  the  latter  city.  To- 
gether with  some  of  his  friends,  Erik  Jansson  then  went  to  Stockholm 
and  obtained  an  audience  before  the  king.  From  the  capital  he  wrote 
letters  to  his  disciples  in  Helsingland,  admonishing  some  of  their 
number  to  go  out  and  proclaim  his  doctrines,  which  they  did.  After  a 
second  hearing  before  the  governor  at  Vesteras  Sept.  21st,  when  Erik 
Jansson  put  up  a  clever  defense,  he  was  entirely  cleared  of  the  charges 
and  at  once  returned  to  Helsingland. 

If  he  had  heretofore  been  a  prophet  in  the  eyes  of  his  followers,  his 
arrest  and  the  mistreatment  to  which  they  thought  him  subjected, 
crowned  him  with  the  halo  of  martyrdom.  He  went  so  far 
as  to  liken  his  sufferings  to  those  of  the  Savior  himself.  Sur- 
rounded by  eleven  men,  corresponding  to  the  apostles  of  Christ,  and 
a  great  number  of  women,  he  went  from  village  to  village,  holding 
meetings  at  which  "the  Passion  of  Erik  Jansson"  was  recited,  includ- 
ing all  his  acts  and  sufferings  from  the  time  of  his  arrest.  He  claimed 
to  be  in  high  favor  with  the  king  after  his  visit  to  the  royal  palace; 
and  all  things  contributed  towards  making  his  fame  greater  than  ever 
before.  In  the  height  of  his  arrogance,  he  now  began  to  grant  forgive- 
ness of  sin  to  all  who  at  the  meetings  announced  themselves  as  believers 
in  him. 

On  Oct.  28th  of  that  year,  at  Lynas,  Soderala  parish,  he  arranged  a 
second  pyre  of  theological  books,  this  time  including  the  catechism  and 
the  Lutheran  hymnal,  with  the  promise  that  a  new  catechism  and 
hymnal,  written  by  himself,  would  soon  be  published.  Following  the 
ceremony  of  burning,  a  thanksgiving  service  was  held  in  a  neighboring 
farmhouse. 

Not  quite  a  month  afterwards,  Erik  Jansson  had  intended  to 
arrange  still  another  auto-da-fe,  especially  for  the  Forssa  and  Delsbo 
parishes,  but  he  was  again  arrested,  this  time  by  order  of  a  royal  letter, 
instructing  the  Upsala  chapter  to  administer  a  warning.  The  provincial 
authorities  at  Gefle,  where  he  was  again  brought,  placed  him  under  med- 
ical surveillance,  on  the  supposition  that  he  was  demented.  In  the  mean- 
time, Erik  Jansson  was  writing  hymns,  founded  largely  on  the  books  of 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah ;  he  also  sent  his  wife  instructions  to  have  his  early 
writings  copied  and  prepared  for  publication.  Having  been  found  of 
sound  mind,  he  was  sent  to  Upsala,  where  on  December  18th  he  was 
officially  warned  by  the  chapter  against  propagating  false  doctrines, 
and  then  set  free. 

Three  days  later  he  was  back  in  Soderala,  conducting  meetings  as 
before.  A  meeting  was  held  Sunday,  December  22nd,  during  the  time 


2I4 


THE   BISHOP   HILL   COLONY 


of  high  mass,  but  the  audience  was  dispersed  by  the  king's  bailiff,  who 
appeared  on  the  scene  with  a  number  of  deputies.  A  great  tumult  arose 
in  which  several  persons,  among  whom  the  wife  of  Erik  Jansson. 
received  bodily  injuries.  He  was  now  taken  back  to  the  Gefle  prison 
and  kept  there  till  April  18th  the  following  year. 

EriR.  Jansson's    Flig'Kt   to    Dalarne   and  Norway 

While  Erik  Jansson  was  in  prison,  his  disciples  carried  on  his  work. 
Their  meetings  were  now  generally  held  simultaneously  with  the  regular 
services  in  the  churches.  In  expectation  of  the  new  catechism  and 
hymnal  promised  by  Erik  Jansson,  his  followers  refused  to  send  their 
children  to  the  common  schools.  Wherever  Erik  Janssonism  gained  a 
foothold  it  created  more  or  less  disturbance  in  the  parishes.  Disagree- 
ments were  provoked  between  husband  and  wife,  parents  and  children, 
masters  and  servants,  and  naturally  those  who  suffered  persecution 
had  nothing  but  contempt  for  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  authorities. 

At  Forssa  occurred  a  third  burning  of  books  in  the  early  morning 
of  Dec.  7,  1844,  when  the  perpetrators  had  the  audacity  to  include  a 
copy  of  "Sveriges  Hikes  Lag,"  the  code  of  the  realm.  This,  however, 
was  saved  in  the  last  moment,  as  were  a  number  of  the  other  books 
doomed  to  destruction.  A  trial  followed,  resulting  in  the  conviction 
and  fining  of  the  fifteen  participants.  To  illustrate  the  feeling 
towards  the  clergy:  an  Erik  Janssonist  peasant  of  Delsbo  is 
said  to  have  offered  to  have  all  his  timber  cut  down  and  made 
into  headsman's  blocks  and  gallows  for  the  men  of  the  cloth.  Equally 
fanatical  were  they  in  their  adoration  of  the  new  religious  leader.  For 
instance,  a  subscription  was  started  in  Ofvanaker  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  his  liberty,  his  deluded  friends  believing  that  the  authorities 
could  be  bribed  to  release  him  from  prison.  In  Alfta  his  followers  went 
from  village  to  village,  holding  meetings  at  which  the  established 
church  and  the  clergy  were  roundly  abused,  the  tenor  of  the  denuncia- 
tions being  that  all  churches  ought  to  be  burned  and  all  clergymen 
hanged,  or,  leastwise,  their  tongues  cut  out.  They  appropriated  two 
per  cent,  of  their  property  "for  the  restoration  of  the  crumbling  church 
of  Christ."  In  other  Helsingland  parishes  where  the  movement  had 
gained  a  foothold  similar  operations  were  carried  on,  extending  also 
into  Osterunda  and  Thorstuna  parishes  in  Upland,  everywhere  resulting 
in  more  or  less  violent  clashes  with  the  civil  authorities. 

Immediately  after  his  arrest,  Erik  Jansson  lodged  a  plea  with 
the  provincial  governor's  office  demanding  his  release,  which  was 
denied.  He  appealed  to  the  king's  court,  which  on  March  17th  found 
the  charges  insufficient  to  warrant  his  detention  in  prison,  whereupon 
the  prison  authorities  returned  him  to  Forssa  on  April  23rd. 


ERIK   JANSSONISM  215 

Having  been  enjoined  from  leaving  Forssa  parish,  "the  Savior 
at  Stenbo, "  as  Erik  Jansson  was  nicknamed  by  the  local  population, 
continued  his  work  there  more  aggressively  than  before,  and  the  people 
flocked  in  ever  increasing  numbers  to  listen  to  this  "voice  in  the  wilder- 
ness." He  also  proceeded  to  ordain  and  send  out  apostles,  to  whom 
he  solemnly  delivered  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

On  midsummer  day  he  conducted  a  largely  attended  meeting  at 
Stenbo.  J.  M.  Astrom,  the  king's  bailiff,  determined  to  arrest  Erik 
Jansson  and  break  up  the  meeting,  ordered  out  a  number  of  parish- 
ioners to  assist  him.  They  were  told  to  provide  themselves  with  clubs. 
Thus  armed,  they  moved  on  to  Stenbo,  where  they  found  the  prophet 
preaching  from  the  doorstep  to  the  crowd  outside.  In  the  act  of 
making  the  arrest,  the  officer  was  pulled  down  from  the  doorstep  by  a 
woman,  and  Erik  Jansson  escaped  through  the  crowd  and  fled,  but 
those  of  his  believers  who  remained  were  terribly  beaten  and  otherwise 
mistreated,  while  defending  themselves  as  best  they  could.  The  next  day 
the  bailiff  again  appeared,  now  accompanied  by  the  parson  and  a 
large  crowd  of  people,  and  again  ordered  the  assemblage  at  Stenbo  to 
disperse.  As  soon  as  the  king's  officer  had  left,  a  desperate  fight  ensued 
between  the  Erik  Janssonists  and  their  antagonists,  in  which  knives 
were  flourished,  windows  and  doors  broken,  and  much  household  goods 
destroyed.  Erik  Jansson 's  wife,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  cow-barn, 
was  discovered  by  some  young  fellows  just  in  the  act  of  disappearing 
through  a  dung-trap  in  the  floor  and  was  then  and  there  treated  to  a 
thorough  bastinado. 

Erik  Jansson  sought  refuge  in  the  home  of  Jonas  Olsson  in  Ina, 
Soderala,  then  escaped  to  Osterunda  and  Thorstuna,  and  lay  in  hiding 
for  five  weeks  under  the  floor  of  a  cow-barn  in  Thorstuna  and  then  for 
several  weeks  more  in  an  attic  in  the  same  parish. 

These  disturbances  could  not  pass  unnoticed.  A  royal  decree  of 
Feb.  17,  1845,  had  ordered  a  legal  investigation  and  definite  charges 
preferred.  July  21st,  the  day  set  for  the  trial,  came,  but  the  accused 
was  nowhere  to  be  found.  Summons  for  his  capture  were  again  issued, 
and  in  September  he  voluntarily  made  known  his  whereabouts.  Service 
was  at  once  had,  citing  him  to  appear  at  the  county  court  at  Forssa, 
Oct.  llth.  Erik  Jansson  then  pleaded  that,  having  been  driven  into 
hiding  by  threats  against  his  life,  he  had  received  no  summons  and 
consequently  had  failed  to  appear  in  court  on  the  day  aforesaid.  This 
trial  was  not  concerned  with  the  recent  disturbances,  but  dealt  with 
certain  heterodox  statements  made  by  Erik  Jansson  at  a  meeting  in 
Hamre,  Forssa  parish,  on  Nov.  3rd,  the  year  before.  On  this  as  on 
prior  occasions  Erik  Jansson 's  friends  and  sympathizers  were  barred 
from  testifying,  being  declared  incompetent  and  untrustworthy  on 


2I6  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

account  of  their  faith,  and  the  witnesses  for  the  prosecution  only  were 
heard.  From  this  resolution  of  the  jury  the  judge  dissented.  After  an 
order  for  Erik  Jansson's  detention  in  prison  pending  a  verdict  had 
been  denied  by  the  court,  the  case  was  continued  until  Oct.  30th  and 
change  of  venue  then  taken  to  the  county  court  at  Delsbo,  which 
convened  in  extra  session  Nov.  18th.  The  disposition  of  the  case  was 
that  Erik  Jansson  be  sent  to  the  Gefle  prison  pending  a  new  trial.  The 
jury  rendered  this  verdict,  overriding  the  judge,  who  was  for  acquittal 
and  is  said  to  have  imposed  a  fine  on  each  of  the  jurors  for  contempt. 

His  followers  had  begun  to  suspect  that  there  was  a  secret  plan 
to  put  him  out  of  the  way  during  imprisonment;  for  that  reason  they 
decided  to  deliver  him  from  jail  at  all  hazards.  Therefore,  when  the 
transport  reached  the  road  to  Lynas,  in  Soderala,  four  men  rushed 
from  ambush,  halted  the  conveyance,  cut  the  reins  and,  overpowering 
the  guard,  set  the  prisoner  free.  This  happened  Nov.  21st.  A  rumor 
was  at  once  circulated  that  Erik  Jansson  had  been  murdered,  and  for 
the  evident  purpose  of  lending  credibility  to  the  story,  his  wife 
appeared  in  widow's  weeds  at  Gefle,  making  inquiries  for  her  dead 
husband.  In  addition,  a  woman  at  Lynas  had  poured  the  blood  of  a 
kid  in  the  road,  in  further  support  of  the  rumor.  It  soon  became 
evident,  however,  that  this  was  a  pure  fabrication  to  aid  in  keeping 
the  prophet  in  concealment. 

After  the  rescue,  Erik  Jansson  was  in  hiding  at  various  points  in 
western  Helsingland,  or  went  about  in  the  guise  of  a  woman.  This 
incognito  gave  his  apostles  occasion  to  liken  him  to  Christ  after  the 
resurrection.  His  first  hiding  place  was  in  the  house  of  Peter  Kallman 
at  the  Voxna  Mills.  After  having  been  discovered  holding  a 
secret  meeting  there  one  night,  when  he  narrowly  escaped 
being  taken,  he  was  transferred  to  Ofvanaker,  where  he  was  hid 
for  seven  weeks  under  a  barn-floor.  Threatened  with  discovery,  he 
was  soon  after  brought  to  the  home  of  one  of  his  followers,  Sven 
Olsson,  in  Alfta.  While  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  this  man  divulged 
the  whereabouts  of  the  prophet,  who,  being  warned,  fled  to  Dalarne. 
There  he  found  refuge  among  his  believers,  principally  in  the  home  of 
a  •well  to  do  peasant,  Lin  jo  Gabriel  Larsson  in  Ostra  Fors,  Making 
parish.  In  the  meantime,  his  teachings  spread  quite  extensively 
in  Dalarne,  particularly  in  Mailing  and  Mora  parishes,  but 
also  to  Lima  parish  and  the  city  of  Falun.  In  Herjedalen 
Erik  Jansson  also  succeeded  in  gaining  a  few  proselytes,  among 
whom  Olof  Jonsson  and  Sven  Jonsson,  two  peasants  in  the 
village  of  Langa,  Hede  parish.  These  arranged  book  pyres 
patterned  after  those  in  Helsingland.  At  one  of  these  occasions  a  copy 
of  the  Bible  was  included  in  the  mass  of  books  consigned  to  the  flames, 


ERIK  JANSSONISM 


217 


but  it  was  snatched  from  the  fire  in  the  last  minute  by  a  female  relative 
of  the  man  who  arranged  the  auto-da-fe.  Long  after  the  prophet  had 
deserted  his  own  country,  his  disciples  continued  to  spread  his 


doctrines  and  gain  proselytes  in  the  provinces  of  Helsingland,  Gestrik- 
land  and  Upland. 

This  same  winter  and  spring  the  promised  catechism  and  hymnal 
were  published,  entitled,  "Commentaries  to  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
or  Catechism,  Arranged  in  Questions  and  Answers,  by  Erik  Jansson," 


2Ig  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

and,  ' '  Sundry  Songs  and  Prayers,  Composed  by  Erik  Jansson. ' '  These 
books  were  printed  at  a  shop  established  in  violation  of  the  law  by  a 
pay-sergeant,  named  C.  G.  Blombergsson,  in  the  village  of  Ina,  Soderala 
parish,  just  outside  of  Soderhamn.  The  language  used  in  this  catechism, 
like  that  of  his  other  writings,  is  verbose  and  incongruous.  The  ever- 
recurring  theme  is  the  divine  mission  of  Erik  Jansson  and  the  spiritual 
perfection  of  his  faithful  followers,  claims  which  he  seeks  to  establish 
by  references  to  Old  Testament  narratives  and  prophecies.  In  point 
of  diction  and  rhythm,  his  hymns  are  faulty  in  the  extreme.*  Besides 
these  works,  several  other  writings  of  Erik  Jansson  were  issued  in 
print,  such  as  his  "Farewell  Address,"  "A  Glorious  Description  of  the 
Growth  of  Man,"  "A  Few  Words  to  God's  People,"  "Timely  Words," 
and  "Farewell  Speech  to  all  the  Inhabitants  of  Sweden,  who  have 
despised  me,  whom  Jesus  hath  sent;  or  rejected  the  name  of  Erik 
Jansson." 

From  Erik  Jansson 's  catechism,  embodying  his  principal  teachings, 
a  few  excerpts  may  properly  be  made  by  way  of  denning  this  religious 
movement  in  the  words  of  the  founder  himself.  We  translate  literally 
from  a  reprint  published  at  Galva,  111.,  in  1903. 

In  the  foreword  we  read  this  authoritative  declaration:  "Thou, 
who  taketh  this  precious  treasure  in  thy  hand  in  order  to  accept  every 
word  of  it  as  if  spoken  by  God,  or  as  though  God  himself  stood  before 
thee  in  visible  form  and  spake  to  thee  all  that  is  herein  written — -and 
everything  is  written  as  the  Word  of  God — I  pray  thee  to  consider 
well  the  import  of  certain  expressions." 

On  page  22  we  find  his  views  on  education  thus  expressed:  "It  is 
not  unbeknown  to  us  that  all  the  schools  of  the  times  are  founded  by  the 
devil,  yet  they  are  of  some  use  in  teaching  that  which  pertains  to  a 
knowledge,  sanctioned  by  God,  of  those  figures  (things)  from  which 
the  prophets  drew  their  parables,  etc. ' ' 

On  page  24  the  author  speaks  of  himself  in  this  wise : 

"Question.  But  how  canst  thou  know  that  God  now  shall  send 
a  certain  person,  when  we  have  God's  word  in  abundance  amongst  us, 
without  (need  of)  any  more  teachings,  by  untutored  laymen? 

"Answer.  As  regards  this,  that  the  canonical  books  of  the  Bible 
are  sufficient  to  instruct  us  about  the  way  of  salvation,  it  has  already 
been  said  that  all  other  writings  and  books  are  needless  and  devilish 
and  cannot  be  considered  (in  ascertaining)  whether  the  Word  of  God, 
without  the  faulty  interpretations  of  others,  is  and  shall  ever  be  the 
only  foundation,  on  which  the  one  sent  by  God  shall  build.  But  in 
regard  to  this,  that  Jesus  will  send  some  one,  who  shall  restore  that 

*  "So  tedious,  repugnant  and  impious  a  collection  of  songs  no  other  religious 
body  has  ever  had  foisted  upon  it.  Among  the  rudest  products  of  versification  in 
any  literature  one  will  search  in  vain  for  anything  to  match  it."  (WIESELGREN. ) 


ERIK  JANSSONISM  219 

which  long  hath  lain  fallow,  we  know  by  all  the  signs  of  the  times  that 
he  hath  already  been  sent,  for  everyone  who  believeth,  may  see  that 
the  same  miracles  that  Jesus  wrought  are  also  being  performed  by  him 
whom  God  has  sent.  Further,  we  find  that  the  signs  of  Jonah,  the 
Prophet,  have  come  to  pass  in  all  lands  and  are  being  fulfilled  in  all 
the  nations  under  the  sun.  Therefore  I  may  be  sure  that  Jesus  has  sent 
the  one  who  gives  his  life  for  that  which  is  right,  or  alone  for  the 
salvation  of  his  brethren." 

The  first  commandment  is  commented  thus  on  page  35 : 

"Q.  Mayst  thou  have  other  gods  besides  God,  when  thou  dis- 
believest  him  whom  God  hath  sent  as  the  light  of  the  world  ? 

"A.  Not  to  believe  in  him  whom  God  has  sent  is  the  worst 
idolatry  of  which  the  Bible  speaks;  for  whosoever  toucheth  him 
toucheth  the  apple  of  God's  eye." 

The  eighth  (ninth)  commandment  is  thus  interpreted  (p.  75)  : 

"Q.  Since  thy  brethren  in  the  faith  alone  are  thy  neighbors, 
mayst  thou  bear  false  witness  against  the  unbelievers  ? 

"A.  Whenever  it  is  required  to  bear  such  witness  as  to  promote 
the  eternal  welfare  of  my  neighbor,  I  cannot  but  bear  witness  free  from 
falsehood.  But  should  I,  like  Judas,  be  asked  where  he,  whom  I  am 
sure  God  has  sent,  is  (hidden),  then  I  cannot  testify  truthfully,  being 
convinced  that  I  would  thereby  bear  false  witness  against  my  neigh- 
bor." The  next  two  pages  are  devoted  to  proving  that  lying  is  not 
only  permissible  but  praiseworthy;  quoting  Scripture  to  show  that 
the  Lord's  servants  often  have  lied  to  the  glory  of  God.  We  are  told 
(p.  77)  that  "when  the  faithful  speak  falsely  and  lie  before  men  for 
the  sake  of  truth  and  right,  they  do  so  in  order  to  destroy  falsehood 
and  eradicate  the  tares." 

On  page  103  Erik  Jansson  gets  down  to  the  bedrock  of  his 
doctrine  in  these  words : 

"Q.  You  believe,  then,  that  the  coming  of  Christ  has  not  been 
fulfilled  until  Erik  Jansson  came  with  the  true  light,  just  as  God  in  the 
beginning  created  light  in  the  midst  of  darkness? 

"A.  It  is  to  be  remarked  that  all  prophecies  have  reference,  first, 
to  Christ,  the  first-born,  secondly,  to  his  believers  or  those  of  whom 
Jesus  says  that  they  shall  perform  the  same  miracles  that  He  wrought, 
etc.  2.  It  follows,  that  we  must  consider  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ  him- 
self on  this  point,  namely,  that  according  to  the  Prophets  the  last  house 
shall  surpass  the  first,  i.  e.,  as  the  second  glory  (of  the)  Temple  of 
Jerusalem  surpassed  the  glory  built  by  the  son  of  David  and  placed  in 
said  temple — a  sorry  tangle  of  words  for  a  prophet — so  also  it  now 
shall  come  to  pass  that  the  glory  restored  by  Erik  Jansson  in  Christ's 
stead  shall  surpass  that  of  Jesus  and  his  Apostles  in  all  lands ;  for  now 
Jesus  Christ  hath  been  made  manifest  in  the  flesh  to  all  those  who 


220  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

believe  in  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  hence  it  is  plain  that  the 
coming  of  Christ  is  fully  realized  through  Erik  Jansson's  obedience 

to  God."  — There  is  much  more  of  this,  with  frequent  repetition  of 

the  name  Erik  Jansson,  which  we  forbear  to  quote. 

The  above  excerpts  are  given  as  characteristic  of  Erik  Jansson's 
mode  of  thought  and  literary  style  as  well  as  of  his  teachings,  but  they 
do  not  by  far  cover  all  the  points  on  which  he  was  charged  with 
heresy  by  the  state  church. 

Emigration  of  the  ILriK  Janssonists  to  America 

In  his  arrogance  Erik  Jansson  had  prophesied  that  within  two 
years  the  world  would  be  converted  and  all  his  antagonists  annihilated. 
The  prediction  seemed  all  the  more  unlikely  to  come  true  now  that  the 
prophet  himself  was  in  dire  peril.  He  had  fled  to  escape  punishment 
and,  when  reached  by  the  arm  of  the  law,  would  face  conviction  and 
banishment  for  heresy  and  repeated  attempts  at  proselyting  in  violation 
of  the  law.  When  it  became  manifest  that  the  Erik  Janssonists  could 
no  longer  operate  without  constant  clashes  with  the  authorities .  and 
the  populace,  and  when  the  novelty  of  religious  martyrdom  had  worn 
off,  they  began  to  look  about  for  a  place  of  refuge,  and  their  eyes  and 
hopes  were  directed  to  the  United  States.  Gustaf  Flack,  mentioned 
in  the  foregoing  chapter,  had  highly  commended  America  in 
letters  to  his  relatives  in  Alfta  parish,  especially  dwelling  on  the 
religious  liberty  enjoyed  in  the  new  world.  Hence  the  Erik  Janssonists 
resolved  to  transplant  the  whole  movement  to  this  country,  or,  in  their 
own  phrase,  "to  turn  to  the  heathen,  inasmuch  as  the  inhabitants  of 
their  own  country  refused  to  accept  the  truth  and  believe  in  it." 

In  order  to  make  needed  preparations  for  their  coming,  Olof  Olsson 
of  Kingsta  turned  his  property  into  ready  money  at  public  auction  and 
left  for  America  in  the  summer  of  1845,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  their 
two  children  and  a  couple  of  other  persons.  He  and  all  the  other 
leaders,  including  Erik  Jansson  himself,  who  from  his  hidingplaces 
sent  numerous  letters  to  his  faithful,  were  untiring  in  their  efforts  to 
paint  in  the  most  glowing  colors  the  future  that  the  promised  land  had 
in  store  for  the  chosen  people.  One  of  the  promises  held  out  to  them 
was  that  there  they  would  have  their  fill  of  "figs,  white  bread  and 
pork,  hogs  being  so  plentiful  that  one  only  had  to  shoot,  butcher  and 
eat  them."  They  need  have  no  fear  for  the  language,  it  was  claimed,  for 
upon  their  arrival  it  would  be  given  unto  them  to  speak  with  tongues. 
Furthermore,  the  heathen  were  to  build  for  them  walls  and  cities.  All 
the  glories  of  the  millennium  were  to  be  realized;  all  were  to  be  as 
one  large  family ;  snakes  and  dragons  would  be  powerless  to  injure  any 
of  God's  chosen  seed;  the  lions  were  to  graze  together  with  the  cattle 


EMIGRATION  AND  SETTLEMENT  22l 

of  the  fields, — these  were  some  of  the  alluring  pictures  held  up  to  the 
prospective  emigrants. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  New  York,  Olof  Olsson  encountered  Rev.  O.  G. 
Hedstrom,  the  founder  of  Swedish  Methodism  in  America,  who  received 
him  with  the  utmost  cordiality.  Rev.  Hedstrom  endeavored  to  win 
his  guest  over  to  Methodism,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  so  doing,  owing 
partly  to  the  similarity  between  that  creed  and  the  teachings  of  Erik 
Jansson,  partly  to  Olof  Olsson 's  previous  acquaintance  with  Methodist 
doctrines,  acquired  through  the  visit  in  Helsingland  of  Rev.  George 
Scott,  a  Methodist  preacher  stationed  at  Stockholm.  To  Rev.  Hedstrom 
Olof  Olsson  confided  the  purpose  of  his  trip,  stating  that  he  had  come 
to  find  a  suitable  place  of  settlement  for  the  oppressed  Erik  Jans- 
sonists; and  the  former  was  not  slow  to  recommend  Victoria,  111.,  the 
home  of  his  younger  brother  Jonas  Hedstrom.  After  a  short  stay  in 
New  York,  Olof  Olsson  came  on  to  Illinois  in  the  fall,  provided  with  a 
letter  of  recommendation  from  Rev.  Hedstrom  to  his  brother,  looked 
him  up  and  enjoyed  the  same  cordial  reception  accorded  him  by  the 
elder  brother.  From  Victoria  Olof  Olsson  early  in  the  spring  of  1846, 
after  having  made  a  prospecting  tour  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Minne- 
sota, wrote  back  to  Sweden,  recommending  settlement  in  Illinois. 

Among  the  Erik  'Janssonists  at  home  this  aroused  great  eagerness 
for  an  early  start  for  the  new  land  of  Canaan,  the  sentiment  being  in 
every  way  encouraged  by  the  prophet  and  his  apostles.  At  this 
juncture  Erik  Janssonism  might  have  had  a  backset  but  for  the 
proposed  exodus  which,  as  an  adjunct  to  their  religious  fanaticism, 
aroused  the  spirit  of  adventure  and  held  out  the  most  alluring  prospects 
of  the  blessed  land  beyond  the  Atlantic.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  get 
from  Sweden  to  America  in  those  days.  In  the  first  place,  the  Erik 
Janssonists  had  some  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  necessary  passports. 
In  the  second  place,  vessels  suited  to  the  purpose  of  the  emigrants 
were  scarce.  The  few  Swedish  vessels  engaged  in  American  trade 
carried  cargoes  of  iron  and  lacked  accommodations  for  passengers. 
Some  of  these  were  remodeled  for  the  convenience  of  the  emigrants, 
but  proved  very  inconvenient  at  best.  Besides,  several  of  the  ships 
were  old  and  hardly  seaworthy. 

Erik  Jansson  had  made  up  his  own  plan  of  emigration  and  decided 
to  adopt  absolute  communism.*  Accordingly,  the  members  of  the  sect 
sold  their  real  and  personal  property  and  formed  a  general  treasury 
out  of  which  the  expenses  of  the  passage  were  to  be  defrayed  for  all 

*  On  this  point  authorities  differ.  "In  this  plan  did  not  enter  ***  those 
socialistic  or  communistic  principles  of  society,  which  were  enforced  after  the 

colony  was  well  established. Upon  leaving  Sweden  necessity  prompted  the 

emigrants  to  put  their  money  into  a  common  fund  and  to  have  everything  in 
common.  This  community  of  property  they  chose  to  maintain  after  their  arrival 
but  there  was  no  intention  of  founding  the  colony  on  a  socialistic  basis.  Erik 


222  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

alike.  As  preparations  were  going  forward,  many  difficulties  arose. 
Thus  many  were  in  debt,  and  their  affairs  had  to  be  cleared  up ;  others 
were  soldiers  and  had  to  pay  large  sums  for  their  release  from  military 
service;  still  others  had  difficulty  in  finding  buyers  and  were  forced  to 
sell  their  property  at  great  sacrifice.  Nevertheless,  the  common  fund 
grew  quite  large.  Linjo  Gabriel  Larsson  of  Ostra  Fors,  Malung  parish, 
one  of  Erik  Jansson's  chief  followers  in  Dalarne,  made  the  very 
substantial  contribution  of  24,000  crowns;  others  added  twelve,  nine, 
five  or  one  thousand  crowns  to  the  general  fund.  Even  the  clothing 
not  needed  for  daily  use  was  sold,  for  all  were  to  be  dressed  alike.  The 
prophet  appointed  four  persons  as  so-called  "princes,"  who  were  to 
keep  and  administer  the  general  fund,  viz.,  Jonas  Olsson  and  Olof  Jans- 
son  (afterwards  known  as  Johnson)  from  Soderala,  Olof  Jonssoa  (in 
America  he  changed  his  name  to  Stenberg  or  Stoneberg)  from  Forssa, 
and  Anders  Berglund  from  Alfta.*  Anyone  who  wavered  in  his  allegi- 
ance to  the  prophet  was  expelled  without  getting  back  his  contribution 
to  the  general  fund  or  any  share  of  it. 

While  his  faithful  followers  were  preparing  for  the  general  exodus, 
Erik  Jansson  left  the  country,  f  Equipped  with  the  passport  of  another 
family,  he  set  out  with  his  wife  and  two  children  and  several  other 
persons.  He  himself,  being  a  fugitive,  traveled  secretly  at  night, 
remaining  hid  by  day  at  the  homes  of  his  believers.  When  he  had  left 
the  parts  where  these  lived,  he  traveled  on  skis,  generally  ahead  of  his 
party,  and  slept  in  vacant  woodchopper's  huts  or  wherever  he  could 
find  shelter.  After  crossing  the  fjelds  into  Norway  he  traveled  openly 
with  the  party  to  Christiania. 

Other  members  of  the  party  were,  Olof  Norlund,  who.  to  make  the 
passport  tally  in  Sweden,  traveled  as  Mrs.  Jansson 's  husband,  and  three 

Jansson  spoke  of  it  as  a  temporary  arrangement  and  it  was  his  purpose,  as  also 
that  of  the  other  leading  men,  to  make  a  change  as  soon  as  conditions  permitted." 
(JOHNSON  and  PETERSON.) 

"It  is  safe  to  say,  that  into  his  colonization  plan  did  not  enter  any  of  those 
communistic  or  socialistic  principles,  which  afterwards  found  a  practical  applica- 
tion in  the  colony.  These  were  the  fruits  of  necessity."  (SWAINSON.) 

"That  communism  in  the  Bishop  Hill  colony  originated  in  this  way  is  quite 
likely;  but  even  if  no  distinctly  communistic  plan  was  framed  prior  to  emigration, 
yet  I  recollect  that  the  doctrine  of  Christian  communism  was  at  the  time  strongly 
urged  by  the  Janssonists,  and  therein  lay  the  seed  of  the  communism  that  sub- 
sequently sprung  up  at  Bishop  Hill."  (NORELJUS.) 

Hiram  Bigelow's  assumption  that  Erik  Jansson  had  come  under  the  influence 
of  the  French  socialists  and  adopted  their  communistic  views  is  not  supported  by 
any  known  facts. 

So  much  is  certain,  that  the  plan  was  patterned  after  that  of  the  earlier 
Christians,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show  that  it  was  to  apply  only  during  emigra- 
tion. 

*  The  number  is  sometimes  given  as  seven,  but  the  names  of  the  other  three 
are  nowhere  recorded. 

f  The  statement  that  he  left  Sweden  in  January,  1846,  does  not  tally  with 
other  data,  which  seem  to  place  the  event  well  toward  the  spring.  Capt.  Johnson, 
who  avers  that  his  father  "left  for  America  before  Christmas,  1845,"  counts  from 
his  start  from  Helsingland. 


EMIGRATION  AND  SETTLEMENT 


223 


women.  When  Norlund  was  no  longer  needed,  he  returned,  as  did 
also  Linjo  Lars  Gabrielson,  who  saw  Erik  Jansson  safely  out  of  the 
country  and  is  said  to  have  paid  the  passage  to  America  for  the  entire 
party.  From  Christiania  the  party  crossed  over  to  Copenhagen  and 
proceeded  via  Kiel,  Hamburg,  Hull  and  Liverpool  to  New  York. 

The  rest  of  the  Erik  Janssonists  took  passage  on  vessels  in  the 
ports  of  Stockholm,  Soderhamn,  Goteborg,  Christiania,  but  principally 
Gefle.  In  the  latter  city  they  gathered  in  large  numbers  and  held 
public  meetings.  They  likened  themselves  to  the  children  of  Israel 
departing  from  Egypt.  As  Moses  had  destroyed  the  Egyptians  in  the 
Red  Sea,  so  the  prophet  and  messenger  Erik  Jansson  would  by  the 
power  of  God  lay  waste  all  Sweden,  that  "accursed  hell-hole,  with  fire 
and  sword.  In  their  eagerness  to  join  in  the  exodus,  wives  deserted 
their  husbands  and  infants,  children  their  parents,  and  servants  their 
employers.  The  journey  was  one  of  severe  hardships  to  most  of  the 
emigrants.  The  lords  of  the  exchequer,  appointed  by  Erik  Jansson, 
were  to  supply  provisions  and  other  necessaries,  but  their  inexperience 
entailed  much  illness  and  suffering.  To  this  was  added  seasickness. 
True,  Erik  Jansson  had  assured  them  of  immunity  from  that  nauseous 
affliction  if  they  were  steadfast  in  the  faith,  but  subsequent  events 
showed  that  either  they  were  misled  on  that  point  or  else  there  was  a 
very  general  wavering  among  the  faithful. 

Many  of  the  emigrants  were  exposed  to  great  peril.  One  ship, 
which  set  sail  .from  Soderhamn  in  October,  1845,  and  was  the  first  to 
carry  any  considerable  number  of  Erik  Janssonists,  was  wrecked  off 
Oregrund,  but  all  the  passengers — there  were  sixteen  or  seventeen  in  the 
Janssonist  party — were  saved  and  returned  to  their  homes.  They  re- 
embarked  on  a  ship  which  left  Gefle  in  March  the  following  year.  An- 
other of  the  emigrant  vessels,  commanded  by  one  Captain  Eonning, 
went  down  with  fifty  emigrants  on  board,  not  one  of  whom  was  saved. 
A  third  ship  foundered  off  New  Foundland,  the  passengers  saving  their 
lives  but  losing  all  their  property.  When  the  ship  "Vilhelmina" 
reached  New  York,  in  September,  1846,  twenty-two  children  had  died 
on  the  voyage.  In  this  and  subsequent  years  altogether  one  hundred 
and  seventy  Erik  Janssonists  perished  on  the  way. 

Founding'   of  the  Bishop    Hill   Colony,  the   First  Swedish,  Settle- 
ment in  Illinois 

Erik  Jansson  and  his  family  reached  New  York  in  June,  1846.  His 
wife  having  just  given  birth  to  a  son,  they  were  delayed  in  that  city 
several  weeks.  In  the  interval,  Erik  Jansson  preached  to  the  Methodists 
on  board  their  Bethel  ship.  As  soon  as  his  wife  was  restored  to 
health,  they  started  for  Illinois,  accompanied  by  an  American  family 


224 


THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 


named  Pollock  of  New  York  and  two  Swedish  women.  In  the  early 
part  of  July  they  reached  Victoria,  where  Erik  Jansson  met  Olof  Olsson. 
who  had  gone  to  America  the  year  before.  The  latter  lived  on  a 
forty  acre  farm  in  section  22,  Copley  township,  and  made  a  home 
for  himself  and  family  in  a  log  cabin.  In  this  same  cabin  the  first 
Swedish  Methodist  congregation  in  America  was  afterwards  organized 
on  December  15,  1846.  The  shelter  was  far  from  satisfactory,  but  in  the 
absence  of  better  accommodations  it  had  to  do.  Eain  poured  through 
the  leaky  roof,  and  snakes  crawled  in  through  the  holes  in  the  walls, 
subjecting  the  inhabitants  to  discomfort  and  danger. 

The  first  meeting  in  America  between  Erik  Jansson  and  Olof  Olsson 
was  not  a  pleasant  affair.  As  before  stated,  the  latter  had  been  con- 
verted to  Methodism  by  Rev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom  of  New  York,  and  when 
Erik  Jansson  learned  of  this,  there  was  a  hot  encounter  between  the 
two  men. 

Eric  Jansson  and  family  shared  the  log  cabin  occupied  by  Olof 
Olsson.  They  had  no  more  than  become  fairly  settled  when  this  same 
log  cabin  was  transformed  into  a  theological  forum,  says  Capt.  Eric 
Johnson,  in  relating  this  reminiscence  of  his  early  boyhood.  Theological 
discussions  were  served  up  for  breakfast,  dinner  and  supper.  Between 
meals  the  combatants  would  sit  in  the  shade  of  a  tree,  continuing  the 
debate,  and  worst  of  all  for  the  non-combatants,  the  wordy  battle  raged 
long  after  all  had  gone  to  bed.  The  only  truce  was  during  morning  and 
evening  prayers.  This  religious  combat  had  been  going  on  for  days, 
if  not  weeks,  when  one  night  after  retiring  the  war  grew  fiercer  than 
ever.  After  a  rapid  exchange  of  redhot  religious  broadsides,  Olsson 
finally  lost  his  temper  and  threatened  to  get  out  of  bed  and  throw  Erik 
Jansson  and  his  family  out  of  the  house.  This  proved  the  turning  point 
in  the  affray,  for  next  morning  the  two  men  were  friends  and  looked  at 
religion  from  the  same  point  of  view — Olof  Olsson  had  become  a  Jans- 
sonist  again. 

A  few  days  after  the  arrival  of  Erik  Jansson  came  the  first  party 
of  his  followers.  They  were  people  from  Dalecarlia  province  who. 
under  the  leadership  of  Linjo  Gabriel  Larsson,  had  left  Malung  April 
9th  and  10th  for  America,  via  Christiania.  From  New  York  they  had 
taken  the  route  which  was  used  by  the  great  mass  of  Swedish  and  other 
immigrants  for  almost  a  decade  before  the  first  railroad  was  built  to 
Chicago,  viz.,  up  the  Hudson  to  Albany  by  steamer,  thence  by  canal  to 
Buffalo,  and  again  by  steamer  over  the  Great  Lakes  from  that  point  to 
Chicago.  From  the  latter  point,  most  of  the  adults  traveled  on  foot  to 
Victoria,  while  children  and  invalids  rode  on  pack  horses  and  in  wagons 
purchased  for  transportation  purposes.  Later  parties  took  the  canal 
route  to  Henry  or  Peru,  whence  they  walked  or  rode.  The  very  last 
comers  traveled  by  railroad  the  entire  distance  from  New  York  to 


EMIGRATION    AND    SETTLEMENT 


225 


Galva.  This  was  in  1854  after  the  completion  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  road 
to  the  latter  point. 

For  the  sum  of  $250  out  of  the  common  treasury  Olof  Olsson  pur- 
chased a  sixty  acre  farm  at  Bed  Oak  Grove,  in  sections  9  and  17, 
with  a  loghouse  and  a  few  acres  of  ground  under  cultivation. 
On  August  21st,  after  the  first  party  of  immigrants  had  arrived,  156 
acres  of  section  8,  in  the  same  township,  was  purchased  for  $1,100. 
The  party  at  once  moved  upon  the  land,  managing  as  best  they  could. 
There  was  a  log  cabin,  a  piece  of  cultivated  ground,  and  some  timber. 
They  now  began  to  plan  a  small  town  or  colony  for  those  that  were  to 
follow,  and  after  looking  over  the  neighborhood  they  decided  to  locate 
at  Hoop  Pole  Grove,  comprising  the  southwest  corner  of  section  14, 
Weller  township.  Here  Erik  Jansson  bought  160  acres  directly  from 
the  government  on  Sept.  26th,  for  $200.  The  same  day  a  tract  of  320 
acres  in  sections  23  and  24  was  purchased  for  $400.  It  was  a  fine 
locality,  with  a  small  bluff,  a  spring  of  water,  clumps  of  oak-trees  and  a 
small  stream,  known  as  South  Edward's  Creek.  The  place  was  named 
Bishop  Hill,  after  Biskopskulla,  the  birthplace  of  Erik  Jansson.  Olof 
Olsson  had  accompanied  the  others  to  Red  Oak  Grove,  and  before  the 
end  of  the  year  he  and  his  wife,  together  with  two  of  their  children, 
were  claimed  by  death; 

In  readiness  for  a  numerous  party  that  was  expected  soon,  two  log 
houses  were  hurriedly  put  up,  also  four  large  tents  and  one  so-called 
church  tent,  built  of  logs  in  the  form  of  a  cross  and  covered  with 
canvas.  The  entrance  and  the  pulpit  were  at  the  north  end,  while  the 
south  end  was  occupied  by  a  fireplace  and  a  gallery.  This  tabernacle 
had  a  capacity  of  800  to  1,000  persons.  A  laudable  trait  of  the  colonists 
was  this,  that  immediately  upon  their  arrival  they  built  a  house  in 
which  to  give  praise  and  thanks  to  God,  whom  they  would  serve  and  for 
whose  sake  they  believed  themselves  persecuted  and  martyred. 

On  Oct.  28th  Jonas  Olsson  arrived  with  a  large  party,  including 
Erik  Jansson 's  two  brothers,  Johan,  or  Jan,  and  Peter.  His  mother, 
who  was  in  the  party,  died  during  the  voyage.'  Many  members  of  this 
as  well  as  subsequent  parties  deserted  in  New  York,  the  hardships 
endured  on  the  voyage  creating  in  their  minds  a  doubt  as  to  the  divine 
mission  of  the  alleged  prophet.  There  is  good  ground  for  the  belief, 
however,  that  many  of  the  deserters  probably  had  never  professed  an 
abiding  faith  in  him,  having  merely  taken  advantage  of  the  movement 
to  get  rid  of  their  debts  and  obtain  free  passage  to  America.  Many 
stopped  in  Chicago,  among  whom  Jan  Jansson,  one  of  Erik  Jansson 's 
own  brothers. 

At  the  approach  of  cold  weather,  another  party  arrived,  raising  the 
total  number  of  colonists  to  three  hundred.  The  existing  buildings  now 
proved  entirely  inadequate,  and  many  additional  loghouses  were  hastily 


226  THE    BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 

built,  also  a  large  sodhouse  which  served  as  kitchen  and  dining  hall, 
or,  according  to  the  recollection  of  some,  three  sod  kitchens  were  built, 
one  by  one,  as  needed,  and  later  replaced  by  one  large  adobe  kitchen  in 
three  sections.  But  even  at  that,  the  demand  for  shelter  was  not  fully 
met.  In  addition  no  less  than  twelve  so-called  dugouts  were  constructed, 
by  the  process  of  digging  holes,  or  cellars,  in  the  side  of  the  hill,  the 
partial  earthen  walls  being  completed  by  a  superstructure  of  logs.  The 
hut  was  covered  with  a  layer  of  thin  boards  on  which  was  placed  a 
thatch  of  sod.  The  door  was  at  the  front  end,  flanked  by  a  couple  of 
small  windows,  and  the  fireplace  at  the  back  wall.  These  unsanitary 
dwellings  were  25  to  30  feet  long  and  18  feet  wide  and  housed  from 
twenty-five  io  thirty  persons  each.  These  slept  in  berths  built  in  two 
tiers  along  the  side  walls,  each  berth  with  a  capacity  of  three  persons. 
During  the  first  winter  no  less  than  fifty-two  unmarried  women  are  said 
to  have  lived  together  in  a  rude  wooden  structure. 

Late  in  the  fall  still  another  company  of  Erik  Janssonists  arrived, 
swelling  the  total  number  to  four  hundred.  Of  these  seventy  lived  at 
Red  Oak  Grove.  Fortunately  the  winter  proved  exceptionally  mild,  the 
ground  being  frozen  for  a  period  of  only  eight  weeks.  At  times,  how- 
ever, the  cold  was  so  bitter  as  to  prevent  outdoor  work. 

Before  undertaking  a  more  detailed  description  of  the  Bishop  Hill 
Colony,  some  account  must  be  given  of  subsequent  parties  of  Erik  Jans- 
sonists that  kept  coming  from  time  to  time.  In  June,  1847,  there  were 
added  to  the  settlement  four  hundred  men  and  women  and  a  large 
number  of  children.  One  hundred  and  eighty  were  brought  over  from 
Gefle  on  the  ship  "New  York."  The  voyage  had  taken  five  months, 
the  ship  having  been  delayed  by  storms  and  laid  up  for  repairs  in  an 
English  port  for  six  weeks.  Not  until  March  12th  did  the  passengers 
reach  New  York,  much  fatigued  by  sickness  and  famine.  There  they 
found  another  party  of  Erik  Janssonists  who  had  set  sail  from  Gote- 
borg.  Even  after  reaching  New  York  the  members  of  these  two  parties 
were  subjected  to  indescribable  hardships.  The  effects  of  their  subsist- 
ing for  so  long  a  time  on  unwholesome  food  now  became  apparent,  and 
conditions  were  still  further  aggravated  Toy  the  necessity  of  crowding 
the  emigrants  together  like  cattle  into  small  and  unsanitary  quarters. 
They  were  attacked  by  scurvy  in  its  most  loathsome  form;  in  many 
instances  the  flesh  rotted  from  the  bones  and  joint  was  severed  from 
joint,  the  poor  victims  writhing  with  pain  at  the  slightest  touch  or 
movement.  Within  a  fortnight  thirty  persons  died.  The  dead  were 
placed  by  twos  or  threes  into  rough  boxes  and  buried  without  ceremony. 
The  most  afflicted  ones  were  sorted  out  and  placed  in  a  subterranean 
room  where  scant  beds  were  prepared  on  the  floor.  Instead  of  provid- 
ing suitable  food  and  medical  attention  for  the  patients,  the  leaders 
prescribed  fasting,  while  they  went  out  in  the  city  and  provided  them- 


EMIGRATION  AND  SETTLEMENT 


227 


selves  amply  with  food  and  drink,  maintaining  that  such  a  course  could 
be  taken  without  prejudice  to  their  faith.  Instead  of  giving  comfort 
and  solace  to  the  sick  and  dying,  they  preached  to  them  for  two  hours 
every  morning  and  night,  harshly  denouncing  them  for  their  unbelief, 
which  they  declared  was  the  chief  cause  of  their  sufferings.  The  leaders 
made  daily  attempts  at  performing  miracles  in  the  way  of  healing  the 
sick ;  they  compelled  the  patients  to  arise  and  ordered  them  to  believe 
that  they  were  healed,  invoking  dire  punishment  upon  them,  when  they 
fell  back  powerless  on  their  beds. 

Several  of  the  healthy  members  of  the  party,  moved  to  compassion 
by  the  sufferings  witnessed  on  every,  hand  and  revolting  at  the  ignor- 
ance, hypocrisy  and  hardheartedness  of  the  leaders,  bade  their  com- 
panions farewell,  declaring  they  could  no  longer  endure  the  sight  of 
the  misery.  These  deserters  the  leaders  took  care  to  deprive  of  every- 
thing of  value  that  they  possessed.* 

On  April  26th,  when  the  spring  sun  had  melted  the  ice  from  the 
waterways,  the  survivors  of  the  two  parties  were  finally  able  to  leave 
New  York  on  their  way  to  Illinois,  taking  the  same  route  as  their  pre- 
decessors. The  leaders  of  the  combined  parties  were  Anders  Anders- 
son  from  Thorstuna  and  a  blacksmith  by  the  name  of  Hammarback.  All 
who  were  able  had  to'travel  on  foot  from  Chicago  to  Bishop  Hill.  This 
slow  mode  of  travel  consumed  ten  days.  To  house  the  newcomers  five 
new  dugouts  were  built  for  the  people,  and  additional  ones  for  the 
horses  and  cattle,  while  to  shut  out  the  rain,  the  house  of  worship  was 
provided  with  a  solid  roof  of  oak  shingling. 

The  sixth  party  of  emigrants  reached  Bishop  Hill  in  the  summer  of 
1849  under  the  leadership  of  Jonas  Nylund  from  Delsbo,  a  paperrnaker's 
apprentice.  He  had  gone  to  Norway  and  there  induced  a  number 
of  people  to  emigrate  and  join  the  new  colony.  Between  Chicago  and 
La  Salle  cholera  broke  oat  in  this  party,  which  the  aforesaid  Anders 

^r 

Andersson  found  on  his  return  from  a  business  trip  to  Chicago  in  a 
deplorable  condition  and,  with  good  intent  but  lack  of  forethought, 
brought  them  to  Bishop  Hill,  where  the  dreaded  pest  broke  out  forth- 
with. 

A  seventh  party  came  over  in  1850,  under  the  joint  leadership  of 
Olof  Johnson  and  Olof  Stoneberg,  who  had  returned  to  Sweden  in  order 
to  collect  moneys  due  and  inheritances  of  minors,  as  also  to  gather  up 
the  remainder  of  the  sect.  The  sum  they  brought  back  is  said  to  have 
amounted  to  $6,000.  The  emigrant  party  was  composed  of  160  persons, 
who  under  Stoneberg 's  supervision  embarked  at  Soderhamn.  On  the 
ocean  ten  persons  died.  At  Buffalo  the  whole  company  was  taken  on 
board  an  old  propeller  steamer  bound  for  Milwaukee.  Owing  to  bad 
weather  and  breakage  in  the  machinery,  the  trip  took  two  weeks, 

*   The  accuracy  of  this  narrative  is  doubted  or  denied  by  certain  survivors. 


228  THE   BISHOP   HILL   COLONY 

and  their  provisions  gave  out.  In  Michigan,  where  the  steamer 
touched,  cholera  added  to  their  miseries,  carrying  off  fifty  to  sixty  of 
the  party  before  Milwaukee  was  reached.  A  Swedish-American  of  that 
city,  C.  Blanxius  by  name,  learning  by  chance  that  a  party  of  his 
countrymen  had  arrived,  at  once  provided  care  and  medical  service  for 
the  sick.  Upon  learning  afterwards  that  Stoneberghad  several  thousand 
dollars  in  his  possession,  he  compelled  him  to  pay  the  bills. 

Later  in  the  autumn  of  that  year  one  Jons  Andersson  brought  over 
the  eighth  party,  numbering  eighty  colonists  who  sailed  from  Gefle  on 
the  ship  "Condor."  They  had  one  loss  by  death  during  the  passage. 
In  1854  the  ninth  and  last  party  of  Erik  Janssonists  arrived,  numbering 
seventy.  This  ended  the  actual  exodus  of  the  sect. 

According  to  the  ecclesiastical  records,  the  Erik  Janssonists  in  the 
provinces  of  Gestrikland  and  Helsingland  numbered  913,  all  but  36  of 
whom  lived  in  the  last  named  province.  Of  the  total  number  649  were 
adults  and  264  children;  409  were  recruited  from  the  so-called  "read- 
ers." The  greatest  exodus  of  Erik  Janssonists  occurred  in  1846,  when 
823  persons  emigrated  from  the  two  provinces,  Alfta  alone  furnishing 
346,  Ofvanaker  44,  Voxna  40,  etc.  From  the  province  of  Dalarne  99 
people  emigrated,  from  Upland  an  equal  number,  and  from  Herjedalen 
10  to  15. 

Individual  immigration  to  Bishop  Hill  continued  throughout  the 
period,  1846 — 1854,  swelling  the  total  to  about  1,500.  While  the  early 
emigrants  were  actuated  solely  by  a  desire  for  freedom  of  worship,  the 
latter  presumably  were  led  by  mercenary  motives,  awakened  by  the 
rumored  prosperity  of  the  colony. 

In  Sweden,  Erik  Janssonism  was  thus  almost  entirely  eradicated, 
those  of  his  converts  who  did  not  follow  him  to  America  returning  to 
the  established  church  or  going  over  to  other  sects  almost  to  a  man. 
But  even  to  this  day  persons  in  these  parts  have  been  known  to 
persevere  in  their  belief  in  Erik  Jansson  as  "the  new  light  sent  by 
God."  Erik  Janssonism  was  also  transplanted  to  Denmark,  but  gained 
only  a  mere  handful  of  converts  in  that  country. 

Daily   Life   in   the   Colony 

The  daily  life  in  the  colony  offered  many  peculiarities,  the  religious 
phase  being  the  most  pronounced.  That  the  Erik  Janssonists,  who 
had  emigrated  in  order  to  gain  freedom  to  worship  according  to  their 
own  dictates,  made  sedulous  use  of  their  newfound  liberty  was  but 
natural.  During  their  first  fall  and  winter  in  the  new  land,  they  held 
religious  services  twice  every  week-day  and  thrice  on  Sundays.  Erik 
Jansson  arose  every  morning  at  five  and  roused  his  people  for  matins. 
Half  an  hour  later  he  made  a  second  round,  when  all  were  required  to 
gather  immediately  in  the  tabernacle  for  the  morning  services,  consist- 


DAILY    LIFE 


229 


ing  of  a  sermon  and  prayers,  often  consuming  two  hours'  time.  At 
Christmas,  1846,  a  church  bell  was  procured,  which  served  the  double 
purpose  of  calling  the  people  to  worship  and  to  their  meals.  The  second 
religious  service  of  each  day  was  held  in  the  evening.  Along  in  the 
spring  of  1847,  when  work  in  the  fields  began,  the  morning  and  evening 
services  were  replaced  by  a  short  noon  meeting,  held  in  a  shady  spot  in 
the  woods  adjoining  Bishop  Hill  on  the  north.  These  meetings  were 
generally  conducted  by  Erik  Jansson  in  person,  sometimes  by  the 
assistance  of  Jonas  Olsson,  Anders  Berglund,  Nils  Hedin  or  some  other 
leader.  Erik  Jansson 's  own  hymnbook  was  used,  and  in  his  sermons 


Bishop  Hill— The  Old  Colony  Church 

he  dwelt  incessantly  on  his  God-given  mission ,  the  sinless  state  of  his 
faithful  followers,  and  similar  doctrines. 

For  the  propagation  and  perpetuation  of  Erik  Janssonism  twelve 
of  the  most  gifted  young  men  of  the  colony  were  selected  in  1847  and 
given  special  instruction  in  the  doctrines  of  the  sect  by  the  prophet 
himself  and  the  most  enlightened  of  his  assistants.  The  prophet's 
prediction  about  the  gift  of  speaking  with  tongues  still  remaining  un- 
fulfilled, the  English  language  was  made  one  of  the  studies.  The 
classes  generally  met  in  the  shadow  of  a  great  oaktree,  but  a  dugout 
was  also  used  for  school  purposes. 

In  the  summer  of  1848  the  tabernacle,  or  church  tent,  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  colonists  at  once  began  to  build  the  edifice 
now  known  as  the  Old  Colony  Church,  which  is  still  one  of  the  land- 
marks of  Bishop  Hill.  It  was  completed  in  1849,  being  built  in  three 
stories,  the  third  forming  the  sanctuary  while  the  first  and  second  were 


230 


THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 


partitioned  off  into  dwelling  rooms,  there  being  also  a  couple  of  such 
rooms  in  the  third  story. 

Erik  Jansson  continued  preaching  to  his  faithful  flock  as  long  as 
he  lived,  though  with  some  difficulty  in  his  later  years,  owing  to  the 
loss  of  his  teeth.  The  set  of  false  teeth  used  by  him  after  that  formed 
such  an  impediment  in  his  speech  that  his  hearers  had  to  strain  them- 
selves to  the  utmost  in  order  to  catch  his  meaning. 

Provision  was  also  made  for  the  education  of  the  young.  During 
the  first  winter,  Mrs.  Margareta  Hebbe  instructed  the  illiterate  elders 
in  reading  and  writing,  the  school  sessions  being  held  in  the  tabernacle. 
After  Mrs.  Hebbe  left  the  colony,  Peter  Hellstrom  succeeded  her  as 
instructor.  A  similar  school  was  opened  at  Red  Oak  Grove,  where 
Karin  Pettersson  and  a  Mrs.  Ronnquist  acted  as  teachers.  In  January. 
1847,  an  English  kindergarden  was  established  in  one  of  the  dugouts, 
and  conducted  by  an  American  clergyman  by  the  name  of  Talbot. 
assisted  by  Mrs.  Sophia  Pollock. 

It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  the  colonists  could  procure 
flour  for  bread.  The  nearest  flour  mill  was  at  Green  River,  twenty- 
eight  miles  away,  the  second  nearest  at  Camden,  the  present  village  of 
Milan,  a  short  distance  from  where  the  Rock  River  empties  into  the 
Mississippi.  To  these  two  points  they  sent  their  grain  from  time  to 
time,  but  frequently  the  mills  would  be  out  of  repair,  necessitating 
still  longer  trips.  In  the  meantime,  the  supply  at  home  would  give 
out,  a  real  calamity  in  those  days,  when  there  were  no  neighbors  from 
whom  to  borrow  in  an  emergency.  Then  some  substitute  for  bread 
had  to  be  produced,  and  a  couple  of  primitive  hand  mills  were 
procured  in  which  corn  was  ground  into  a  coarse  meal  requiring  10  to 
12  hours  of  cooking  to  make  it  palatable.  The  colonists  were  many 
and  the  capacity  of  the  mills  was  small,  so  they  had  to  grind  by  shifts 
all  night  in  order  to-  produce  meal  sufficient  for  the  next  day. 
In  the  large  common  refectory  all  dined  together  on  food  which 
was  often  insufficient  and  generally  unpalatable.  The  situation  was 
relieved  to  a  great  extent,  when  in  1847  a  flour  mill  was  built  on 
Edward's  Creek,  but  this  stream  would  sometimes  run  dry,  closing 
down  the  mill.  In  these  emergencies  the  colonists  would  be  called 
into  requisition  to  tread  the  mill  wheel,  this  arduous  task  falling  prin- 
cipally to  the  lot  of  the  twelve  apostles  to  be.  This  method,  however, 
proved  too  laborious,  and  man  power  was  soon  replaced  by  horse  power. 
When  this  mill  nevertheless  proved  unable  to  supply  the  demand,  a 
windmill  with  two  pairs  of  mill  stones  was  built  in  January,  1848. 
The  following  year  preparations  were  made  for  the  erection  of  a  steam 
power  flour  mill,  which  was  completed  in  July,  1851.  This  establish- 
ment at  once  proved  highly  profitable,  the  farmers  from  near  and  far 


DAILY    LIFE 


231 


bringing  their  grain,  while  all  the  surplus  grain  of  the  colony  was 
made  into  flour  for  the  market. 


Crq 

a 


In  the  spring  of  1847  the  colony  began  to  manufacture  sun-dried 
brick,  and  several  buildings  of  that  material  were  put  up;  about  the 


232  THE  BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 

same  time  a  saw-mill  was  built  at  Red  Oak  Grove,  where  there  was  a 
tract  of  oak  timber.  The  saw-mill  was  later  traded  for  a  parcel  of 
land  and  another  saw-mill,  located  on  a  small  stream  in  Clover  town- 
ship. This  mill  was  moved  to  Bishop  Hill  and  located  on  Edward's 
Creek  in  1848.  In  May  the  same  year,  eighty  acres  of  timber  land, 
with  a  saw-mill,  in  Weller  township,  was  purchased  from  Cramer  and 
Wilsey  for  $1,500.  Thenceforth  the  colony  was  well  supplied  with 
lumber.  Limestone  was  found  in  a  ravine  within  the  domain  of  the 
colony,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Philip  Mauk  taught  the  settlers  the 
art  of  burning  lime,  yet  large  quantities  of  lime  had  to  be  bought.  Brick 
kilns  were  also  constructed,  and  gradually  large  and  comfortable 
dwelling  houses  began  to  supplant  the  stuffy  and  unsanitary  dugouts. 

The  rapid  increase  in-  population  by  immigration  made  the  pur- 
chase of  more  land  peremptory.  Nov.  18,  1847,  a  quarter  of  section  17, 
in  Weller  township,  was  purchased  of  W.  H.  Griffin  for  $380,  and 
before  the  end  of  the  year  other  purchases  were  made  as  follows :  80 
acres  in  section  17,  240  acres  in  section  16,  and  39  acres  additionally. 
Moreover,  pieces  of  land  were  rented  here  and  there  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, some  as  far  away  as  present  Woodhull.  Farming  was  carried  on 
with  great  energy.  Part  of  the  lands  bought  were  already  planted  to 
corn;  other  portions  were  turned  into  wheat  fields.  After  the  last- 
named  land  purchases  no  less  than  350  acres  were  under  cultivation. 
During  that  and  the  following  years  the  colonists  surrounded  their 
domain  on  three  sides  with  an  earthen  wall  or  fence. 

The  grain  crop  of  the  first  year  (1847)  was  cut  with  scythes  in 
Swedish  fashion;  the  next  year  so-called  cradles  came  into  use.  In 
1849,  during  harvest  time,  thirty  cradles  were  kept  working  night  and 
day,  but  on  finding  the  dews  injurious  to  the  health  of  the  harvest  hands 
night  work  was  discontinued.  Each  cradle  had  a  capacity  of  six  acres 
per  day.  Women  generally  worked  in  the  field  binding  the  grain,  while 
young  boys  and  girls  were  employed  to  gather  the  sheaves 
and  the  aged  to  do  the  shocking.  The  last  named  year  a  reaper 
was  procured  from  La  Grange,  but  it  was  sent  back  as  unsatisfactory 
and  the  cradles  again  brought  into  use,  several  of  the  men  having 
acquired  great  skill  in  handling  this  implement.  Anders  Kilstrom  and 
Hans  Dahlgren,  for  instance,  each  cradled  14  acres  of  wheat  from  sun- 
rise to  sundown. 

The  harvest  over  for  the  season,  a  pleasant  spectacle  was  enacted. 
The  two  hundred  laborers  formed  in  a  double  line,  with  the  men  in 
the  lead,  the  women  following,  and  the  children  bringing  up  the  rear, 
and  marched  ba'ck  to  the  village  to  the  tune  of  merry  folksongs. 
Arriving  home,  the  reapers  arranged  themselves  around  the  long  tables 
in  the  largest  dining  hall,  where  a  feast  was  spread,  and  thus  was 


DAILY    LIFE 


233 


celebrated  their  first  harvest  festival  with  merrymaking  and  thanks- 
giving. 

In  the  year  1852  improved  reapers  were  introduced,  replacing 
the  inferior  cradle  and  giving  a  different  character  to  the  work  of 
harvesting  the  crops. 

The  threshing  of  the  crop  of  1847  was  left  to  one  Broderick,  who 
used  a  very  simple  and  imperfect  threshing  contrivance.  The  machine 
afterwards  became  the  property  of  the  colonists  who  proceeded  to 
build  a  new  one  of  the  same  type  but  with  many  improvements. 

The  colonists  did  not,  however,  confine  themselves  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  wheat  and  corn.  Flax  was  raised,  especially  at  first,  with 
still  greater  success,  owing  to  the  fact  that  this  was  one  of  the  staple 
products  of  Helsingland  from  time  out  of  mind,  and  the  emigrants 
from  that  province  were  experts  in  flax  culture.  The  flax  was  prepared 
and  woven  by  the  colonists  themselves  and  the  linen  products  found 
a  ready  sale  in  the  neighborhood.  From  the  flax  crop  of  1847  12,473 
yards  of  linen  was  woven  and  sold.  The  production  increased 
yearly,  reaching  28,322  yards  of  linen  cloth  and  3,257  yards  of  carpets 
in  1851.  The  linen  industry  was  continued  until  1860,  but  it  was 
reduced  in  1857  on  account  of  competition  with  the  eastern  factories, 
who  dominated  the  western  market  as  soon  as  shipping  facilities  were 
improved.  Up  to  that  time  the  colony  had  produced  for  the  general 
market  a  total  of  130,309  yards  of  linen  goods  and  22,569  yards  of 
carpets,  together  with  all  goods  needed  for  domestic  use.  From  these 
figures  it  appears  that  this  industry  was  an  important  source  of  income 
to  the  colony  during  its  first  decade.  After  1857  flax  was  raised  only 
for  home  consumption.  The  total,  including  1860,  was  169,386  yards. 

To  the  women  and  children,  as  well  as  to  the  men,  belonged  the 
credit  for  this  flourishing  industry.  The  latter  cultivated  the  flax  and 
prepared  it,  but  the  women  did  the  spinning  and  weaving,  while  chil- 
dren were  employed  in  the  spooling  and  other  minor  processes.  The 
first  few  years,  while  the  number  of  looms  was  very  limited,  the  weavers 
were  divided  into  shifts  who  kept  the  looms  going  day  and  night.  Thus 
the  women  were  employed  during  the  winter  months.  In  summer  the 
women,  as  they  were  accustomed  from  the  old  country,  took  part  in 
the  outdoor  work  with  an  endurance  equal  to  that  of  the  men. 

Though  zealots  in  the  matter  of  religion,  the  colonists  were  no 
temperance  fanatics.  Whisky  was  used  to  some  extent  among  them, 
and  in  order  to  supply  the  growing  demand  a  still  was  established. 
Their  indulgence  in  liquor,  however,  was  repugnant  to  the  neighbors 
and  brought  the  colonists  into  ill  repute. 

For  the  sake  of  greater  variety  in  the  matter  of  food,  and  possibly 
with  an  eye  to  extra  profit.  Erik  Jansson  in  1848  established  a  fishing 


234 


THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 


camp  on  Rock  Island,  in  the  Mississippi,  near  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Rock  Island,  and  placed  it  in  charge  of  N.  J.  Hollander  and 
a  half  dozen  other  colonists.  Fish  was  also  obtained  from  the  Illinois 
River. 

The  lack  of  wholesome  food,  especially  during  the  first  year,  com- 
bined with  the  unhealthy  conditions  in  the  overcrowded  dugouts, 
caused  a  very  high  death  rate.  Fevers,  ague  and  diarrhea,  the  most 
prevalent  diseases,  claimed  many  victims.  In  Red  Oak  alone  50  per- 
sons died  during  the  winter  of  1846  and  the  winter  months  of  1847 
claimed  no  less  than  96  lives  in  Bishop  Hill.  The  dead  bodies  were 
loaded  into  wagons  and  buried  without  any  ritual  or  ceremony  what- 
ever. Many  corpses  were  not  even  provided  with  coffins.  These  grew- 
some  conditions  drove  many  of  the  healthy  colonists  from  Bishop  Hill 
in  spite  of  Erik  Jansson 's  efforts  to  prevent  desertions  by  posting 
armed  pickets  at  night.  The  sick  were  not  permitted  to  call  in  a 
physician :  they  were  to  be  healed  by  faith  alone.  Those  who  did  not 
believe,  the  prophet  condemned  to  "the  stones  of  hell."  Jonas  Hed- 
strom  of  Victoria  was  so  shocked  by  the  brutality  and  stolidity  of  Erik 
Jansson  towards  his  people  that  he  threatened  legal  proceedings,  unless 
medical  attendance  was  provided.  Thereby  Erik  Jansson  was  ultimate- 
ly induced  to  engage  an  American  physician,  whom  he  also  consulted 
in  his  own  behalf.  When  the  people  were  famished  from  lack  of 
nourishment,  the  prophet  evinced  the  same  stolid  indifference  to  their 
wants  and  sufferings.  He  sought  to  relieve  their  hunger  not  by 
supplying  food,  but  by  imposing  repeated  fasts.  To  their  prayers  and 
complaints  he  replied  that  if  they  had  faith  they  could  very  well 
subsist  on  an  eighth  less  than  the  rations  they  had  been  accustomed 
to  in  the  old  country,  arguing  that  their  lack  of  faith  was  the  primary 
cause  of  their  maladies. 

The  continued  misery  of  the  colonists  again  moved  Jonas  Hed- 
strom  to  protest.  He  called  the  attention  of  the  colonists,  and  rightly 
so,  to  the  fact  that  there  was  absolutely  no  necessity  for  all  the  suffer- 
ing and  privation  to  which  they  were  subjected  at  the  behest  of  Erik 
Jansson.  The  country  was  large,  he  argued,  land  was  to  be  had  almost 
for  nothing;  settlers  in  other  localities  were  prospering  on  their  well- 
kept  farms,  and  the  same  opportunity  was  open  to  all.  In  the  fall  of 
1848  these  representations  resulted  in  probably  two  hundred  persons 
leaving  the  colony,  mostly  joining  the  Methodists,  a  step  which  led  to 
long  and  bitter  religious  warfare  between  the  Erik  Janssonists  and  the 
Methodists.  The  deserters  settled  at  Victoria,  Galesburg,  and  neigh- 
boring localities.  The  great  majority  of  the  colonists,  however,  were 
not  to  be  shaken  in  their  faith,  but  continued  under  the  harsh  rule  of 
the  prophet  with  remarkable  patience  and  forbearance. 


DAILY    LIFE 


235 


Another  decree  of  Erik  Jansson  in  the  early  stages  of  the  colony, 
causing  much  adverse  comment,  was  one  forbidding  marriage.*  This 
interdict  soon  had  very  damaging  results,  many  young  persons  who 
desired  to  get  married  simply  leaving  the  colony  for  other  parts,  where 
they  were  free  to  establish  a  home  and  family.  When  the  prophet  saw 
how  his  ban  on  matrimony  worked,  he  declared  that  it  had  been 
dictated  by  "present  need,"  meaning  the  lack  of  individual  dwellings 
and  other  untoward  conditions.  He  now  alleged  that  he  had  received 
a  new  revelation  to  the  effect  "that  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Israel 
should  marry  and  take  in  marriage,  multiply  and  fill  the  earth. ' '  Now. 
therefore,  all  those  that  God  had  given  a  desire  to  marry  should  enter 
wedlock  without  delay,  on  peril  of  being  condemned  to  "the  stones 
of  hell."  Erik  Jansson  himself  and  all  the  subordinate  leaders  became 
extremely  active  as  matchmakers  among  the  young  people,  causing  a 
veritable  marriage  epidemic  throughout  the  colony.  On  several  suc- 
cessive Sundays  between  20  and  30  marriages  were  solemnized,  but 
the  fever  ultimately  subsided  and  normal  conditions  were  restored. 

The  material  as  well  as  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  colony  were 
looked  after  by  Erik  Jansson  personally.  He  exercised  the  same 
arbitrary  despotism  in  the  one  field  as  in  the  other.  This  man 's  chief 
ambition  was  to  rule  and  govern,  no  matter  how.  In  the  administration 
of  the  colonial  affairs  he  was  supremely  arbitrary,  his  incompetence 
and  recklessness  bringing  the  community  to  the  verge  of  ruin,  as  will 
be  presently  shown. 

When  it  had  been  decided  to  call  in  a  physician,  an  Englishman 
by  the  name  of  Kobert  D.  Foster  made  application  for  the  place  and 
was  accepted,  but  afterwards  discharged  by  the  colonists.  Erik  Jans- 
son then  made  a  secret  agreement  with  Foster  to  this  effect :  he  was  to 
be  the  body  physician  of  the  prophet  at  a  compensation  of  $2,000  per 
annum,  with  the  privilege  of  extra  charges  for  services  rendered  other 
members  of  the  colony. 

Foster,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  sharp  and  crafty  fellow,  in  a 
short  time  won  the  unlimited  confidence  of  Erik  Jansson.  At  La 
Grange,  in  Western  township,  18  miles  from  Bishop  Hill,  he  owned  a 
tract  of  1,116  acres  of  land,  only  a  small  part  of  which  was  under 
cultivation.  This  he  desired  to  dispose  of  to  Erik  Jansson,  but  at  first 
offered  for  sale  only  the  growing  wheat  crop.  Without  making  a 
thorough  investigation  Erik  Jansson  closed  the  deal  at  all  too  high  a 
price.  The  harvesting  and  threshing  of  the  wheat  had  to  be  done  by 
the  colonists  without  compensation.  But  Erik  Jansson  did  not  stop 
at  this.  Before  he  knew  whether  he  had  gained  or  lost  by  the  deal, 
he  bought  the  land  itself  for  $3,000.  These  transactions  as  well  as  the 

*  Landgren  quotes  testimony  to  the  effect  that  Erik  Jansson  from  the  outset 
urged  strict  sexual  abstinence  in  wedlock. 


236  THE   BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

previous  agreement  with  Foster  were  made  without  a  word  to  the 
colonists,  and  the  same  secrecy  was  observed  in  the  matter  of  payments. 
The  money  in  the  treasury  not  sufficing,  Erik  Jansson  turned  over  to 
Foster  much  of  the  property  of  the  colony,  consisting  of  horses, 
oxen,  cows,  hogs  and  calves,  together  with  wagons,  implements,  cloth- 
ing, bedding,  grain,  provisions,  etc.,  leaving  the  people  almost  destitute 
of  what  they  needed  for  their  subsistence  and  by  which  to  cultivate 
the  soil.  Actual  want  resulted  for  all  but  Erik  Jansson,  who  maintained 
his  own  household  and  took  about  all  that  was  left  for  his  own  use. 

This  disastrous  deal  was  made,  and  its  consequences  were  felt,  in 
the  summer  of  1849.  About  the  same  time  the  colony  was  visited  with 
another  and  greater  affliction,  but  not  even  that  could  touch  the  im- 
pervious heart  and  shake'  the  imperturbable  self  assurance  of  Erik 
Jansson.  The  sixth  immigrant  party,  under  the  leadership  of  Jonas 
Nylund,  had  just  arrived.  Cholera  had  broken  out  among  them  en 
route,  and  they  brought  the  contagion  to  the  colony.  The  pest  began 
to  spread  July  22nd  and  raged  till  the  middle  of  September,  sometimes 
craving  as  high  as  twelve  victims  per  day.  Dr.  Foster  was  totally 
helpless.  This  man,  who  had  boasted  his  ability  to  cure  ninety-nine  out 
of  a  hundred  cholera  patients,  failed  to  save  a  single  life.  The  prophet 
himself  now  proved  lacking  in  that  firm  faith  which  he  had  demanded 
of  others  by  fleeing  with  his  family  to  La  Grange.  After  a  short  stay, 
he  ordered  those  colonists  still  immune  from  the  pest  to  follow  him 
thither,  but  these  brought  the  contagion,  resulting  in  the  death  here  of 
seventy  cholera  victims. 

No  longer  safe  in  La  Grange,  Erik  Jansson  took  his  family  and 
several  women  to  the  fishery  camp  he  had  established  on  Rock  Island, 
in  the  Mississippi,  but  even  here  the  plague  pursued  him,  carrying  off 
his  wife  and  two  children.  In  spite  of  his  incompetence,  Dr.  Foster 
still  enjoyed  the  full  confidence  of  Erik  Jansson  and  was  permitted  to 
accompany  him  to  Rock  Island.  As  an  instance  of  the  blind  faith  he 
reposed  in  this  impostor  and  his  cool  indifference  in  the  midst  of  dire 
misfortune,  it  may  be  stated  that  while  his  wife  lay  in  the  death-throes 
which  a  few  hours  later  put  an  end  to  her  untold  sufferings,  Erik 
Jansson  offered  to  wager  $10,000  with  certain  physicians  of  the  city  of 
Rock  Island  that  Dr.  Foster  would  save  her. 

Just  after  his  wife's  death,  Erik  Jansson  began  to  plan  a  new 
marital  union,  ' '  in  order  to  give  a  new  spiritual  mother  to  the  children 
of  Israel, "  as  he  put  it.  On  a  Sunday  some  three  weeks  after  her  demise, 
the  prophet  in  his  sermon  made  known  his  purpose  without  reserve. 
The  inner  testimony  of  all  the  faithful,  said  he,  was  to  determine  the 
choice  of  this  new  "spiritual  mother,"  and  she  also  was  to  receive  such 
assurance  within  her  own  heart.  After  services,  all  should  come  to 


DAILY    LIFE 


237 


him  and  make  known  what  the  inner  voice  had  spoken.  The  general 
verdict  is  not  known,  but  this  much  is  true,  that  two  women  appeared 
as  claimants  for  the  vacant  place.  Sophia  Pollock,  who  had  accom- 
panied Erik  Jansson  and  his  family  from  New  York,  was  the  successful 
candidate,  and  the  same  day  she  assumed  the  management  of  the 
domestic  work  of  the  colony.  She  also  acted  as  Erik  Jansson 's  secre- 
tary. A  week  later  the  wedding  was  solemnized  with  joy  and  hilarity 
on  the  part  of  the  prophet  but  with  a  feeling  of  uneasiness  among  the 
guests,  who  were  unable  to  forget  that  only  a  month  had  elapsed  since 
his  first  wife  died. 

Sophia  Pollock,  the  second  wife  of  Erik  Jansson,  was  the  daughter 
of  a  merchant  of  Goteborg  and  was  born  in  that  city.  Her  father 
having  become  bankrupt,  she  was  adopted  by  a  well  to  do  family  that 
moved  to  New  York,  where  she  was  married  at  an  early  age  to  a  sailor, 
who  soon  after  went  to  sea  and  never  returned.  She  was  remarried 
to  one  Pollock  of  New  York,  principal  of  a  private  school,  who  after 
giving  her  an  education,  engaged  her  as  his  assistant.  When  Erik 
Jansson  arrived  in  New  York  the  couple  made  his  acquaintance  and 
afterwards  accompanied  him  to  Victoria.  The  Pollocks  were  prominent 
in  Kev.  Hedstrom's  flock  in  New  York  and  her  going  over  to  Erik 
Jansson  was  no  small  triumph  for  the  latter.  At  the  founding  of  Bishop 
Hill  Mrs.  Pollock  joined  the  colony  against  the  wishes  of  her  husband.* 
Being  widowed  for  the  second  time  shortly  afterwards,  she  subsequently 
married  Linjo  Lars  Gabrielsson,  who  after  a  brief  union  succumbed  to 
the  cholera.  She  is  said  to  have  been  a  personable  and  gifted  woman, 
and  proved  an  invaluable  helpmeet  to  Erik  Jansson  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

In  the  meantime,  the  straits  to  which  Erik  Jansson 's  rash  business 
transactions  had  brought  the  colonists  opened  the  eyes  of  the  prudent, 
who  contemplated  with  fears  and  misgivings  the  desperate  state  of 
affairs.  The  day  after  his  wedding,  Erik  Jansson  had  a  visit  from 
three  persons,  Jonas  Olsson,  Nils  Hedin,  and  E.  U.  Norberg,  the  latter 
remonstrating  with  him  on  his  reckless  extravagance  in  the  manage- 
ment of  their  common  property.  The  people,  said  he,  had  toiled  beyond 
their  power  of  endurance  in  order  to  accumulate  wealth  for  the  common 
good,  but  their  wishes  and  opinions  as  to  the  disposal  of  it  had  not 
once  been  consulted.  Instead  of  being  treated  as  friends  and  brothers, 
they  were  held  as  slaves,  bound  to  obey  blindly  his  every  beck  and  nod, 
Norberg  concluded. 

The  lecture,  however,  had  not  the  slightest  effect  on  the  despotic 

*  Her  husband,  who  loved  her  as  he  did  his  life,  went  with  her  and  tried  to 
persuade  her  to  return.  But  for  the  sake  of  her  soul  she  dared  not,  for  Jansson 
preached  that  there  was  no  salvation  outside  of  his  New  Jerusalem,  and  her 
husband  died  in  Victoria,  of  a  broken  heart.  Mrs.  Pollock  lost  her  reason  over  her 
husband's  death,  but  shortly  recovered.  (MIKKELSEN.) 


238 


THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 


PH 

o 


THE    ASSASSINATION  239 

prophet.  He  replied  briefly  that  he  simply  acted  in  accordance  with 
his  "inner  testimony,"  meaning  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and  that 
all  who  complained  of  his  actions  were  the  dupes  of  the  devil. 

Norberg  was  from  Ullervad,  Vestergotland,  where  he  had  held  the 
office  of  king's  bailiff,  and  had  preceded  Erik  Jansson  to  America. 
Being  a  just  and  clearsighted  man,  he  appeared  time  and  again  as  the 
spokesman  of  the  oppressed  colonists  and  the  defender  of  their  rights 
as  against  the  tyranny  of  those  in  power.  Had  they  taken  his  advice, 
the  colony  doubtless  would  have  met  a  better  fate. 

John   Ruth,  the  Adventurer,  and  the  Assassination   of 
EriH.    Jansson 

In  the  autumn  of  1848  there  came  to  the  colony  a  trio  af  adventur- 
ers, viz.,  the  aforementioned  Erik  Wester,  one  Zimmerman  and  John 
Ruth,  alias  Root,  the  latter  destined  to  figure  prominently  in  a  tragic 
episode  in  the  history  of  Bishop  Hill. 

John  Ruth  was  born  in  Stockholm,  supposedly  of  a  family  from 
Norrland,  and  served  there  as  sergeant  in  the  army.  He  emigrated  to 
America,  presumably  on  account  of  some  crime  or  breach  of  discipline, 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  army  and  served  in  the  Mexican  War. 
When  Ruth  and  his  confreres  arrived  at  Bishop  Hill  the  aforesaid 
"marriage  epidemic"  was  at  its  height,  and  he  took  advantage  of  the 
situation  by  marrying  Charlotta  Lovisa  Jansson,  a  cousin  of  the 
prophet.  Being  of  a  rowdyish  disposition  and  an  unruly  temperament, 
he  presently  had  a  disagreement  with  Dr.  Foster.  Erik  Jansson  sided 
with  the  latter,  giving  rise  to  a  feud  between  himself  and  Ruth,  which 
brought  disaster  to  both.  Not  more  than  a  month  after  his  marriage, 
Ruth  wished  to  leave  and  take  his  wife  with  him,  but  Erik  Jansson 
would  not  permit  it,  basing  his  prohibition  on  a  written  agreement, 
drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  contracting  parties  at  their  marriage, 
requiring  the  husband  to  obtain  a  divorce  and  let  his  wife  remain, 
should  he  ever  desire  to  leave  the  colony.  She  dared  not  desert  the 
colony  contrary  to  the  prophet's  wishes,  fearing  thereby  to  incur  the 
wrath  of  God,  for  so  Erik  Jansson  had  taught.  When  all  his  per- 
suasions proved  in  vain,  Ruth  went  his  way  alone,  but  remained  for 
several  months  in  the  neighborhood  in  the  hoj>e  of  ultimately  inducing 
his  wife  to  accompany  him. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  he  returned  to  his  wife,  who  had  given 
birth  to  a  son  in  the  interval.  When  at  the  prophet's  behest  she  still 
refused  to  come  away  with  him,  Ruth  became  enraged,  making  dire 
threats  against  them  both,  and  resolved  to  force  his  wife  into  obedience. 
In  order  to  give  the  act  an  appearance  of  legality  he  engaged  a  couple 
of  county  officers  and,  accompanied  by  a  fourth  person,  a  man  from 


240 


THE    BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 


Cambridge  by  the  name  of  Stanley,  he  appeared  one  Sunday  in  the  fall 
of  1849  to  claim  his  wife,  who  agreed  to  follow  him,  fearing  to  offer 
resistance.  Kuth  departed  at  once,  with  his  wife  and  child,  Stanley 
accompanying  them,  while  the  two  county  officers  went  another  way. 
He  left  Bishop  Hill  just  as  the  people  came  from  church  and  sat  down 
to  their  common  meal.  He  had  been  detected,  however,  and  less  than 
two  miles  off  a  number  of  armed  pursuers  caught  up  with  him,  barred 
further  progress,  and  commanded  him  to  give  up  the  woman  and  child 
to  be  returned  to  the  colony.  Ruth  drew  his  revolver  and  threatened 
to  shoot,  but  Stanley  dissuaded  him,  deeming  it  the  part  of  discretion 
to  bow  to  a  superior  force.*  In  a  special  conveyance,  which  soon 
reached  the  spot,  the  wife  and  child  were  brought  back  to  Bishop  Hill. 

Thus  thwarted  in  his,  attempt  to  carry  off  his  wife,  Ruth  on  the 
very  next  day  swore  out  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  Erik  Jansson  and 
others  and  had  his  wife  summoned  as  a  witness  at  the  trial,  which  was 
to  take  place  at  Cambridge.  She  was  brought  there  by  a  county  officer 
who  had  a  secret  understanding  with  Ruth,  and  confined  in  a  room 
in  the  hotel,  where  she  was  not  permitted  to  see  any  of  her  friends. 
Neither  Erik  Jansson  nor  Ruth  were  present  at  the  trial.  The  latter 
was  represented  by  his  counsel.  That  night  Ruth  took  his  wife  away 
to  the  home  of  some  friends  in  the  Rock  River  settlement.  Several 
Erik  Janssonists  stated  under  oath  that  Ruth  had  violated  the  right 
of  domicile  during  the  hour  of  worship  and  secured  a  warrant  for 
his  arrest.  When  this  was  to  be  served,  the  friends  of  Ruth  interfered 
in  his  behalf,  preventing  the  arrest. 

At  Bishop  Hill  various  plans  for  the  rescue  of  the  abducted  woman 
were  evolved.  Erik  Jansson  asserted  that  this  must  be  done,  even 
though  half  of  Bishop  Hill  should  be  sacrificed.  Not  to  be  taken  by 
surprise,  Ruth  secretly  left  Rock  River  with  his  wife  and  went  first  to 
Davenport  and  from  there  to  Chicago,  where  they  arrived  on  March 
15th,  1850,  the  woman  finding  asylum  for  herself  and  child  in  the  home 
of  a  married  sister.  By  stealth,  Erik  Jansson  succeeded  in  discovering 
her  whereabouts  and  sent  five  trusty  henchmen  to  bring  her  back.  The 
scheme  succeeded:  the  woman  and  child  were  returned  to  Bishop  Hill 
and  so  carefully  concealed  that  few  knew  her  hidingplace. 

Deprived  of  his  wife  a  second  time,  Ruth  broke  into  a  furious 
rage  and  swore  to  wreak  bloody  vengeance  on  Erik  Jansson  and  his 
colony.  He  proceeded  to  Green  River,  and,  by  describing  the  Erik 
Janssonists  as  a  band  of  criminals  that  ought  to  be  annihilated,  he 

*  Another  version  of  the  story  has  it  that  while  Ruth  was  holding  down 
his  wife  in  the  bottom  of  the  rig,  his  revolver,  which  he  had  placed  beside  him, 
was  snatched  by  one  of  the  colonists  (who  were  unarmed)  and  leveled  at  his  head, 
when  Ruth  surrendered  the  woman,  "who,  upon  being  given  her  choice,  accom- 
panied her  rescuers  back  to  Bishop  Hill. 


THE    ASSASSINATION 


241 


succeeded  in  raising  an  armed  posse  of  about  70  men,  with  which  he 
advanced  on  Bishop  Hill  in  order  to  capture  Erik  Jansson  and  rescue 
his  wife.  A  thorough  search  was  instituted,  yet  neither  was  to  be 
found.  The  posse  then  gave  the  colonists  one  week  in  which  to  deliver 
the  wife  of  Ruth  to  them,  under  penalty  of  having  Bishop  Hill  burned 
to  the  ground.  Frightened  by  this  threat,  Erik  Jansson  did  not  dare 
to  remain  at  Bishop  Hill,  where  he  had  been  in  hiding,  but  went  to 
St.  Louis  with  his  family,  Mrs.  Ruth  and  several  others. 

The  economic  state  of  Bishop  Hill  continuing  desperate,  the 
colonists  conceived  the  idea  of  relieving  the  situation  at  one  stroke 
by  fitting  out  an  expedition  of  goldseekers  for  California,  where  rich 
gold  fields  had  been  discovered  two  years  before.  As  members  of  the 
expedition  the  following  nine  men  were  selected :  Jonas  Olson,*  P.  O. 
Blomberg,  P.  N.  Blom,  Peter  Jansson,  E.  0.  Lind,  C.  M.  Myrtengren. 
C.  G.  Blombergson,  Sven  Norlin  and  Lars  Stalberg.  A  number  of 
these  having  taken  part  in  the  rescue  expedition  to  Chicago,  and 
fearing  the  revenge  of  that  dangerous  man  Ruth,  they  arranged  to 
leave  the  colony  simultaneously  with  Erik  Jansson,  starting  for  Cali- 
fornia on  March  28th. f  After  a  journey  replete  with  perils  and  hard- 
ships, they  reached  Hanktown,  Cal.,  Aug.  12th,  hale  and  hearty,  except 
Blombergson,  who  died  after  two  weeks.  Of  the  other  eight,  all  but 
Stalberg,  who  remained  in  California,  returned  home  in  the  course  of 
the  year  1851,  having  found  barely  enough  of  the  precious  metal  to  pay 
the  cost  of  the  expedition.  The  plan  to  put  the  colony  on  its  feet  again 
by  means  of  Californian  gold  thus  fell  through.  Nothing  now  remained 
for  the  colonists  to  do  but  to  continue  work  in  the  fields,  in  house  and 
yard,  at  sawmill  and  brickyard,  and  by  redoubled  energy  repair  the 
losses. 

About  this  time  Jon  Olsson  Stenberg  of  Stenbo  removed  from 
Moline  to  Bishop  Hill  and  upon  joining  the  colony  is  said  to  have  con- 
tributed a  substantial  amount  of  money  to  the  community.! 

Late  in  the  evening  of  April  1st,  Ruth  returned  at  the  head  of  the 
same  armed  posse  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  his  wife.  Her 
absence  making  that  impossible,  a  respite  of  several  days  was  again 
given,  coupled  with  a  renewed  threat  of  burning  the  village,  should  the 
colonists  fail  to  fulfill  the  condition.  When  the  time  was  up,  the  crowd 

*  This  and  similar  names  are  henceforth  given  in  the  form  their  bearers 
wrote  them  in  this  country. 

t  According  to  the  diary  of  Jonas  Olson,  three  of  the  men  set  out  March 
23rd,  going  via  Rock  Island,  through  Iowa,  etc.,  the  others  apparently  on  March 
29th,  going  by  way  of  St.  Louis.  The  two  parties  joined  bn  the  way  and  reached 
Hanktown  (Placerville),  Cal.,  Aug.  12th,  according  to  Olson. 

J  In  "Sverige  i  Amerika"  Peterson,  writing  about  Jonas  Olson,  illustrates 
that  man's  great  persuasive  powers  with  a  story  of  how  he  "discovered"  Sten- 
berg and  "dug  up"  $50,000  in  gold,  while  the  California  party  were  in  the  gold 
fields  and  found  nothing.  Stenberg's  fortune,  it  is  safe  to  say,  could  not  have 
reached  such  a  figure.  Besides,  the  author  apparently  forgets  that  Jonas  Olson 
himself  was  the  leader  of  the  party  of  goldseekers. 


242  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

again  appeared,  with  reinforcements,  evidently  with  a  grim  determina- 
tion to  carry  out  the  threat.  The  Mormon  colony  at  Nauvoo  had  been 
wiped  out  by  fire  three  and  a  half  years  earlier,  and  that  event  was  still 
fresh  in  the  memory  of  all.  The  passions  of  the  incendiaries  were  keyed 
to  a  high  pitch,  but  fortunately  the  catastrophe  was  averted  just  as  they 
were  about  to  throw  out  the  firebrands.  Norberg,  who  had  been  driven 
from  the  colony  by  the  odium  heaped  upon  him  by  Erik  Jansson,  got 
word  of  the  intended  outrage  and  the  day  set  for  it,  and,  quickly 
mustering  another  posse  of  well  armed  men,  he  marched  to  Bishop  Hill 
and  in  a  parley  with  the  mob  dissuaded  them  from  violence. 

Again  thwarted  in  his  plans,  Ruth  swore  vengeance  on  Erik  Jans- 
son  personally  and  sent  him  word  that  he  would  shoot  him  down  at  the 
first  opportunity. .  The  prophet  was  living  high  at  St.  Louis  while  his 
deluded  followers  at  Bishop  Hill  were  haggard  from  hunger  and  priva- 
tion. Erik  Jansson  succeeded  in  obtaining  considerable  loans  on  the 
strength  of  ingenious  newspaper  articles  setting  forth  the  flourishing 
condition  of  his  colony  and  putting  himself  in  the  most  favorable  light. 
For  the  evident  purpose  of  strengthening  his  credit,  he  subscribed 
for  $50,000  worth  of  railway  stock  at  this  juncture. 

His  fear  of  Euth  was  somewhat  allayed  on  hearing  that  the  attack 
on  Bishop  Hill,  planned  by  that  desperado,  had  failed,  so  he  returned 
home  on  May  llth.  He  arrived  on  a  Saturday,  and  while  preaching 
his  sermon  the  following  day  in  the  colonial  church,  he  seemed  agitated 
by  fear,  as  evidenced  by  his  quoting  II.  Timothy  4:  6-8  and  at  the 
subsequent  communion  service  Matthew  26 :  29  in  reference  to  himself. 
A  large  number  of  law  suits  had  been  entered  against  him  in  the 
county  circuit  court  during  his  absence,  and  in  order  to  defend  his 
interests  he  went  to  Cambridge  the  following  Monday,  May  13th.* 
That  morning  he  seems  to  have  had  a  definite  presentiment  of  danger, 
for  on  starting  from  home  he  is  said  to  have  asked  his  driver,  one 
Mr.  Mascall,  "Well,  will  you  stop  the  bullet  for  me  today?" 
About  one  o'clock  p.  m.,  during  the  noon  recess  of  the  court,  Erik 
Jansson  stood  near  a  window  in  the  court  room,  conversing  with  At- 
torney Samuel  P.  Brainerd.  Suddenly  Ruth  appeared  outside  the  win- 
dow and  put  the  question  to  Erik  Jansson,  whether  he  would  give  him 
back  his  wife  and  child,  t  The  prophet  retorted  that  a  sow  would  be  a 
more  fit  companion  for  Ruth  than  a  woman.  Maddened  by  the  insult, 
Ruth  rushed  into  the  building  and  the  next  instant  stood  in  the  door- 
way leading  to  the  courtroom,  loudly  calling  Erik  Jansson  by  name. 
When  the  prophet  turned  to  look,  Ruth  fired  a  pistol  shot  directly  at 

*  An  examination  of  the  clerk's  record  disproves  the  assertion  made  by 
almost  every  writer  on  this  subject  that  the  case  of  Ruth  vs.  Jansson  was  before 
the  court  on  that  day. 

t  According  to  Mikkelsen,  friends  of  Erik  Jansson  claim  no  words  were 
exchanged  between  the  slayer  and  his  victim  prior  to  the  firing  of  the  shot. 


THE   INCORPORATION 


243 


him,  the  bullet  piercing  the  chest  of  Erik  Jansson,  who  fell  backwards 
and  expired  in  a  few  minutes.  As  his  victim  fell,  Ruth  fired  a  second 
shot,  which  only  tore  a  hole  in  the  wounded  man's  clothing.  Such  was 
the  tragic  end  of  the  checkered  and  peculiar  career  of  Erik  Jansson, 
the  Prophet. 

His  death  created  a  tremendous  sensation  and  deep  sorrow  in  the 
colony.  Nils  Hedin  and  Jacob  Jacobson,  who  had  witnessed  the 
tragedy  in  the  courtroom,  brought  the  dead  body  to  Bishop  Hill,  where 
it  was  interred  several  days  later.  Many  of  the  simple-minded  colonists 
could  scarcely  believe  that  their  master  was  really  dead,  some  even 
hoped  that  he  would  rise  forthwith  from  the  grave.  A  simple  wooden 
cross  at  first  marked  the  last  restingplace  of  Erik  Jansson,  the  self- 
appointed  ambassador  of  God  on  earth.  This  was  replaced  later  by 
a  handsome  monument  of  white  marble. 

At  the  time  of  the  assassination,  the  courtroom  was  filled  with 
people,  who  had  no  difficulty  in  catching  the  assassin.  He  was  arrested 
and,  after  a  trial  pending  two  years,  convicted  and  sentenced  to  three 
years  in  the  penitentiary.  After  having  served  half  of  his  term  he 
was  released  in  response  to  the  numerous  petitions  for  his  pardon  that 
were  sent  to  Governor  Joel  A.  Matteson.  Kuth  then  went  to  Chicago 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  among  the  scum  of  the  city. 
His  stormy  life  ended  in  a  revolting  tragedy.  While  engaged  in  a 
drunken  brawl  with  two  other  ruffians  in  a  saloon,  he  was  badly  bruised 
and  finally  knocked  to  the  floor,  when  one  of  his  assailants  jumped 
upon  his  chest  and  broke  several  ribs,  the  injuries  causing  his  death 
shortly  afterwards.  Among  the  few  Erik  Janssonists  in  the  old  country 
the  belief  was  general,  however,  that  the  murderer  of  the  prophet  was 
"consumed  by  worms"  while  in  prison. 

The   Incorporation  of  Bishop   Hill  and  the  Administration  of 
Jonas   Olson   and   Olof  Johnson 

After  the  murder  of  Erik  Jansson  the  property  of  the  colony,  which 
was  all  in  the  leader's  name,  devolved  upon  his  widow.  Mrs.  Sophia 
Pollock  Jansson  knew  more  about  the  colony's  affairs  than  any  other 
person  and  took  the  reins  of  government  into  her  own  hands.  But 
women  were  not  allowed  to  speak  in  public,  therefore  Andrew  Berg- 
lund,  one  of  the  assistant  preachers,  was  appointed  the  spiritual  leader, 
as  also  guardian  of  Erik  Jansson 's  son,  who,  according  to  the  expressed 
wish  of  the  prophet,  was  to  become  his  successor.  At  the  funeral  Mrs. 
Jansson  stepped  forward  and  placed  her  hand  on  Berglund's  bowed 
head,  creating  him  guardian  of  the  heir  to  the  leadership  of  God's 
chosen  people  until  the  boy  should  have  attained  his  majority.  Berg- 
lund  thus  became  nominally  both  the  temporal  and  spiritual  head  of 


244 


THE    BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 


the  community,  but  in  matters  of  business  no  important  step  was  taken 
without  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  Mrs.  Jansson.  The  affairs  of  the 
colony  were  very  much  involved,  and  the  creditors  caused  the  new 
management  much  worry.  The  situation  was  somewhat  relieved  when 
Olof  Johnson  and  Olof  Stoneberg  returned  from  Sweden  with  the  afore- 
said $6,000  in  inheritances  collected.  Then  the  farming  and  industries 
of  Bishop  Hill  were  pursued  with  renewed  vigor. 

Berglund  was  not  permitted  long  to  exercise  leadership.     A  rival 
soon  appeared  in  the  person  of  Jonas  Olson,  who  was  on  his  way  to 


Andrew    Berglund 

Preacher  and  Leader 


Jacob   Jacobson 

Colony   Trustee 


the  gold  country  at  the  time,  and  did  not  learn  of  the  death  of  Erik 
Jansson  till  after  his  arrival  in  California.  Actuated  by  a  desire  to 
succeed  to  the  leadership  he  decided  to  return  forthwith.  He  abandoned 
the  expedition,  having  had  no  faith  in  it  from  the  outset,  and  started 
back  home  with  a  couple  of  the  men,  leaving  the  rest  to  follow  at  their 
leisure.  Arriving  in  Bishop  Hill  in  February,  1851,  he  at  once  began 
to  set  matters  right.  He  persuaded  several  of  his  friends  that  Erik 
Jansson 's  prophetic  dignity  was  not  to  be  handed  down  as  a  heritage, 
for  the  reason  that  no  other  man  could  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  in  like 
measure;  consequently,  he  argued,  the  present  leadership  ought  to  be 
abolished  for  a  complete  equality  of  rights.  His  friends  were  easily 


THE    INCORPORATION 


245 


won  over,  and  his  views  gained  ground,  being  disseminated  guardedly 
at  first,  but  soon  without  any  pretense  of  secrecy. 

The  guardians  of  Erik  Jansson's  son  could  not  claim  infallibility 
of  judgment,  and  many  were  dissatisfied  to  be  governed  by  a  woman. 
A  respectable  minority,  while  admitting  Jansson's  other  claims,  were 
not  disposed  to  recognize  those  in  behalf  of  his  heir.  It  was  this 
growing  sentiment  of  dissatisfaction,  which  Jonas  Olson  voiced  wrhen 
he  denounced  Berglund  as  a  usurper  and  demanded  his  abdication. 
Jonas  Olson's  standing  added  weight  to  his  words,  and  ere  long  the 
democratic  spirit  which  he  represented  prevailed.  The  movement  also 
gained  strength  from  the  operation  of  another  circumstance.  The 
affairs  of  the  community  were  in  such  a  condition  that  a  strong  and 
able  man  was  needed  to  conduct  it  through  the  pending  crisis.  Jonas 
Olson  was  such  a  man,  and  to  him  the  people  instinctively  looked  for 
guidance.  Thus  it  happened  that,  although  no  formal  election  or 
transfer  of  power  took  place,  the  leadership  passed  from  the  guardians 
of  Erik  Jansson's  son  into  the  hands  of  Jonas  Olson.  With  his  advent 
into  power  the  claims  of  the  family  of  Jansson  retreat  into  the  back- 
ground until,  upon  the'  adoption  of  the  charter  in  1853,  they  practically 
disappear.  In  the  struggle  between  autocracy  and  democracy  the  latter 
prevailed,  but  it  carried  with  it  the  supremacy  of  Jonas  Olson  in 
spiritual  and  temporal  affairs  for  years  to  come.  This  man's  ambition 
to  rule  was  probably  as  great  as  that  of  Erik  Jansson,  but  it  must  be 
said  to  his  credit  that  in  general  he  made  more  discreet  use  of  his 
power. 

During  the  troublous  times  of  religious  persecution  in  Sweden 
Jonas  Olson's  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs  had  more  than  once 
rescued  the  sinking  cause  of  the  Erik  Janssonists.  After  the  flight  of 
their  leader  he  had  been  the  chief  agent  in  bringing  about  their  emigra- 
tion. Now  his  gifts  and  attainments,  which  latter  were  not  inconsider- 
able in  an  untutored  farmer,  once  more  came  to  be  of  service  to  the 
people— and  to  himself. 

A  democratic  form  of  government  was  now  established,  quite 
different  from  that  to  which  the  Erik  Janssonists  had  been  accustomed. 
Special  superintendents  or  foremen  were  appointed  for  the  various 
departments  of  work,  these  to  be  discharged  at  the  discretion  of  the 
colonists  themselves.  These  foremen,  who  also  constituted  the  govern- 
ing body,  met  at  brief  intervals  to  deliberate  and  act  on  matters  of 
common  concern.  Important  questions  were  referred  to  the  people  for 
their  decision.  This  form  of  government  proved  beneficial  in  every 
respect.  Agriculture  and  manufacture  flourished,  the  most  pressing 
debts  were  paid,  want  was  followed  by  plenty,  and  the  future  looked 
bright  and  full  of  promise.  The  cultivation  of  broomcorn,  begun  in 


246  TRE    BISHOP    HILL  COLONY 

1851,  under  the  direction  of  an  American  named  Davenport,  proved 
particularly  profitable.  One  large  brick  structure  after  another  was 
built,  and  maples  and  other  shade  trees  were  planted  to  beautify  the 
landscape.  Many  of  the  colonists  were  expert  artisans,  whose  products 
found  a  ready  sale. 

Although  the  colony  was  governed  by  the  will  of  the  majority, 
Jonas  Olson  was  the  controlling  spirit.  This  man  did  not  flaunt  his 
ambition,  but  gained  favor  with  the  people  by  showing  great  zeal 
for  the  common  welfare. 

From  the  first  the  colonists  had  owned  all  property  in  common ; 
not  even  the  arbitrary  conduct  of  Erik  Jansson  had  suggested  the 
necessity  of  a  change  in  that  respect.  But  the  more  the  wealth  of  the 
community  increased,  the  more  evident  was  the  need  of  specific 
regulations  governing  the  ownership  of  property.  The  only  way  to 
obtain  a  satisfactory  basis  seemed  to  be  to  incorporate  the  community 
under  the  laws  of  the  state.  Under  the  existing  order,  the  colony 
could  not  legally  own  property  in  its  own  name;  in  every  instance 
property  was  acquired  through  purchase  made  in  the  name  of  some 
individual,  at  whose  death  the  transfer  to  the  community  would  meet 
with  legal  obstacles  and  entail  trouble  and  expense.  This  fact  Jonas 
Olson  made  to  serve  his  ends.  In  conjunction  with  a  few  intimates, 
he  drafter  a  charter  for  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony,  for  passage  by  the 
state  legislature.  Signatures  to  this  document  were  obtained  from 
the  majority  of  the  adult  members  of  the  colony  without  any  explana- 
tion save  that  the  list  of  names  was  to  be  appended  to  a  petition  asking 
the  legislature  to  grant  the  charter. 

Two  of  the  colonists,  the  aforementioned  E.  U.  Norberg  and 
August  Bandholtz,  a  German,  who  had  married  into  the  colony,  being 
more  prudent  than  the  others,  asked  to  see  the  proposed  charter  before 
affixing  their  signatures.  After  some  hesitation,  the  draft  was  shown 
to  Norberg,  who  made  the  pertinent  objection  that  the  trustees  therein 
nominated  had  not  been  duly  elected  by  the  colonists  but  had 
arbitrarily  placed  themselves  at  the  head ;  furthermore,  a  number  of 
them  were  interrelated  by  blood  or  marriage,  a  circumstance  presaging 
the  rise  of  a  family  autocracy  prejudicial  to  the  rights  of  the  individual. 
These  objections,  publicly  made,  caused  the  colonists  to  rise  in  protest 
against  the  proposed  charter,  which  for  the  moment  seemed  doomed 
to  defeat. 

Jonas  Olson,  however,  was  master  of  the  situation.  After  being 
closeted  with  Olof  Johnson  for  several  hours  of  secret  deliberation, 
he  declared  to  the  assembled  colonists  that  the  proposed  charter  ought 
by  no  means  to  be  changed.  He  insisted  that  the  trustees  would  need 


THE    INCORPORATION 


247 


all  the  power  it  conveyed,  but  suggested  that  the  colonists  might 
restrict  this  power  and  control  their  acts  by  passing  special  rules. 
Norberg  protested  that  no  special  rules  could  be  enforced  at  variance 
with  a  constitution  once  ratified.  Jonas  Olson  maintained  his  point, 
adding  that,  after  all,  the  charter  would  be  a  mere  formality,  inasmuch 
as  the  colonists  were  God's  people,  with  the  divine  precepts  inscribed 
in  their  hearts  and  consciences  and  with  the  Holy  Writ  for  their 
fundamental  law,  making  all  temporal  laws  superfluous.  So  convincing 
arguments  by  the  foremost  leader  silenced  the  opposition — all  but  the 
obstreperous  and  heretical  Norberg,  who  continued  to  object. 


Olof   Stoneberg 


Peter  Johnson 


Trustees  of  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony 


The  proposed  charter,  together  with  a  petition  for  its  passage, 
was  sent  to  the  legislature,  and,  after  some  pressure  from  the  trustees 
to  be,  it  was  granted  on  Jan.  17,  1853.  The  seven  self-appointed  trustees, 
who  were  named  in  the  articles  of  incorporation  and  whose  appoint- 
ment was  thus  ratified  by  the  legislature,  were  the  following:  Jonas 
Olson,  Olof  Johnson,  Jonas  Erickson,  Jacob  Jacobson,  Swan  Swanson, 
Peter  Johnson,  a  brother  of  the  prophet,  and  Jonas  Kronberg.  The 
first  five  were  from  Soderala  and  were  all  related  by  blood ;  Kronberg 
was  from  Alfta.  Peter  Johnson  was  succeeded  in  1859  by  Olof  Stone- 
berg,  one  of  the  colony  preachers.  According  to  the  wording  of  the 
charter,  they  were  to  hold  their  positions  for  life,  or  during  good 
behavior.  They  were  removable  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  male 
members  of  the  colony. 


248  TRE   BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

The  conduct  of  affairs  by  the  seven  trustees  for  the  first  few  years 
offered  no  ground  for  complaint.  They  seemed  desirous  of  convincing 
the  colonists  that  their  mistrust  had  been  entirely  groundless,  and  the 
people  were  thus  led  to  repose  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  trustees. 
The  danger  of  arbitrary  action,  implied  in  the  charter,  was  entirely 
forgotten,  being  obscured  by  incessant  preaching  of  the  theocratic 
doctrine.  The  members  of  the  community  were  persuaded  to  adopt,  on 
May  6,  1854,  a  set  of  by-laws,  providing  for  the  holding  of  an  annual 
business  meeting,  when  the  trustees  were  to  submit  a  full  and  complete 
report  of  the  past  year's  business,  but  in  no  sense  limiting  the  authority 
of  the  trustees  or  extending  the  privileges  of  the  colonists.  A  draft 
previously  submitted  by  Norberg  and  Jonas  Olson  had  been  rejected 
by  the  trustees  for  the  good  and  sufficient  reason  that  it  would  have 
had  the  opposite  effect.  The  principal  necessity  for  the  early  adoption 
of  by-laws  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  charter  contained  no  provision  for 
the  admittance  and  expulsion  of  members  of  the  colony.  On  this  point 
the  by-laws  stipulated  that  insubordination  in  faith,  teaching  or  living 
was  punishable  by  expulsion  with  no  compensation  to  banished  mem- 
bers, except  as  the  trustees  might  see  fit  to  make.  By  this  time  it  could 
be  easily  perceived  that  the  popularization  of  the  form  of  government 
had  been  more  apparent  than  real.  The  colonists  were  unaccustomed 
to  self-government.  Their  leaders  hardly  looked  upon  themselves  as 
servants  of  the  people,  but  rather  as  authoritative  interpreters  of  the 
will  of  God.  The  seven  self-constituted  trustees  were  all  persons  who 
had  been  appointed  to  positions  of  trust  under  Erik  Jansson  and  who 
considered  that  they  had  a  perfect  right  to  formal  recognition  of  the 
power  which  they  already  virtually  enjoyed.  In  reality  the  distribution 
of  authority  remained  very  much  the  same  as  before.  Through  the 
tireless  industry  of  the  colonists,  the  wealth  of  the  community  was 
materially  increased  during  the  first  years  of  the  administration  of  the 
trustees.  All  realty  (except  the  Foster  tract)  owned  by  the  colony  in 
the  time  of  Erik  Jansson,  but  subsequently  sold,  was  re-purchased  and 
new  extensive  tracts  of  land  were  added  to  the  colony's  holdings.  The 
reputation  of  the  colony  and  its  financial  credit  also  improved. 

According  to  the  annual  report  submitted  by  the  trustees  on  Jan. 
21,  1855,  the  colony  owned  8,028  acres  of  land,  improved  and  un- 
improved, 50  building  lots  in  Galva,  valued  at  $10,000,  and  ten  shares 
of  stock  in  the  Central  Military  Tract  Railroad,  valued  at  $1,000.  The 
live  stock  numbered  109  horses  and  mules,  586  head  of  cattle,  and  1,000 
hogs.  All  other  assets  such  as  wheat,  flax,  broom  corn,  provisions  and 
general  merchandise,  were  valued  at  $49,570. 

While  the  colony  enjoyed  marked  material  progress,  it  suffered 
spiritual  decadence.  The  former  religious  zeal  had  apparently  cooled. 


THE    INCORPORATION 


249 


while  the  material  interests  pressed  to  the  fore  and  engrossed  the  minds 
of  the  people.  The  Erik  Janssonists  formerly  had  sharply  criticised 
the  state  church  for  its  formalism  and  lack  of  spiritual  ardor.  Now  that 
their  own  zeal  had  subsided,  they  were  guilty  of  the  same  faults.  Never- 
theless, regular  divine  services  were  held,  the  principal  preachers  being 
Jonas  Olson,  Anders  Berglund,  Nils  Hedin,  Olof  Osberg  and  Olof 
Stoneberg.  Yet,  any  member  who  so  desired  had  the  right  to  preach. 
The  services  consisted  of  prayers,  singing  and  the  reading  and  expound- 
ing of  passages  from  the  Scriptures. 


Olof   Johnson  Swan    Swanson 

Trustees  of   the  Bishop  Hill  Colony 


Under  Jonas  Olson 's  leadership  the  religious  tendency  was  in  some 
measure  one  of  conservative  retrogression.  He  eliminated  some  of  the 
excesses  of  the  Janssonist  theology  and  effected  a  partial  return  to 
the  devotionalism  of  the  Pietists  and  Readers,  abolishing  Erik  Jansson  's 
catechism  by  degrees  and  thoroughly  revising  his  hymnbook  in  1857. 
As  modified,  the  religion  of  the  colony  had  a  close  resemblance  to 
Methodism.  The  singing  at  divine  service  was  particularly  beautiful 
and  inspiring,  owing  to  the  fervor  evinced  by  the  young  people.  The 
spoken  language  used,  in  the  sermons,  however,  was  not  always  the  best, 
being  sometimes  a  mixture  of  provincial  Swedish  and  bad  English. 
Many  colonists  had  learned  to  speak  the  latter  language  fluently,  and 
a  school  was  maintained,  where  instruction  was  given  in  the  subjects 


250 


THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 


of  reading,  writing,  ciphering,  and  other  branches.*  Higher  education 
was  odious  to  the  colonists;  they  feared  that  "learning  might  tend  to 
vanity."  Several  of  the  trustees  and  spiritual  leaders,  however, 
realizing  their  ignorance,  began  to  acquire  knowledge  on  their  own 
account.  A  large  schoolhouse  was  built  in  1860,  that  being  the  last 
structure  erected  by  the  colony  as  such.  From  principle,  the  trustees 
were  opposed  to  newspapers,  yet  a  weekly  Swedish  paper  called  "The 
Swedish  Republican"  was  started  by  them  at  Galva,  in  July,  1856, 
with  S.  Cronsioe  as  editor.  The  paper  ceased  publication  after  a 
short  period. 

Success  and  prosperity  made  Jonas  Olson  and  Olof  Johnson  vain 
and  led  them  to  believe  and  to  proclaim  openly  that  the  material  wel- 
fare of  the  colony  was  the  result  of  the  wise  administration  and  success- 
ful speculations  of  the  board  of  trustees,  rather  than  the  fruit  of  the 
labors  of  the  people  themselves.  As  their  ambition  grew,  so  did  their 
independence.  Great  enterprises  would  be  started  and  large  contracts 
entered  into  without  previous  notice  to  the  colonists,  often,  it  is  claimed, 
without  the  knowledge  of  any  one  besides  Jonas  Olson  and  Olof  John- 
son. Should  any  one  inquire  into  the  common  affairs,  he  would  be 
sharply  rebuked  for  his  mistrust  of  the  administration. 

The  despotism  of  the  trustees,  like  that  of  Erik  Jansson,  showed 
itself  in  a  proclamation  forbidding  marriages  for  a  certain  period. 
This  prohibition  provoked  constant  irritation  and  eventually  proved 
one  of  the  chief  factors  of  disintegration.  The  edict  was  brought 
about  in  the  following  manner:  Nils  Hedin,  the  only  one  of  Erik 
Jansson 's  twelve  apostles  who  possessed  the  ability  of  propagating 
his  master's  teachings,  had  made  missionary  journeys  to  Hopedale. 
N.  Y., 'to  the  Perfectionists  in  Oneida,  N.  Y.,  and  to  the  Rappists  in 
Economy,  Pa.,  and  persuaded  25  or  30  persons  in  Hopedale  to  move 
to  Bishop  Hill.  In  1854  he  made  a  trip  to  the  Shaker  Colony  at  Pleasant 
Hill,  Ky.,  and  there  also  succeeded  in  gaining  many  converts.  His  visit 
to  the  latter  settlement  had  convinced  Hedin  of  the  advantages  of 
celibacy.  This  conviction  he  succeeded  in  imparting  to  Jonas  Olson, 
who  thereupon  issued  a  marriage  interdict  on  alleged  moral  grounds 
and  on  the  further  plea  that  if  all  young  women  became  wives  much 
of  the  outdoor  work  performed  by  them  would  be  left  undone  to  the 
detriment  of  economic  progress.  After  the  edict  had  been  in  force 
for  about  a  year,  arousing  strong  resentment,  Jonas  Olson  began  to 
preach  against  the  marriage  institution  as  belonging  solely  to  the  Old 

*  Mikkelsen  states  that  Swedish  was  not  one  of  the  subjects  taught  in  the 
school,  its  study  being  limited  to  the  meager  instruction  given  in  the  home. 
In  the  early  fifties  Capt.  Wickstrum  is  said  to  have  plugged  the  keyhole  so  as  not 
to  be  detected  burning  the  midnight  oil  over  his  English  books. 


THE    INCORPORATION 


251 


Testament  period.  It  is  a  union,  based  entirely  on  the  lust  of  the  flesh, 
he  held,  therefore,  those  who  already  were  married  ought  to  abstain 
from  connubial  intercourse. 

Before  the  promulgation  of  the  celibacy  edict,  ten  members,  among 
whom  the  widow  of  Eric  Jansson,  had  left  the  colony  and  joined  the 
Shakers.  When  it  became  a  law  without  being  submitted  to  a  general 
vote,  many  others  deserted  Bishop  Hill  to  settle  elsewhere.  Discontent 
was  general  among  those  who  remained;  but  should  any  one  dare  to 
give  vent  to  his  disapproval,  he  would  be  summarily  dismissed  from 
the  colony,  according  to  the  fifth  article  of  the  by-laws.  On  this  ground 
eleven  persons  were  expelled  on  May  7,  1855.  Of  the  remaining 
colonists  a  number  formed  a  secret  league  under  the  leadership  of 
Norberg  with  a  view  to  oppose  the  new  doctrine  and,  whenever  the 
organization  should  become  sufficiently  strong,  to  depose  the  adminis- 
tration. Certain  ones  weakened  and  betrayed  the  movement,  and  a 
rigorous  investigation  followed.  Many  of  the  conspirators  were  in- 
duced by  threats  again  to  accept  the  views  of  the  leaders.  Only 
Norberg  himself  remained  steadfast  in  his  opposition.  For  the  leaders 
Norberg  had  long  been  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  and  by  continued  vigorous 
opposition  to  their  measures,  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  under- 
mining their  power. 

In  the  meantime,  the  temporal  and  spiritual  leaders  sought  to 
conceal  from  outsiders  both  the  doctrines  of  the  sect  and  the  conditions 
obtaining  in  the  colony.  At  the  annual  meeting  held  in  1856,  it  was 
resolved  on  motion  of  Jonas  Olson  that  all  persons  visiting  relatives  or 
friends  at  Bishop  Hill  should  put  up  at  the  hotel.  In  case  of  over- 
crowding, lodging  was  to  be  provided  by  the  trustees,  no  member  being 
permitted  to  house  an  outsider  except  by  their  permission.  In  spite 
of  all  this  secrecy,  the  true  condition  became  known  to  the  neighboring 
American  population,  many  of  whom  spoke  their  mind  to  the  leaders 
without  reserve.  -  One  of  the  points  of  comment  was  the  fact  that  the 
women  whose  husbands,  willingly  or  by  expulsion,  left  the  colony, 
neither  dared  nor  desired  to  accompany  them,  having  been  persuaded 
that  to  leave  Bishop  Hill,  the  only  place  where  religion  was  being 
preached  pure  and  unalloyed,  were  to  commit  a  mortal  sin.  In  order 
to  clear  themselves,  Jonas  Olson  and  Olof  Johnson  invited  their 
American  neighbors  to  appoint  a  committee  to  institute  a  thorough 
investigation.  This  was  done,  but  the  report  of  that  committee,  was 
far  from  complimentary  to  the  leaders.  Besides  substantiating  the 
charges  made,  it  laid  bare  the  prevailing  social  conditions.  Not  even 
by  these  disclosures  could  the  leaders  be  persuaded  to  change  their 
policy.  On  the  contrary,  they  renewed  their  efforts  still  further  to 
alienate  the  wives  from  their  banished  husbands. 


252 


THE    BISHOP   HILL   COLONY 


THE  INCORPORATION 


253 


T're  draslL'  m^r:  i  ige  ii  terdict.  which  not  only  prohibited  new 
marriages  but  forbade  conjugal  relations  between  man  and  wife, 
created  much  strife  and  caused  irreparable  damage  to  the  reputation 
of  the  colony.  Scandal  followed  upon  scandal,  heaping  opprobrium 
on  the  Erik  Janssonists  and  Bishop  Hill.  In  sheer  exasperation,  a 
number  of  colonists  determined  to  come  out  in  open  warfare  against 
the  leaders  and  their  tenets.  These  persons^  were  Sven  Johan  Nordin, 
Olof  Molin,  and  Hans  Nordstrom,  headed  by  the  intrepid  Erik  U. 
Norberg.  Fearing  that  their  antagonists  might  eventually  bring  about 
a  dissolution  of  the  colony,  the  leaders  decided  to  call  a  public  meeting 
at  which  the  boldest  of  the  disturbers  were  to  be  publicly  excom- 
municated for  their  own  punishment  and  as  an  example  to  other  mal- 
contents. This  meeting  was  held  October  31,  1856.  In  direct  violation 
of  the  express  stipulation  in  the  by-laws,  it  was  resolved,  on  motion 
of  Olof  Johnson,  to  give  every  woman  and  child  a  vote.  Then  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed  directing  members  desiring  to  marry  to  obtain  per- 
mission from  the  board  of  trustees.  That  being  granted,  the  contracting 
parties  were  to  leave  the  colony  for  other  parts  before  consummating 
their  union.  Persons  entering  wedlock  without  asking  permission  in 
due  order  were  to  be  summarily  expelled.  Norberg  and  three  others 
positively  refused  to  submit,  and  in  consequence  were  banished  from 
the  colony.  Furthermore,  all  members  were  strictly  forbidden  to  have 
any  intercourse  whatever  with  them.  No  one  of  those  expelled  had 
any  part  of  his  property  returned  to  him,  although  they  had  toiled  from 
eight  to  ten  years  for  the  common  good. 

The  actions  of  the  leaders  were  sharply  attacked  in  the  public 
press ;  a  number  of  Americans  took  the  part  of  Norberg  and  his  friends 
and  proposed  to  get  justice  for  them  by  force  if  no  other  means  availed. 
It  was  proposed  to  invade  Bishop  Hill  with  an  armed  posse  and  force 
the  trustees  at  the  point  of  the  musket  to  grant  restitution  to  the  men 
they  had  banished.  Norberg,  however,  objected  to  this  method  and 
proposed  a  settlement  by  legal  process.  His  plan  was  to  petition  the 
legislature  for  the  revocation  of  the  charter  of  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony 
and  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  distribute  its  property  equitably 
among  the  colonists.  Thereby  the  dissatisfied  members  would  receive 
their  just  portion,  and  be  left  free  to  leave  the  colony,  while  those  who 
so  desired  might  remain  loyal  to  the  leaders,  reorganize  the  corporation 
and  change  its  laws  to  suit  themselves.  The  Americans  approved  this 
as  a  wise  and  equitable  solution  of  the  mooted  question.  A  petition 
was  drawn  up  and  circulated,  receiving  no  less  than  1,500  signatures, 
and  was  then  submitted  to  the  legislature.  Norberg  appeared  in  person 
and  by  the  assistance  of  Senator  Graham  urged  the  granting  of  the 
petition.  The  Bishop  Hill  leaders  were  represented  by  Attorney  Ram- 


254 


THE    BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 


say  and  Senator  Henderson.  After  three  weeks  the  matter  had  been 
brought  to  the  point  where  the  fate  of  the  Bishop  Hill  charter  hung  on 
the  vote  of  a  single  senator.  That  senator  had  the  matter  postponed 
from  time  to  time,  demanding  more  time  for  consideration.  Meanwhile 
Senator  Graham  began  to  waver.  One  day  he  inquired  in  guarded  terms 
whether  Norberg  would  withdraw  his  petition  for  a  consideration  of 
one  thousand  dollars.  Suspecting  foul  play,  Norberg  refused  the  money 


-Jonas  Kronberg 


Jonas  Erickson 


Trustees  of   the  Bishop  Hill  Colony 

point-blank.  A  few  days  after,  Graham  stated  that  urgent  private  busi- 
ness made  a  trip  home  necessary,  adding  the  assurance  that  he  would 
soon  return  to  push  the  matter  through.  The  same  day  Graham  left  the 
capital,  Olof  Johnson  arrived  in  response  to  a  telegram,  and  the  matter 
was  hurriedly  disposed  of  in  the  legislature  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
the  trustees.  That  bribery  had  been  resorted  to  was  patent  to  all.* 

This  victory,  though  a  rather  costly  one,  raised  the  courage  and 
enterprising  spirit  of  the  leaders  to  a  high  pitch.  They  persuaded  the 
colonists  that,  God  being  on  their  side,  all  opposition  was  doomed  to 
failure.  The  one  man  who  was  not  to  be  imposed  upon  by  these  fine 
phrases  was  Norberg.  Assisted  by  the  dissatisfied  element,  he  strove 
energetically  for  a  division  of  the  property.  This  was  a  thing  worth 
while,  for  in  the  year  1857  the  property  held  in  common  doubtless 
aggregated  over  $700,000  in  value.  The  individualizatioii  of  the 
property,  however,  did  not  take  place  until  great  losses  had  been 


*   It  is  reported  that  the  thing-  was  done  by  judicious  use  of  the  sum  of  $8,000. 


RETROGRESSION 


255 


sustained   in   the   panic   of   1857   and   through   unfortunate   business 
ventures. 

Olof  Johnson's    Business    Ventures    and    the    Downfall 
of   the    Colony 

As  has  been  shown,  Jonas  Olson  was  the  dominant  spirit  in  the 
council  of  seven,  but  at  his  side  stood  Olof  Johnson,  whose  power  and 
influence  was  ever  on  the  increase,  undoubtedly  with  the  approval  of 
his  chief.  These  two  men  were  each  the  complement  of  the  other. 
Jonas  Olson  was  shrewd,  but  conservative,  and  cautious  in  the  extreme ; 
Olof  Johnson,  on  the  other  hand,  bold  and  enterprising.  The  admin- 
istrative work  they  divided  between  them  in  accordance  with  natural 
gifts  and  capabilities.  All  matters  pertaining  to  worship  and  the 
administration  of  domestic  affairs  were  in  the  hands  of  Jonas  Olson, 
who  laid  particular  stress  on  the  development  of  the  extensive  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  while  Plof  Johnson  looked  after  the  business  affairs 
of  the  colony,  his  activities  in  this  line  dating  back  to  about  the  time 
of  the  change  in  the  administrative  system. 

The  opportunities  for  speculative  enterprise  were  very  favorable. 
In  1854  the  town  of  Galva  was  founded  five  miles  from  Bishop  Hill. 
When  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railway  was  completed  in 
1855,  giving  Galva  a  railway  station,  the  little  town  had  a  great  boom, 
which  Olof  Johnson  took  advantage  of.  He  started  a  number  of 
business  enterprises  there,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Bishop  Hill 
Colony,  calculated  to  bring  sure  and  abundant  profit.  In  a  short  time 
he  sat  in  his  office  at  Galva  and  directed  practically  the  whole  economic 
machinery  of  the  colony,  all  the  more  easily  done  since  he  controlled 
four  of  the  seven  votes  in  the  board  of  trustees.  At  first  he  had  the 
most  pronounced  success.  The  Crimean  War  had  caused  a  sharp  rise 
in  the  price  of  such  commodities  as  wheat,  corn,  and  other  produce. 
But  his  reckless  passion  for  speculation  grew  even  more  rapidly  than 
his  successful  business  enterprises.  Overspeculation  was  epidemic  at 
this  time,  and  Johnson  was  soon  drawn  into  a  veritable  whirl  of  diverse 
ventures,  such  as  dealing  in  grain,  lumber  and  general  merchandise, 
meat  packing,  coal  mining,  banking,  railroad  building,  etc.  Together 
with  several  other  persons  he  signed  a  contract  to  grade  the  roadbed 
for  the  Western  Air  Line  Railroad  for  the  sum  of  five  million  dollars, 
and  pledged  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony  to  take  stock  for  one  million  in 
the  road.  This  was  his  most  extensive  undertaking.  Ere  long,  Olof 
Johnson  found  himself  in  too  deep  water,  and  when  the  panic  of  1857 
came,  the  colony  suffered  loss  upon  loss,  rapidly  reducing  the  wealth 
which  the  colonists  had  produced  in  the  sweat  of  their  brow  and 


256  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

sweeping  away  the  earnings  of  the  successful  business  ventures.  The 
period  was  marked  by  great  financial  disasters,  and  the  Bishop  Hill 
Colony  was  early  drawn  into  the  vortex,  heavy  losses  compelling  the 
colonists  to  submit  to  some  sacrifice  in  order  to  raise  money  to  stand 
off  the  creditors.  Attempts  made  to  start  new  enterprises  invariably 
failed,  owing  to  the  prevailing  hard  times. 

All  too  late,  the  colonists  now  began  to  realize  whither  the  specula- 
tions of  Olof  Johnson  had  carried  them,  and  they  urged  measures 
wherewith  to  control  the  actions  of  the  board.  That  body  obstinately 
refused  to  surrender  a  single  prerogative.  The  only  man  on  the  board 
who  was  willing  to  admit  the  justice  of  the  demand  was  Peter  Johnson, 
who  resigned  as  trustee  in  1859  and  was  succeeded  by  Olof  .Stoneberg. 
The  involved  financial  affairs  added  to  the  general  discontent,  and  all 
things  conspired  to  bring  about  the  collapse  of  the  whole  system  of 
religious  and  economic  communism.  Conditions  grew  still  worse  in 
the  latter  half  of  the  year  1859,  when  it  leaked  out  that  the  trustees 
had  negotiated  large  loans  to  cover  business  losses.  Questioned  on  this 
point  at  a  public  assemblage,  the  trustees  laid  the  blame  on  Olof 
Johnson,  who  had  sole  charge  of  the  finances.  He  finally  admitted  that 
he  had  borrowed  $40,000  from  one  Mr.  Studwell  of  New  York,  but 
protested  that  this  was  a  private  transaction  of  his,  not  in  the  least 
affecting  the  interests  of  the  other  colonists.* 

Under  the  circumstances,  the  division  of  the  property  proposed  by 
Norberg  in  1857  naturally  came  to  be  favored  by  many.  Evidently 
the  only  avenue  of  escape  from  complete  ruin  was  to  be  found  in 
amending  the  by-laws  and  repealing  the  communist  pact.  At  the 
annual  meeting  held  in  January,  1860,  a  resolution  to  this  effect  was 
passed.  The  annual  report  rendered  showed  that  the  colony  owned 
between  13,000  and  14,000  acres  of  land,  partly  improved,  real  estate  in 
Galva.  stocks  and  credits  in  various  enterprises,  and  other  resources, 
making  a  total  of  $846,270,  while  the  liabilities  amounted  to  $75,644 
all  told.  This  report  aroused  suspicion,  and  the  colonists  demanded 
that  the  books  be  audited.  The  trustees  refused  to  show  their  accounts, 
and  a  storm  of  indignation  was  about  to  break,  when  Jonas  Olson 
quieted  the  murmur  of  the  people  by  declaring  that  their  demand  was 
just,  whereupon  he  had  an  auditing  committee  appointed,  with  the 
proviso  that  the  accounts  of  the  lasts  two  years  were  to  be  submitted 
to  them  after  a  period  of  three  weeks. 

On  the  7th  day  of  February,  new  by-laws  were   adopted   at   a 

*  The  official  statement  of  colony  debts  in  1861,  included  in  the  "Answer  of 
the  Defendants,"  recognized  as  a  corporate  .liability  a  mortgage  loan  of  $40,000  obtained 
from  Alexander  Studwell  in  February,  1858.  When  in  1861  the  loan  was  renewed,  this  debt 
exceeded  $5O,OOO.  This  fact  seems  to  account  for  a  statement  that  at  about  that  time 
Johnson  borrowed  such  a  sum  from  Studwell. 


RETROGRESSION 


257 


meeting,  the  legality  of  which  the  trustees  denied.  These  by-laws 
deprived  them  of  the  right  to  buy  and  sell  realty,  make  contracts  or 
incur  debts  on  the  general  account,  except  upon  formal  resolution 
of  the  colonists  and  \vith  their  express  sanction.  After  much  strife 
and  discord,  a  resolution  to  divide  the  property  was  carried  into 
effect  on  Feb.  14th,  each  of  the  415  colonists  receiving  one  share  of 
stock  in  approximately  two-thirds  of  the  total  resources.  This  portion 

of  the  property  consisted  of  near- 
ly 10,000  acres  of  land,  valued  at 
$400,000,  buildings  and  realty  in 
Bishop  Hill,  worth  $123,208,  and 
personal  property,  worth  $69,585, 
making  a  total  of  $592,793.  The 
undivided  property  was  estimated 
at  $248,861.  The  stockholders  split 
up  into  two  groups,  the  Olson  and 
Johnson  parties,  the  former  repre- 
senting 265,  the  latter  150  shares. 
But  Olof  Johnson  managed  to  get 
control  of  the  stock  of  Olson's 
friends  as  well  as  of  his  own,  and 
soon  directed  the  entire  business. 
The  audit  of  the  accounts  of  the 
corporation  had  a  disheartening 
effect.  Among  the  disclosures  made 
was  the  fact  that  the  trustees, 
during  the  three  weeks'  respite 
given  them,  had  opened  an  entire 
new  set  of  books,  and  that,  according  to  the  " corrected"  accounts,  the 
colony  owed  $42,759  over  and  above  the  reported  indebtedness  of 
$75,647,  or  a  total  of  $118,403.  The  discoveries  made  shook  the  con- 
fidence of  the  colonists  in  their  trustees  and  hastened  the  end.  Olof 
Johnson  was  in  a  sorry  plight.  By  a  resolution  of  Nov.  13,  1860,  he 
was  deposed  from  the  office  of  trustee  for  arrogating  to  himself  the 
management  and  control  of  the  colony's  affairs,  violating  the  by- 
laws and  betraying  his  trust.  By  intrigue  he  managed  to  get  himself 
reinstated  as  trustee  on  May  24,  1861,  and  proved  himself  almost 
indispensable  to  the  board  in  the  work  of  clearing  up  the  muddle. 
In  a  short  time  he  was  again  almost  solely  in  charge  of  affairs.  He  was 
clothed  with  power  of  attorney  to  make  the  best  bargains  possible  with 
the  creditors  of  the  corporation  and  served  as  attorney  in  fact 
until  1870. 

Shortly    after    the    division    of    property    had    taken    place,    the 


Mrs.  Mary  (Malmgren)  Olson, 
First  Child  Born  in  Bishop   Hill 


258 


THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 


remainder  of  the  common  estate,  valued  at  $248,861,  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  trustees  with  instructions  to  use  it  to  clear  the  colony 
of  debt.  They  were  given  five  years  in  which  to  clear  up  the  affairs, 
with  instructions  to  report  annually.  Part  of  the  assets  being  found 
valueless  the  amount  proved  inadequate  and  a  lot  of  cattle,  broomcorn, 
etc.,  to  the  value  of  $52,762  was  subsequently  set  aside  to  make  up  for 
the  deficit. 

In  the  spring  of  1861  the  Johnson  party  divided  up  their  holdings 
so  that  each  got  his  or  her  share  of  the  property.     To  every  person, 


Major  Eric  Bergland  Capt.  Eric  Johnson 

Well-known  Descendants  of  Bishop  Hill  Leaders 


male  or  female,  who  had  attained  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  was 
given  one  full  share,  comprising  22  acres  of  farm  land,  one  timber  lot 
of  nearly  two  acres,  one  town  lot  and  an  equitable  share  of  all  barns, 
horses,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep  and  other  domestic  animals  and  of  all  farm 
implements  and  household  furniture  and  utensils.  All  under  this  age- 
received  a  share  corresponding  to  the  age  of  the  individual,  the 
smallest  being  8  acres  of  land  and  other  property  in  proportion.  After 
another  year's  trial  the  Olson  party,  now  split  up  into  three  groups, 
known  respectively  as  the  Olson,  Stoneberg  and  Martin  Johnson 
groups,  took  similar  action,  the  shares  received  by  their  members 
being  somewhat  smaller.  Thereby  all  economic  community  of  interest 
had  ceased,  and  each  colonist  could  dispose  of  his  property  as  he  saw 
fit.  This  new  order  of  things  for  a  time  made  Bishop  Hill  flourish 


THE    COLONY    CASE  259 

as  never  before.  Handsome  residences  and  other  buildings  sprang  up 
in  rapid  succession,  and  the  colonists  seemed  hopeful  and  confident  of 
the  future.  If  not  now  relieved  of  the  debt,  for  the  payment  of  which 
they  had  already  made  so  great  sacrifices,  they  firmly  hoped  to  be 
rid  of  the  burden  inside  of  five  years.  But  their  hopes  were  to  be 
rudely  shattered.  At  the  end  of  the  period,  the  trustees  came  in  with 
a  request  for  an  additional  $100,000  to  satisfy  the  creditors.  An  assess- 
ment was  levied.  The  majority  being  prosperous,  they  decided  to  pay 
rather  than  go  to  law,  but  about  half  refused  or  neglected  to  pay. 
The  sum  of  $54,858,  or  $56,163,  was  raised  and  turned  over  to  the 
trustees.  Those  who  refused  to  pay  their  assessments  held  the  former 
appropriation  ample.  That,  however,  had  been  decreased  about 
$100,000  by  assets  found  worthless,  making  the  total  appropriation  for 
debt-paying  purposes,  inclusive  of  the  receipts  from  the  last  levy, 
about  $260,000. 

The  years  passed  by;  the  people  toiled  on  as  before,  and  their 
labors  were  blessed  with  rich  returns.  The  trustees  also  labored  on 
in  a  way,  but  as  no  reports  were  forthcoming,  the  people  were  left  in 
the  dark  as  to  what  progress  they  made  in  paying  off  the  debt. 
Finally,  when  in  1868  the  trustees  again  requested  a  large  sum  of 
money — $123,835 — the  sorely  tried  patience  of  the  people  gave  out. 
At  a  public  meeting  on  May  llth,  the  malcontents  appointed  a  com- 
mittee, composed  of  Norberg  and  five  others,  to  bring  the  trustees  to 
an  accounting,  and  on  July  27th,  legal  proceedings  were  instituted. 
A  special  master  in  chancery  was  appointed  who,  after  due  examination 
of  the  books,  certified  that  the  trustees  since  1860  had  received  money 
and  property  to  the  value  of  $249,763  and  paid  out  on  account  of  the 
colony  $140,144,  the  sum  of  $109,619  remaining  to  be  accounted  for. 

The    Bishop    Hill    Colony    Case 

In  this  famous  lawsuit,  renowned  among  the  legal  fraternity  of 
Illinois  as  the  "Colony  Case,"  there  were  many  facts  brought  out, 
favorable  to  the  defendants,  which  are  usually  ignored  by  writers  who 
have  dealt  with  the  history  of  Bishop  Hill.  While  the  trustees  as  a 
body  cannot  be  exonerated  from  blame  for  th«  sins  of  commission  and 
omission  charged  to  their  executive  head,  Olof  Johnson,  printer's  ink 
has  tended  to  make  them  out  rather  blacker  than  they  deserve.  It  is 
only  common  fairness  to  assume  that  the  truth  in  this  case  was  not 
all  on  one  side. 

When  the  Erik  Jansson  family  ceased  to  dominate  the  colony's 
affairs,  it  naturally  went  over  to  the  opposition,  and  thus  we  find 
Erik  Jansson 's  son  making  common  cause  with  Norberg,  his  father's 
old  antagonist,  against  those  in  control.  The  suit  against  the  trustees 


260  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

was  filed  by  Erik  U.  Norberg,  Eric  Johnson,  Olof  Olson,  Andrew 
Norberg,  Lars  Lindbeck  and  Andrew  Johnson,  complainants,  acting 
for  themselves  and  in  behalf  of  other  persons  dissatisfied  with  the 
manner  in  which  the  trustees  were  winding  up  the  common  affairs. 
Being  a  party  to  the  suit  and  one  who  thereby  sought  redress  for  old 
grievances,  Eric  Johnson  was  not  free  from  bias,  and  his  published 
account  of  the  case,  though  quite  generally  accepted  without  question, 
cannot  be  considered  impartial. 

The  bill  of  complaint  charged  the  trustees  with  malfeasance  on 
a  large  number  of  counts,  such  as,  exercising  undue  and  improper 
influence  over  the  legislature  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  charter 
and  coercing  the  colonists  into  joining  the  corporation ;  illegal  con- 
struction of  the  charter  and  by-laws;  diverting  colony  property  to 
their  own  use ;  violating  the  revised  by-laws ;  sinister  purposes  in  sub- 
dividing the  property ;  failure  to  make  the  required  reports ;  collusion 
in  fraudulent  lawsuits  to  waive  just  defense,  procure  judgment  and 
decree  against  the  colony  and  deprive  it  of  money  and  property  under 
color  of  judicial  proceedings;  gross  neglect  of  duty;  misuse,  waste  and 
unlawful  disposition  of  corporate  funds ;  concealment  of  the  true  state 
of  the  colony 's  pecuniary  affairs ;  unlawful  use  of  the  corporate  funds 
for  private  speculation;  mortgaging  property  without  good  and 
sufficient  consideration — on  all  of  which  and  other  grounds  the  com- 
plainants asked  for  a  writ  enjoining  the  trustees  from  further  exercise 
of  their  authority. 

In  answer,  the  trustees  urged  a  formidable  array  of  facts,  allega- 
tions and  denials,  many  of  them  well-grounded.  Without  this  admis- 
sion, the  progress  of  the  case  can  hardly  be  understood.  In  fairness 
to  the  memory  of  those  of  the  trustees  who  did  act  in  good  faith  and 
whose  principal  fault  was  lack  of  vigilance,  the  chief  points  in  their 
defense,  touching  the  various  charges  of  maladministration,  are  here 
outlined.  As  to  the  diversion  of  real  estate  to  private  uses,  reference 
was  had  to  the  county  records  to  show  that  all  colony  lands,  formerly 
vested  in  individuals,  had  been  duly  conveyed  to  the  colony  upon  its 
incorporation,  no  real  estate  being  illegally  retained  by  or  conveyed  to 
any  trustee  individually  for  his  private  use  and  enjoyment  prior  to 
or  after  the  general  subdivision ;  and  it  does  not  appear  from  available 
accounts  that  this  specific  charge  was  substantiated. 

The  individualization  of  the  property  was  stated  to  have  been 
planned  and  carried  out  on  a  just  and  fair  basis,  without  any  other 
motive  than  a  desire  to  meet  the  wishes  and  subserve  the  interests  of 
all  concerned,  the  express  condition  being  that  the  corporation  should 
not  be  dissolved  until  after  the  payment  of  all  corporate  debts.  The 
debt  was  understood  at  the  time  to  be  $100,000  and  upward,  and  the 
individuals  were  to  remain  charged  with  the  lien  of  this  debt,  the  deeds 


THE  COLONY  CASE  261 

to  their  respective  pieces  of  land  not  to  be  given  until  they  had  paid 
their  proportionate  share  of  the  same. 

After  the  sub-division  had  been  made,  and  certain  property  had 
been  exempted  to  apply  on  the  payment  of  the  debt,  part  of  this 
property,  to  the  value  of  $40,000  or  thereabouts,  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  September,  1861,  the  available  capital  being  thereby  reduced  so 
much,  that,  too,  at  a  time  of  pressing  want  to  meet  corporate  obligations 
and  to  equip  the  colonists  for  individual  farming  the  next  year. 

From  the  year  1861  on  the  colonists  cultivated  their  respective 
tracts,  enjoying  the  issues  and  profits  therefrom.  As  they  needed  all 
the  fruits  of  their  labors,  the  corporation  determined  to  procure 
extensions  from  the  creditors  until  the  members  should  be  better  able 
to  contribute  their  share  toward  the  payment  of  the  debt.  In  August, 
1865,  the  trustees  levied  an  assessment  of  $200  per  share,  and  deeds 
were  made  out  and  placed  in  escrow,  to  be  delivered  to  the  shareholders 
upon  completing  payment  of  the  assessment.  The  trustees  stated  that 
if  those  assessments  had  been  promptly  met,  it  would  have  enabled 
them  to  avoid  costs,  save  the  sacrifice  of  property  and  nearly  or  quite 
discharge  the  colony  debt.  But  only  a  part  of  the  required  amount 
was  realized,  namely  the  sum  of  $54,858,  which  was  disbursed  by  Olof 
Johnson,  as  attorney  in  fact,  in  part  payment  of  debt. 

The  defendants,  further  answering,  stated  that  since  the  chartering 
of  the  colony,  it  had  been  engaged  in  many  lawsuits  and  was  especially 
so  involved  after  proceedings  were  inaugurated  for  a  sub-division  of 
the  property;  creditors  then  became  restive  and  outsiders  sought  by 
legal  strategy  to  take  advantage  of  the  corporation  and  speculate  upon 
its  misfortune.  The  rights  of  the  colonists,  they  averred,  had  been 
defended  to  the  utmost,  and  against  the  charge  of  collusive  and 
fraudulent  lawsuits,  defaults,  combinations  to  waive  just  defense  and 
other  legal  strategies,  entailing  losses  to  the  colony,  they  entered 
positive  denial.  A  schedule  of  some  120  lawsuits  was  given,  not 
including  many  suits  before  justices  of  the  peace  and  other  inferior 
courts,  nor  all  of  the  cases  brought  before  courts  in  Chicago — and  it  is 
a  safe  inference  that  these  suits  cost  the  corporation  a  large  amount 
of  money. 

The  loans  negotiated  are  stated  to  have  been  solely  for  the  benefit 
of  the  colony,  in  time  of  pressing  need ;  the  mortgages  in  every  instance 
having  been  given  for  good  and  sufficient  consideration,  and  the  money 
thus  secured  turned  into  the  common  treasury  to  be  disbursed  for  the 
common  good,  wherefore,  the  trustees  averred,  to  attempt  to  avoid 
these  just  obligations,  as  suggested  by  the  complainants,  would  be 
bald  repudiation  and  dishonesty. 

In  March,  1868,  the  trustees,  desiring  to  complete  the  individualiza- 


262  THE   BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 

tion,  pay  all  obligations  and  dissolve  the  corporation,  levied  a  new 
assessment,  aggregating  $123,835,  which  sum,  together  with  remaining 
assets,  was  thought  adequate  for  the  payment  in  full  of  the  colony 
debt,  now  amounting  to  about  $158,000.  But  the  majority  of  the 
members  were  unable  to  pay  their  pro  rata  share  without  hardship. 
The  trustees  therefore  made  an  arrangement  with  Elias  Greenebaum 
of  Chicago  whereby  he  was  to  loan  them  the  respective  amounts,  on 
mortgage  security,  giving  such  terms  as  to  prevent  sacrifice  of  property. 
Had  all  availed  themselves  of  this  arrangement,  which  they  did  not, 
the  debt  might  have  been  fully  liquidated,  the  trustees  asserted,  and 
each  member  would  have  obtained  clear  title  to  his  or  her  allotment 
of  property. 

The  trustees  accounted  for  the  size  of  the  debt  of  1868  in  the 
following  manner:  To  the  amount  due  in  1861,  estimated  at  $112,000, 
should  be  added  interest  at  10%,  commissions,  costs  incurred  in  litiga- 
tion, sums  paid  in  compromise,  in  cases  where  legal  advantage  had 
been  obtained  over  the  colony,  payment  of  taxes,  and  other  legitimate 
causes  of  increase  of  corporate  debts;  it  would  then  be  readily  seen 
why  the  debt  had  become  the  debt  of  1868,  although  $54,858  had 
been  paid  thereon.  Furthermore,  a  claim  of  about  $60,000  against  the 
Western  Air  Line  Railroad,  counted  as  an  asset  in  1860  and  1865,  had 
been  found  worthless,  except  as  to  the  sum  of  $6,500,  which  had  been 
received  in  settlement.  It  was  further  estimated  that  undivided 
property  remaining  unsold  would  bring  at  most  $20,000. 

As  to  contracting,  banking  and  other  enterprises,  into  which  the 
trustees  engaged  on  the  initiative  of  Olof  Johnson,  they  offered  a 
plausible  defense  of  their  acts.  In  1854  they  contracted  for  the  grading 
of  part  of  the  roadbed  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  and 
earned  $37,000  under  that  contract.  Two  years  later  the  colony  was 
awarded  a  contract  to  grade  the  projected  Western  Air  Line  Railroad, 
and  a  large  sum  of  money  ($60,000)  had  been  earned,  when  the  railway 
company  failed  as  a  result  of  the  panic.  As  the  failure  could  not  be 
foreseen  at  the  time  when  the  contract  was  made  and  labor  thereon 
performed,  and  as  the  claim  was  watched  for  some  ten  years  prior  to 
its  settlement  for  $6,500,  the  trustees  disclaimed  responsibility  for  the 
loss  sustained.  This  contract,  which  involved  no  less  than  five  million 
dollars,  and  promised  to  yield  the  colony  a  very  handsome  profit,  was 
by  no  means  a  bad  speculation,  as  has  been  freely  admitted  even  by 
Eric  Johnson  himself.* 

In  1856-1858  Olof  Johnson  represented  the  colony  in  a  copartner- 
ship with  Samuel  Remington,  in  a  bank  at  Galva,  known  as  the 
Nebraska  Western  Exchange  Bank,  through  the  failure  of  which  as  a 

*  See  "Svenskarne  i  Illinois,"  page  66. 


THE    COLONY    CASE  263 

result  of  the  panic  the  colony  incurred  losses.  The  trustees,  while 
admitting  this,  declared  that  the  undertaking  had  been  reported  to 
the  members  of  the  colony  and  approved  by  them,  adding  that  a  settle- 
ment was  had  in  1860  with  Olof  Johnson,  who  was  then  discharged 
from  liability  for  the  failure. 

While  on  many  points  the  defense  of  their  acts  offered  by  the 
trustees  seems  valid,  the  manner  of  handling  the  accounts  of  the  colony 
by  them  does  not  appear  equally  defensible.  In  1849  Olof  Johnson  had 
raised  in  Sweden  about  $6,000  for  the  colony.  In  the  schedule  of  debt 
submitted  in  1868,  we  find  this  item,  "Notes  and  interest  due  parties 
in  Sweden  for  money  loaned,  etc.,  $12,000."  This  was  either  a  part  of 
the  same  item  or  another  loan,  which  through  neglect  had  been  allowed 
to  accumulate,  notwithstanding  intervening  years  of  prosperity, 
one  of  which  alone  showed  an  increase  of  $238,334  in  the  value  of 
personal  property,  according  to  the  trustees'  report.  The  Studwell 
loan  of  $40,000  in  1858,  which  three  years  later  represented  a  liability 
of  $66,570,  is  another  case  in  point,  though  the  prevailing  financial 
stringency  no  less  than  lack  of  vigilance  may  account  for  this  increase. 
The  summary  of  accounts  submitted  by  the  trustees  in  1868,  showing 
receipts  of  $171,964  and  disbursements  of  $195,837,  was  not  convincing, 
and  Olof  Johnson's  claim  for  reimbursement  in  the  sum  of  $23,873  for 
money  paid  out  in  excess  of  receipts  was  naturally  viewed  with 
suspicion. 

From  the  answer  of  the  defendants  we  gather,  in  conclusion,  that 
the  complainants  were  not  all  legal  members  of  the  corporation,  and 
that  they  had  in  almost  every  instance  failed  to  assist  in  paying  off 
corporate  obligations,  while  the  trustees,  with  a  single  exception,  paid 
both  assessments,  amounting  in  the  case  of  Jonas  Olson  to  as  much  as 
$3,120.  The  revised  by-laws  were,  the  trustees  declared,  illegally 
passed  and  therefore  could  not  be  binding  upon  their  acts,  and  they 
were  in  fact  never  so  held  by  them. 

After  a  long  and  aggravating  legal  contest  stretching  over  five 
years,  the  case  was  left  to  the  judge,  who  delayed  his  decision  for  a 
like  period.  Finally  in  1879  some  sort  of  settlement  of  the  case  was 
effected.  The  trustees  were  not  held  accountable  for  the  $109,619 ; 
Olof  Johnson's  claims  of  $23,873  and  salary  for  the  years  he  had  acted 
as  attorney  in  fact  were  disallowed;  all  other  claims  against  the 
corporation  were  held  valid  and  ordered  paid,  in  addition  to  which 
$57,782  in  new  obligations,  including  a  contingent  fund  of  $16,000 
and  costs  on  both  sides,  were  saddled  on  the  colonists.  This  "so-called 
decree."  like  others  caustically  referred  to  in  like  terms  by  the 
Supreme  Court  at  a  later  occasion,  was  the  result  of  a  compromise 
between  the  attorneys  in  the  case  and  was  doubtless  signed  by  the 


264  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

judge  merely  as  a  matter  of  form.  Under  the  decree,  entered  April  25 
and  July  28,  1879,  many  tracts  of  land  were  sold  by  the  special  master 
in  chancery  (William  H.  Gest),  the  owners  of  "which  were  not  parties 
to  the  suit.  The  most  of  the  lands  were  not  redeemed  from  the  sale, 
and  deeds  were  made  out  to  the  purchasers,  who  had  been  notified  at 
the  sale  that  possession  would  not  be  voluntarily  yielded  by  the  owners. 
Petitions  were  filed  by  the  grantees  in  some  of  the  deeds  for  writs  of 
assistance  to  put  them  in  possession  of  the  lands,  among  them  the 
lands  of  John  Root,  a  son  of  the  man  who  killed  Erik  Jansson,  now  a 
prominent  attorney.  This  proved  the  test  case,  on  the  outcome  of 
which  hung  the  fate  of  the  entire  colony  case.  Root's  land  had  been 
sold  for  $2,868.50  and  was  purchased  for  the  benefit  of  Charles  C. 
Bonney,  the  attorney  who  prosecuted  the  suit  against  the  trustees. 
The  judge  who  tried  the  case  granted  a  writ  of  assistance  directing  the 
sheriff  of  Henry  county  to  put  the  petitioner,  Lyman  M.  Payne,  acting 
for  Bonney,  in  possession  of  the  land.  Root  appealed  the  case  to  the 
Appellate  Court,  where  the  judgment  of  the  lower  court  was  reversed. 
Payne  appealed  his  case  to  the  Supreme  Court,  where  the  judgment 
of  the  Appellate  Court  was  affirmed.  The  opinion  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  rendered  May  12,  1887,  by  Mr.  Justice  Mulkey,  reads  in  part 
as  follows : 

"Numerous  orders  and  so-called  decrees  were,  from  time  to  time, 
entered  in  the  cause,  even  a  cursory  examination  of  which,  we  think, 
fully  justifies  the  claim  of  appellant  that  it  is  '  a  case  sui  generis. '  Under 
the  compendious  title  of  The  Bishop  Hill  Colony  Case,  after  the  manner 
of  Dickens'  celebrated  case  of  Jarndyce  and  Jarndyce,  it  has  been 
'dragging  its  slow  length  along'  for  a  period  of  over  eighteen  years, 
and,  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  perceive,  those  who  have  been  chiefly 
benefited  by  it  are  the  immediate  parties  to  the  suit,  their  counsel  and 
the  officers  of  the  court — notably  the  master  in  chancery,  who  has 
received  some  $9,000  out  of  the  fund,  as  fees  in  the  case . . .  The  con- 
clusion sought  to  be  drawn  from  the  circumstances  pointed  out  as 
sustaining  the  claim  (against  Root)  find  no  sanction  in  law  and  just  as 
little  in  reason  or  logic.  Viewed  from  a  legal  aspect,  or,  indeed,  from 
any  other  aspect,  we  have  seldom,  if  ever,  seen  a  case  so  entirely  des- 
titute of  merit." 

The  law  governing  the  remaining  cases  being  thus  determined,  the 
cases  were  dismissed  and  never  resurrected.  The  original  Bishop  Hill 
case  then  remained,  deserted  by  those  who  brought  it  and  by  their  at- 
torney. When  the  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Henry  county  was 
making  up  the  docket  for  the  February  term,  1888,  a  member  of  the  bar 
of  the  county  suggested  to  him  that  the  case  be  omitted  from  the  docket, 


THE   COLONY   CASE  265 

which  was  done,  and  thus  the  last  remnant  of  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony 
was  given  a  quiet  burial. 

To  estimate  the  losses  to  the  colonists  incurred  by  Olof  Johnson's 


Old  Settlers  Monument  at  Bishop  Hill,  Erected  in  1896,  in  Memory  of 
the  Founders  of  the  Colony 


administration  and  through  the  resultant  litigation  is  not  possible,  in 
the  absence  of  reliable  figures.  Up  to  and  including  the  year  1879  there 
seems  to  have  been  an  expenditure  in  money  and  property,  to  pay  debt, 
aggregating  $300,000,  and  a  loss  of  more  than  $100,000  in  bad  accounts, 


266  THE    BISHOP    HILL   COLONY 

worthless  notes  and  other  doubtful  assets.*  What  remained  of  the  old 
corporate  debt  was  paid  with  the  proceeds  from  the  subsequent  land 
sales.  After  the  death  of  Olof  Johnson  in  1870,  the  affairs  were 
managed  by  Jonas  Olson,  with  the  assistance  of  Swanson  and  Jacobson, 
Stoneberg  and  Kronberg  taking  little  part. 

The    Final    Fate   of  EriK.  Janssonism 

The  decisive  steps  in  the  dissolution  of  the  colony  having  been 
taken  in  the  years  1860  to  1862,  many  of  the  Erik  Janssonists  left 
Bishop  Hill  and  settled  elsewhere.  Jonas  Olson  sought  to  form  a  con- 
gregation that  would  remain  true  to  the  doctrines  of  Erik  Jansson,  but 
failed  in  the  attempt,  the  colonists  already  having  been  divided  in  the 
matter  of  creed.  In  1867  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists  made  a  successful 
effort  at  proselyting  among  them,  establishing  a  church  in  1870  with 
150  members,  among  whom  was  Jonas  Olson.  Shortly  afterwards,  the 
congregation  was  divided  on  certain  doctrinal  points,  the  one  faction 
being  headed  by  Jonas  Olson  and  Martin  Johnson,  the  other  by  John 
Hellsen,  Peter  Wexell  and  others.  The  rupture  was  not  permanent  and 
the  members  have  worshiped  together  for  many  years.  Not  a  few  of  the 
former  colonists  have  gone  over  to  Methodism.  A  Methodist  Church 
was  organized  as  early  as  1864  with  fifteen  members,  which  number 
rapidly  increased.  Olof  Stoneberg  and  Anders  Berglund  became  the 
local  preachers  of  this  flock.  A  small  number  accepted  Swedenborgian- 
ism ;  beyond  that  the  colonists  largely  preferred  to  remain  outside  of  all 
denominational  pales. 

Sept.  23 — 24,  1896,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of 
Bishop  Hill  was  commemorated.  Over  two  thousand  people  were  in 
attendance,  among  whom  were  no  less  than  ninety-nine  of  the  incorpor- 
ators  of  1853.  Of  the  trustees  two  were  still  living,  Jonas  Olson,  aged 
ninety-four,  and  Swan  Swanson. 

A  granite  monument  had  been  erected  bearing  this  inscription : 

184(5 

Dedicated  to  tKe  Memory  of  the  Hardy  Pioneers 
who,    in.    order    to    secure 

RE.L1GIOUS  LIBERTY, 

left  Sweden,  their  native  land,  with  all  the  endearments 
of  home  and  Kindred,  and  founded 

BISHOP   HILL   COLONY, 
on  the  uninhabited  prairies  of 

ILLINOIS 

Erected  Joy  surviving  members  and  descendants 
on    the    5OtK    Anniversary,    September    twenty-third 

1896 

*  A  statement  in  "Svenskarne  i  Illinois,"  p.  51,  that  by  1879  it  had  cost  the  colonists 
$672,910.61  to  pay  their  debt  of  $118,406.33  is  clearly  erroneous,  the  enormous  total  hav- 
ing been  reached  by  duplicating  items  aggregating  a  quarter  of  a  million. 


H 

tr 


to 

x" 


268  THE    BISHOP    HILL    COLONY 

At  the  present  time  Bishop  Hill  is  a  small  village  with  a  population 
somewhat  in  excess  of  three  hundred.  The  large  buildings  erected  at 
the  time  of  its  greatest  prosperity  are  still  occupied,  though  some- 
what dilapidated.  But  few  of  the  early  colonists  now  remain  alive. 
Berglund,  Norberg,  Hedin,  Stoneberg,  Olof  Johnson,  and  Jonas  Olson, 
all  these  leaders  have  passed  away  and  the  second  generation  sprung 
from  them  and  their  contemporaries  is  already  growing  old.  Sophia 
Jansson,  the  widow  of  the  prophet,  died  in  the  Henry  County  infirmary 
in  1888;  Erik  Jansson 's  son,  Captain  Eric  Johnson,  is  now  living  in 
California,  and  the  daughter,  who  was  married  to  Captain  A.  G.  War- 
ner, a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  later  became  Mrs.  Rutherford,  also 
survives. 

In  the  evening  of  his  life  Jonas  Olson,  although  confined  to  his 
invalid's  chair  by  decrepitude,  continued  to  preach.  His  eyes  were 
dim,  and  it  was  better  so,  for  his  flock  had  grown  pitifully  small  and 
looked  grotesquely  out  of  place  in  so  capacious  a  house  of  worship  as 
the  old  colony  church.  In  1871  he  lost  his  first  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Katrina  Wexell.  The  following  year,  at  the  age  of  seventy, 
he  obtained  a  second  helpmeet  in  Miss  Katrina  Johnson,  a  girl  of 
twenty-eight.  He  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Bishop  Hill  on  Nov.  18, 
1898,  at  the  ripe  age  of  ninety-six  years. 

Olof  Johnson,  born  in  Soderala  parish,  Helsingland,  June  30,  1820, 
died  at  Galva,  July  18,  1870,  in  the  midst  of  difficulties  attending  the 
famous  lawsuit.  He  left  an  insolvent  estate,  and  but  for  his  life  insur- 
ance, it  is  claimed,  it  would  have  fared  hard  with  his  family. 

Andrew  Berglund,  born  in  Alfta  parish,  Helsingland,  Jan.  10.  1814, 
departed  this  life  at  Bishop  Hill,  Aug.  17,  1896.  In  1867  he  joined  the 
newly  organized  Swedish  Methodist  Church  at  Bishop  Hill,  which  he 
served  as  local  preacher  until  his  death.  His  son,  Major  Eric  Bergland, 
U.  S.  A.,  retired,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  is  one  of  several  descendants  of  the 
original  colonists,  who  have  attained  eminence. 

Olof  Stoneberg,  elected  colony  trustee  in  1859  to  succeed  Peter 
Johnson,  joined  the  local  Methodist  church  in  1868  and  became  local 
preacher  and  an  eminent  member  of  the  denomination.  At  his  death, 
which  occurred  Jan.  8,  1892,  he  left  a  generous  bequest  to  the  Swedish 
M.  E.  Theological  Seminary  at  Evanston,  111.,  on  whose  board  of 
directors  he  had  served  for  many  years.  Stoneberg  was  a  native  of 
Helsingland,  born  in  Forssa  parish  on  Feb.  17,  1818. 

Swan  Swanson,  the  last  surviving  trustee  of  the  colony,  died  in 
Bishop  Hill  Mar.  24,  1907.  He  was  born  May  25,  1825,  in  Soderala, 
Helsingland.  Swanson  served  as  colony  bookkeeper  and  storekeeper 
prior  to  1860  and  subsequently  with  Jacob  Jacobson  became  joint 
owner  of  the  store.  He  was  for  many  years  postmaster  of  the  village. 


THE  FINAL  FATE 


269 


Eric  Ulric  Norberg,  whose  conspicuous  connection  with  the  Bishop 
Hill  Colony  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding  pages,  was  born  June  22, 
1813,  at  Ullervad,  Vestergotland,  Sweden,  and  graduated  from  the 
college  at  Skara  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  after  which  he  became  private 
secretary  to  the  provincial  governor,  serving  until  the  age  of  twenty- 


Eric  U.  Norberg  in  Old  Age 

three,  when  he  was  appointed  Clansman"  for  Skaraborg  and  one  other 
"Ian."  This  office  he  held  until  1842,  when  with  his  sister  he  emigrated 
to  America,  settling  first  in  Michigan,  then  moved  to  Wisconsin  and 
afterwards  to  Minnesota.  This  region  at  that  time  was  scarcely 
inhabited  by  any  white  people,  and. he  lived  near  the  Indians  and  had 
very  friendly  relations  with  them.  In  1847  he  joined  the  colonists  at 
Bishop  Hill,  where  he  married  and  lived  in  the  colony  off  and  on  for 
about  ten  years,  then  left  and  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  lived  for 
some  two  years,  but  returned  about  the  time  that  the  colony  broke  up 
and  the  division  of  property  took  place.  Part  of  the  time  he  was  with 
the  colony,  he  was  secretary  and  kept  the  records  of  the  meetings  of 
the  corporation.  He  also  had  charge  of  the  colony  warehouse  at  Galva. 
Prior  to  that  time  he  also  had  charge  of  the  warehouse  at  Henry  on 


270 


THE   BISHOP  HILL  COLONY 


the  Illinois  River,  where  the  colonists  did  a  large  portion  of  their 
shipping.  In  1863  he  moved  with  his  family  on  a  farm  near  Toulon, 
where  he  lived  for  a  number  of  years  until  he  moved  to  Galva,  with 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Carrie  N.  Jones,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  nearly 
86  years.  A  son  of  Eric  Norberg  is  Gustaf  Norberg,  an  attorney,  of 
Holdrege,  Neb. 


, 


CHAPTER   V. 


Other  Early  Settlements 

Character  and  Condition  of  Settlers 

N  the  latter  forties  and  the  early  fifties,  when  Swedish 
immigration  to  the  West  showed  a  marked  increase, 
these  immigrants  either  settled  in  communities  already 
established  by  Americans  from  the  East  or  founded  new 
settlements  of  their  own.  All  who  were  able  to  do  so 
purchased  a  piece  of  land  and  some  live  stock.  The  others  had  to 
hire  out  for  work  until  they  had  saved  up  enough  money  to  buy  land. 
Simple  dwellings,  mostly  log  cabins,  were  built.  One  of  the  first  cares 
of  the  immigrants  was  to  organize  a  congregation  and  build  a  church 
edifice  in  which  to  worship  God  in  the  manner  of  their  fathers. 
After  having  provided  for  these  most  urgent  temporal  and  spiritual 
wants,  they  began  to  acquaint  themselves  more  thoroughly  with  the 
new  country  and  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  proper  exercise  of  the 
rights  and  duties  of  citizenship. 

These  settlements  flourished  rapidly,  their  progress  largely  due  to 
the  industry  and  hardiness  of  the  settlers.  The  fertile  prairie  soil, 
under  careful  cultivation,  yielded  rich  harvests;  large  herds  of  cattle 
soon  grazed  on  the  green  bottoms;  the  rude  little  loghouses  gradually 
gave  way  to  larger  and  more  commodious  dwellings;  the  small,  strug- 
gling congregations  grew  to  be  a  great  factor  in  the  mental  culture  of 
the  settlers ;  the  settlements  grew  steadily  more  extensive  and  populous, 
due  partly  to  their  own  enterprise,  partly  to  continued  immigration. 
In  many  of  these  settlements  agriculture,  combined  with  the  raising  of 
live  stock,  was  then,  and  continues  to  be,  the  principal  occupation,  while 
in  others  industrial  plants  were  established  which  have  since  developed 
so  as  to  rank  with  the  largest  of  their  class. 

At  that  time  the  American  settlers  in  Illinois,  composed  largely  of 
New  England  yankees,  had  purchased  tracts  of  land,  not  so  much 
from  a  desire  to  become  farmers  as  from  a  penchant  for  speculation. 
When  Swedes  in  any  considerable  numbers  flocked  to  a  certain  spot, 
these  original  settlers  usually  retreated,  leaving  the  newcomers  as  lords 
of  all  they  surveyed.  Hence,  certain  settlements,  almost  from  the 
outset,  became  exclusively  populated  by  Swedes,  and  have  retained 


272 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTvS 


that  character.  In  others  there  was  a  mixture  of  Americans  and 
Swedes,  the  two  nationalities  getting  on  well  together  and  making 
united  efforts  for  the  development  of  their  communities.  In  still  others 
the  Americans  were  numerically  stronger,  yet  the  Swedes  pushed  to 
the  front  in  various  lines,  thus  forming  an  important  factor  in  the 
community. 

Although  it  is  not  our  present  purpose  to  write  the  local  history  of 
the  Swedish  settlements  in  Illinois,  yet,  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  a 
connected  story  and  a  survey  of  the  historical  field,  brief  sketches  of  the 
rise  and  development  of  the  principal  early  settlements,  founded  prior 
to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  "War,  are  here  given,  commencing  with 
Andover,  in  Henry  county,  next  to  Bishop  Hill  the  oldest  Swedish 
settlement  in  the  state. 

ANDOVER,    HENRY    COUNTY 

The  first  white  settler  in  Andover  was  a  Dr.  Barker,  who  arrived 
May  6,  1835,  remaining  there  only  a  short  time.  In  June  of  the  same 
year  three  other  Americans,  viz.,  Rev.  Pillsbury,  Mr.  Slaughter  and 
Mr.  Pike,  came  there  for  the  purpose  of  looking  up  a  site  for  a  colony 
that  was  being  organized  in  New  York.  They  selected  an  extensive 
tract,  part  of  which  was  platted  as  a  town  site.  Streets,  alleys  and  a 
public  square  were  laid  out,  and  the  place  was  named  Andover,  after 
the  Massachusetts  city  where  the  renowned  Congregational  theological 
seminary  is  located.  The  land  company  in  New  York  evidently  worked 
with  the  pious  intention  of  building  up  a  Christian  community,  and 
making  money  incidentally,  but  the  plan  was  not  realized  as  originally 
framed,  for  in  the  place  of  a  strong  colony  of  American  Puritans  there 
sprang  up  a  populous  settlement  of  Swedish  Lutherans. 

One  of  the  first  buildings  erected  in  the  place  was  a  flour  mill. 
During  the  first  few  years  the  population  was  small,  and  the  settlers 
experienced  all  the  hardships  of  pioneering.  The  nearest  post  office 
was  at  Knoxville,  thirty  odd  miles  distant.  The  letter  postage  at  that 
time  was  25  cents. 

The  first  Swede  in  Andover  and  Henry  county  at  large  was  Sven 
Nilsson,  a  'sailor,  who  arrived  as  early  as  1840.  The  next  arrival  of 
Swedish  descent  was  Miss  Johanna  Sofia  Lundqvist,  born  Jan.  15,  1824, , 
at  the  paper  mill  Perioden,  near  Jonkoping,  her  parents  being  J.  E. 
Lundqvist,  a  paper  manufacturer,  and  his  wife  Brita  Maria,  nee  Floden. 
The  factory  having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  Lundqvist  in  1842  moved 
with  his  wife  and  four  children  to  Helsingland,  where  he  purchased 
the  Lund  paper  mill  in  Forssa  parish.  Together  with  many  others, 
Lundqvist  and  his  wife  were  drawn  into  the  religious  movement  started 
by  Erik  Jansson.  Mrs.  Lundqvist  appears  to  have  been  a  particularly 


ANDOVER 


273 


zealous  member  of  the  sect,  judging  from  the  fact  that  she  was  one  of 
the  fifteen  persons  who  on  Dec.  7,  1844,  made  a  bonfire  of  Lutheran 
books,  near  Stenbo,  in  Forssa  parish.  For  this  alleged  sacrilege  these 
persons  were  tried  at  Forssa  Feb.  24,  1845,  and  fined  each  16  crowns, 
32  shillings  banco.  The  verdict  no  doubt  had  something  to  do  with 
Lundqvist 's  determination  to  emigrate  to  America  with  his  family  in 
company  with  Erik  Jansson's  followers.  He  sold  the  paper  mill  and 
with  wife  and  three  children,  including  the  oldest  daughter,  joined  a 
company  of  Erik  Janssonists  who  emigrated  in  1846.  The  youngest 
daughter,  Mathilda  Gustafva,  remained  in  Sweden  to  clear  up  the 
estate. 

While  the  parents  settled  at  Bishop  Hill,  the  oldest  daughter  early 
in  1847  hired  out  as  a  domestic  in  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Townsend  in 
Andover.  She  was  the  first  Swedish  woman  to  live  in  Andover.  The 
year  of  her  arrival  she  formed  the  acquaintance  of  P.  W.  Wirstrom,  a 
Swedish  sea  captain,  whom  she  married.  This  was  the  first  Swedish 
family  in  Andover.  Captain  Wirstrom,  born  at  Waxholm  in  1816, 
seems  to  have  emigrated  at  an  early  date.  The  year  of  his  arrival  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  known  to  a  certainty  that  he  was  here  as  early 
as  1846,  when  he  sailed  on  the  Great  Lakes.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  learned  that  a  company  of  his  fellow  countrymen  had  arrived  at 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Going  there,  he  found  that  the  emigrants  were  Erik 
Janssonists  headed  by  Nils  Hedin.  At  their  request  he  accompanied 
them  as  interpreter  on  their  journey  to  Bishop  Hill.  After  their  arrival 
he  became  almost  indispensable  in  the  capacity  of  physician,  possessing, 
as  he  did,  a  smattering  of  medical  learning.  He  remained  there  till 
July,  1847,  when  he  removed  to  Andover. 

After  his  marriage  to  Johanna  Sofia  Lundqvist,  they  made  their 
home  in  a  log  cabin  in  Andover  until  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  when 
they  removed  to  New  Orleans,  where  Captain  Wirstrom  hired  out  as 
a  slave  driver.  The  following  spring  the  couple  returned  to  Andover, 
but  went  back  to  New  Orleans  in  the  fall,  Wirstrom  returning  to  his 
former  occupation  there.  One  day,  in  weighing  up  the  cotton  on  the 
plantation  where  he  was  employed,  it  was  discovered  that  the  day's 
harvest  was  too  small,  and  Wirstrom  got  orders  to  urge  the  slaves  to 
still  greater  exertions.  This  he  refused  to  do,  and,  having  already  had 
enough  of  the  slave  driver's  job,  he  once  more  returned  to  Andover  in 
1849.  The  same  summer  the  cholera  epidemic  ravaged  Andover  as 
well  as  Bishop  Hill,  and  Lundqvist 's  two  sons  were  among  its  victims. 

This  was  also  the  year  of  the  great  California  gold  fever.  Among 
those  who  went  west  to  seek  their  fortune  in  the  newly  discovered  gold 
fields  were  Captain  Wirstrom  and  his  young  wife.  In  company  with  a 
number  of  others  from  Andover,  they  set  out  April  6,  1850,  on  their 


274 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


long  journey  across  the  prairie  wilderness  to  the  golden  land.  They 
traveled  mostly  on  foot,  and  many  were  their  sufferings  en  route.  For 
Mrs.  Wirstrom,  who  had  to  do  the  cooking  for  eight  men  in  the 
company,  the  journey  was  especially  hard  and  toilsome.  She  stood  it 
manfully,  however,  and  late  in  August  all  arrived  safe  and  sound  at 
Beadville's  Bear.  A  few  weeks  later,  the  Wirstroms  bought  a  hotel. 
Adversities  now  came  in  rapid  succession.  Their  only  child  died,  and 
an  attack  of  consumption  compelled  Captain  Wirstrom  to  return  to 
Illinois  in  1854.  He  died  Feb.  25,  1855,  at  Bishop  Hill.  Then  Mrs. 
Wirstrom  sold  the  hotel  in  California  for  $8,000  and  removed  to 
Bishop  Hill. 

Nov.  4,  1856,  Mrs.  Wirstrom  was  wedded  to  an  American  by  the 
name  of  M.  B.  Ogden,  of  Galva,  and  they  settled  on  a  farm  which  she 
purchased  at  Victoria,  living  there  for  more  than  twenty  years.  In  1881 
they  removed  to  Riverside,  California,  where  she  resided  until  her 
death,  June  10,  1904. 

The  younger  sister,  who  had  been  left  behind  when  the  Lundqvist 
family  emigrated,  came  over  in  1850,  was  married  to  one  J.  W.  Florine 
and  moved  to  Andover  in  1855  with  her  husband,  who  became  the 
first  physician,  druggist  and  photographer  of  that  place.  Florine 
served  as  second  lieutenant  in  Company  H,  43rd  Illinois  Volunteers 
in  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War,  but  asked  for  his  discharge  Feb.  4, 
1862,  and  died  the  same  year.  His  wife,  born  at  Nykoping  in  1829,  is 
still  living. 

Returning  to  the  early  settlers  of  Andover,  we  meet  here  the 
aforementioned  Peter  Kassel,  who  emigrated  from  Kisa,  Ostergotland, 
to  Iowa  in  1845,  and  corresponded  with  friends  in  the  old  country 
with  the  result  that  another  company  emigrated  in  1847  from  the  same 
part  of  Sweden.  They  arrived  in  New  York  with  the  fixed  intention 
of  going  to  New  Sweden,  Iowa,  but  Rev.  0.  Gr.  Hedstrom  succeeded  in 
persuading  them  to  go  by  way  of  Victoria,  Illinois,  where  his  brother 
Jonas  Hedstrom  was  located,  and  investigate  conditions  in  that  locality. 
Jonas  Hedstrom  referred  them  to  Andover,  where  they  went  to  live. 
In  the  company  were  N.  J.  Johnson  with  wife  and  an  adopted  daughter, 
all  from  Jareda,  Smaland,  and  Anders  Johansson  with  wife  and  three 
children,  from  Linneberga  in  the  same  province.  Johnson  and  his 
family  obtained  temporary  lodging  in  the  home  of  Rev.  Pillsbury,  later 
on  moving  into  a  loghouse  that  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Andover  orphanage. 

At  the  same  time,  or  possibly  somewhat  later,  came  a  family  by 
the  name  of  Friberg,  one  Nils  Nilsson,  a  family  named  Hurtig,  and  in 
1848  John  A.  Larson  from  Oppeby,  Ostergotland,  who  was  to  play  a 
prominent  part  in  the  public  affairs  of  Andover  and  vicinity. 


ANDOVER 


275 


N.  J.  Johnson  and  Nils  Nilsson  were  the  first  Swedish  landowners 
in  Andover.  As  early  as  1848,  they  each  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  at 
$1.25  per  acre.  Johnson's  rude  hut,  the  first  Swedish  home  in  the 
settlement,  stood  as  a  landmark  for  many  years  and  may  have  been 
preserved  to  this  day. 

Anders  Johansson  died  in  1849,  but  his  widow  was  married  again, 
to  Samuel  Johnson  of  Orion.  In  her  younger  days  she  was  a  strong 
and  sturdy  woman,  in  physical  prowess  the  match  of  any  man.  N.  J. 
Johnson  and  his  wife  were  still  living  in  the  year  1880,  and  Nils  Nilsson 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighties.  Friberg  removed  to  Colfax,  Iowa; 
Hurtig,  who  lived  south  of  "Deacon  Buck's  place,"  died  in  1849,  his 
wife  surviving  him  by  many  years.  In  1880  she  was  residing  in  Polk 
county,  Neb.,  where  she  had  moved  in  1875.  John  A.  Larson  did  not 
long  remain  at  Andover,  but  went  to  Galesburg  and  there  learned  the 
wagonmaker's  trade.  In  1850  he  went  to  California  in  search  of  gold, 
of  which  he  found  little  or  none,  whereupon  he  returned  in  1851,  taking 
up  his  former  trade  in  Galesburg  two  years  later,  and  shortly  after- 
wards removing  to  Andover,  where  he  built  a  carriage  shop  of  his  own 
and  was  engaged  in  that  trade  for  fifteen  years.  During  that  time  he 
purchased  the  homestead  of  Eev.  Pillsbury,  which  he  made  his  home. 
Having  early  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  he  was 
of  great  assistance  to  his  countrymen  in  legal  or  business  matters 
and  thus  earned  their  lasting  gratitude.  In  time  he  became  a  large 
landowner.  In  1880  he  owned  no  less  than  587  acres  of  fertile  land. 
His  wife,  who  died  in  1879  after  a  union  lasting  twenty-six  years,  bore 
him  eight  children.  This  honored  and  distinguished  pioneer  passed 
away  at  Andover  in  April,  1903. 

The  little  Swedish  settlement  was  reinforced  in  1848  by  two  un- 
married men,  Gabriel  Johnson  and  Gustaf  Johnson,  and  five  families, 
viz.,  Samuel  Johnson  from  Sodra  Vi,  Smaland,  with  wife  and  three 
sons ;  Halland  Elm  from  Gammalskil,  Ostergotland,  with  wife,  one  son 
and  two  daughters;  Erik  Peter  Andersson  from  Kisa,  Ostergotland, 
with  wife,  two  sons  and  three  daughters;  Samuel  Samuelsson,  also 
from  Kisa,  with  wife  and  four  children,  and  Mans  Johnsson  from  the 
same  place,  with  wife  and  one  son. 

These  five  families  were  part  of  a  party  of  75  emigrants  who 
left  Sweden  in  1846,  embarking  at  Goteborg  on  the  sailing  vessel 
"Virginia,"  Captain  Johnson,  for  New  York.  The  entire  company 
were  bound  for  New  Sweden,  Iowa,  but  their  plans  were  frustrated. 
In  Albany,  N.  Y.,  the  modest  sum  set  aside  for  their  traveling  expenses 
was  stolen,  and  all  the  way  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  the  emigrants  had  to 
subsist  on  wild  plums  growing  on  the  banks  of  the  canal,  and  anything 
edible  that  they  could  pick  up.  Reaching  Buffalo,  they  were  unable 


276  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

to  proceed  farther,  but  remained  in  that  city  for  two  years  in  order 
to  earn  the  money  needed  for  reaching  their  final  destination.  In  the 
meantime,  friends  and  kindred  at  Andover  had  learned  of  their  where- 
abouts and  their  sorry  predicament,  and  sent  letters  urging  them  to 
come  to  their  settlement.  The  five  families  just  enumerated  obeyed 
the  call.  One  of  the  party,  Mans  Johnsson,  had  died  during  their  stay 
in  Buffalo. 

The  balance  of  the  party  proceeded  to  Sugar  Grove,  Warren 
county,  Pa.,  and  became  the  pioneer  Swedish  settlers  there  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  The  aforementioned  Samuel  Johnson, 
who  eventually  settled  at  Orion,  Henry  county,  died  in  1887.  Erik 
Peter  Andersson  passed  away  in  1854  and  his  wife  in  the  latter 
seventies.  Samuel  Samuelsson  and  his  wife  removed  to  Galesburg,  111. 

In  1849  Andover  received  a  substantial  addition  to  its  population. 
That  summer  a  party  arrived  from  Ostergotland  and  northern  Smaland, 
originally  consisting  of  300  persons  who  had  left  Gb'teborg  in  the  spring 
on  the  sailing  vessel  "Charles  Tottie,"  Captain  Backman.  After  seven 
weeks  and  four  days  they  arrived  in  New  York,  whence  they  were 
carried  by  three  canalboats  to  Buffalo.  On  board  one  of  the  boats 
cholera  broke  out.  At  Buffalo  they  took  passage  on  a  steamer  for 
Chicago.  There  they  met  Captain  Wirstrom,  who  escorted  them  to 
Andover,  their  final  destination.  The  trip  was  made  by  canal  from 
Chicago  to  Peru,  from  which  point  the  emigrants  and  their  effects 
were  carried  across  the  country  in  nine  wagon  loads  at  $18  per  load, 
arriving  at  Andover  July  31st.  Their  original  intention  also  had  been 
to  look  up  Peter  Kassel  at  New  Sweden,  la.,  but  the  cholera  epidemic 
and  other  diseases  in  the  party  cut  short  their  trip  and  compelled  them 
to  stop  at  Andover  and  neighboring  points.  Among  the  members  of 
the  party  were  the  following :  Nils  Magnus  Kihlberg  and  family,  from 
Kisa,  who  settled  at  Swedona,  where  Kihlberg  was  still  living  in  1890 ; 
the  brothers  Carl  Johan  Samuelsson  and  Johannes  Samuelsson  from 
Vestra  Eneby,  Ostergotland,  who  with  their  families  settled  at  Hickory 
Grove,  Lynn  township,  south  of  Andover  township.  When  the  railroad 
was  built  through  that  country  a  station  was  located  at  Hickory  Grove 
and  named  Ophiem.  after  Johannes  Samuelsson 's  old  home,  Opphem  in' 
Tjarstad  parish,  Ostergotland.  The  two  brothers  had  great  success  in 
farming  and  accumulated  considerable  wealth.  In  1880  their  combined 
estates  were  valued  at  $130,000.  Both  were  earnest  churchmen,  con- 
tributing liberally  to  churches,  schools  and  benevolent  institutions. 
Johannes  Samuelsson  died  June  11,  1887.  at  the  age  of  72,  the  younger 
brother  Apr.  23.  1900.  nearly  78  years  old.  He  bequeathed  to  Augus- 
tana  College  and  Theological  Seminary  a  sum  amounting  to  nearly 
$15,000.  The  same  year,  on  August  20th,  his  wife  Carolina,  nee  Persson. 


ANDOVER 


277 


whom  he  had  married  in  Sweden,  followed  him  in  death  and  was  buried 
at  his  side  in  the  Swedish  cemetery  at  Ophiem. 

The  same  year  that  the  last  named  party  of  immigrants  came  to 
Andover,  there  arrived  also  the  following :  Nils  P.  Petersson  and  wife, 
from  Lonneberga,  Smaland;  Anders  Peter  Larssoii;  A.  P.  Petersson; 
Pehr  Svensson  from  Djursdala,  Smaland,  with  his  wife,  son  and 
daughter.  The  daughter  died  of  cholera  at  Princeton,  while  en  route 
to  Andover,  and  shortly  afterward  the  mother  fell  a  victim  to  the  same 
disease.  The  first  wheeled  vehicle  made  in  Henry  county  was  con- 
structed by  Svensson.  It  was  an  extremely  primitive  affair,  drawn  by 
a  yoke  of  oxen.  In  it  Svensson  and  his  son  were  often  seen  riding  to 
the  little  church  of  a  Sunday  morning. 

Still  another  party  of  immigrants  from  Sweden  arrived  in  Andover 
in  1849.  This  consisted  of  140  persons  from  the  provinces  of  Gestrik- 
land  and  Helsingland,  headed  by  Eev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn,  a  man  destined 
to  play  a  prominent  part  in  the  history  of  the  Swedes  in  America.  The 
party  left  Gene  on  board  the  sailing  vessel  "Cobden"  June  29,  1849, 
and  arrived  in  Andover  in  the  late  summer.  The  majority  of  these 
people  were  soon  induced  by  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom  to  go  to  Victoria. 

Among  those  in  Esbjorn 's  party  who  remained  in  Andover  were, 
Jonas  Andersson,  with  wife  and  three  children ;  Matts  Ersson  and  Olof 
Nordin  with  families,  all  from  Hille.  Jonas  Andersson  and  Matts 
Ersson  were  members  of  the  party  of  goldseekers  that  left  Andover 
for  California,  returning  in  1851,  short  on  gold  but  long  on  experience. 
Andersson  later  engaged  in  the  merchandise  business  in  partnership 
with  G.  E.  Peterson,  but  was  forced  into  liquidation  by  the  panic  of 
1857.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Colorado  with  his  sons,  his  wife 
and  daughter  remaining  in  Andover.  Olof  Nordin  and  his  family  also 
left  shortly  afterward  and  their  fate  is  not  known.  Matts  Ersson  lived 
in  Andover  until  1901  and  died  June  3,  1905,  at  the  Bethany  Home  in 
Chicago,  an  old  folks'  home  supported  by  the  Swedish  Methodists, 
where  he  spent  the  last  four  years  of  his  life.  Among  the  new  arrivals 
from  Sweden  in  1849,  not  members  of  the  Esbjorn  party,  were,  S.  P. 
Strid,  an  old  soldier  from  Ostergotland,  and  Ake  Olsson  from  Ofvansjo, 
Gestrikland,  the  last-named  having  accompanied  a  party  of  Erik 
Janssonists  to  America  in  1846,  but  separated  from  them  in  New  York, 
remaining  three  years  in  the  state  of  New  York  before  proceeding 
farther  west. 

Disease  was  prevalent  in  many  forms,  the  worst  of  which  was  the 
cholera.  That  dreaded  epidemic  made  annual  visitations  from  1849 
to  1854,  making  great  inroads  on  the  population.  As  an  example  of 
its  ravages  may  be  mentioned  that  in  1849  one  John  Elm  worked  with 
two  different  harvesting  gangs  of  sixteen  men  each,  and  of  the  thirty- 


278  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

two  all  but  Elm  and  two  others   were  stricken  down   and  died  of 
the  pest. 

To  obtain  profitable  employment  at  this  time  was  no  easy  matter. 
A  day's  wages  varied  from  35  cents  to  50  cents,  and  in  many  instances 
it  had  to  be  taken  out  in  the  form  of  pork  and  other  provisions,  cattle 
or  anything  of  value.  On  the  other  hand,  live  stock  and  merchandise 
were  very  cheap.  A  good  cow  could  be  bought  for  $8,  and  a  first  class 
working  horse  for  $40.  The  price  of  pork  was  1%  cents,  and  potatoes 
were  to  be  had  for  the  trouble  of  digging  them.  This  was  the  golden 
age  of  topers,  whisky  selling  at  12%  to  15  cents  per  gallon.  These 
prices  ruled  until  1853,  when  railway  building  began  in  western  Illinois. 
This  brought  more  money  into  circulation,  increased  the  demand  for 
labor,  and  raised  the  pric6  of  agricultural  products.  Economic  con- 
ditions thus  kept  improving  up  to  1857,  when  the  panic  struck  the 
Andover  settlement  as  it  did  the  country  at  large. 

Better  times  came  about  1862  when  the  Civil  War  put  large 
amounts  of  money  into  circulation  and  farm  products  began  to  com- 
mand enormous  prices.  At  this  juncture,  many  of  the  Andover  Swedes 
became  independent  farmers.  They  bought  farms,  often  on  time,  but 
generally  the  returns  from  the  first  year's  crops  would  suffice  to  clear 
them  of  debt.  The  more  provident  ones  continued  similar  purchases 
until  they  became  the  owners  of  many  hundreds  of  acres.  The  less 
enterprising  ones  were  contented  with  farms  of  ten  to  eighty  acres. 
The  soil  was  carefully  tilled;  even  the  small  farmers  made  more  than 
a  living  off  their  acres  and  had  no  need  of  going  farther  west  in  search 
of  larger  farms.  Thus  Andover  early  became  a  well-to-do  Swedish- 
American  community,  whose  prosperity  has  been  on  the  increase 
ever  since. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  prosperity  of  the  farmers  applies  in  like 
measure  to  the  artisan  and  the  tradesman.  By  industry  and  thrift 
they  also  have  acquired  economic  independence.  The  first  Swede  who 
obtained  a  deed  to  a  building  lot  in  the  village — the  place  never  reached 
the  dignity  of  a  city— was  C.  Larsson,  the  paper  being  dated  Dec.  15, 
1849.  The  first  Swedish  mechanic  was  the  aforesaid  John  A.  Larson, 
who  in  1853  built  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop.  The  first  Swedish 
merchants  were  Jonas  Andersson  and  Georg(e)  E.  Petersson,  who  in 
1854,  under  the  firm  name  of  Andersson  &  Petersson,  opened  a  general 
store,  which  they  conducted  until  1857. 

The  name  of  Andover  early  became  known  in  many  parts  of 
Sweden,  and  the  place  long  continued  to  be  the  destination  of  Swedish 
emigrants  westward  bound.  The  conceptions  of  its  size  and  importance 
were  highly  exaggerated.  It  is  told  of  the  emigrants  of  the  forties 
and  fifties  that  when  they  came  to  Chicago  and  noticed  the  bustle 


VICTORIA 


279 


and  activity  of  that  progressive  city  they  would  give  vent  to  their 
surprise  by  exclaiming,  ' '  If  Chicago  is  so  large,  just  think  what  a  place 
Andover  must  be!"  There  must  have  been  a  fresh  surprise  in  store 
for  them  when,  on  their  arrival  in  Andover,  they  found  neither  a  city 
nor  a  town,  nor  even  a  village.  Nevertheless,  the  early  Swedish 
emigrants  bound  for  other  points  than  Andover  were  comparatively 
few.  From  there,  however,  they  soon  scattered  over  the  state  in 
every  direction.  Although  they  did  not  leave  Andover  in  great  num- 
bers at  any  time,  yet  from  various  aspects  that  settlement  must  be 
considered  the  second  mother  colony  in  Illinois,  Bishop  Hill  holding 
first  place. 

Andover  early  became  known  as  a  conservative  and  reliable 
Swedish-American  community,  a  reputation  which  has  followed  it  to 
this  day.  The  reasons  for  this  conservatism  are  doubtless  to  be  found 
in  the  teachings  imparted  to  the  settlers  by  their  early  pastors,  prin- 
cipally Eevs.  L.  P.  Esbjorn,  Jonas  Swensson  and  Erland  Carlsson,  who 
labored  in  this  field  for  a  long  term  of  years.  The  first  two,  in 
particular,  exercised  a  very  marked  influence  on  the  character  of  the 
settlers. 

As  stated  before,  a  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized 
here  as  early  as  1850.  This  was  the  first  regularly  organized  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  in  America  since  the  days  of  the  Delaware  Swedes. 
Two  years  previously,  pastoral  work  had  been  begun  in  New  Sweden, 
Iowa,  but  no  fully  organized  church  was  established  there  until  a  later 
date.  Also  a  Swedish  Methodist  church  was  very  early  established  in 
Andover,  but  the  year  of  its  founding  is  in  dispute.  Some  claim  1848, 
others  1849,  and  still  others  1850  as  the  correct  date.  The  Baptists 
and  the  Mission  Friends,  on  the  contrary,  have  not  deemed  it  worth 
while  entering  this  old  community,  nor  has  any  fraternal  organization 
met  with  encouragement  in  Andover. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1905,  the  total  Swedish  population  in  the 
Andover  settlement,  extending  over  three  townships,  was  roughly 
estimated  at  from  1,500  to  2,000  persons. 

VICTORIA,    KNOX    COUNTY 

Victoria  is  located  on  a  rolling  prairie  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
Knox  county.  Its  first  white  inhabitants  were  Edward  Brown,  John 
Essex,  and  one  Mr.  Frazier,  all  of  whom  settled  there  in  1835.  The 
first  marriage  solemnized  there  took  place  in  1838,  between  Peter 
Sonberger  and  Phebe  Wilbur.  The  first  house  was  built  in  1837  on  a 
plain  near  the  subsequent  site  of  the  town.  The  first  sermon  was 
preached  in  Victoria  in  1836  by  Rev.  Charles  Bostie.  a  Methodist 
minister. 


28o  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

In  course  of  time,  a  number  of  other  settlers  arrived,  the  first 
Swede  among  them  being  Jonas  Hedstrom,  the  Methodist  preacher. 
He  came  in  1838,  from  Farmington,  Fulton  county,  his  first  place  of 
residence  on  Illinois  soil.  For  several  years  Hedstrom  was  the  only 
Swede  in  Victoria,  but  after  the  Erik  Janssonists  began  to  settle  at 
Bishop  Hill,  a  number  of  these  were  by  him  attracted  to  Victoria.  We 
have  already  related  how  Olof  Olsson,  their  first  envoy,  with  his  family 
came  there  in  1845  and  was  housed  in  a  rude  hut  of  logs  situated  in 
Copley  township ;  also  how  Erik  Jansson  himself  and  his  kindred  found 
shelter  in  the  same  log  cabin  the  following  year.  Not  long  afterwards, 
Sven  Larsson,  Olof  Norlund,  and  Jonas  Jansson  arrived  from  Soderala, 
Helsingland,  and  Jonas  Hedin  from  Hede,  Herjedalen.  Norlund  and 
Jansson  soon  succumbed  to  the  cholera,  and  the  others  left  Victoria 
for  Ked  Oak  Grove  after  a  stay  of  only  a  few  weeks. 

Among  the  earliest  settlers  here  may  be  mentioned  Olof  Olsson 
from  Ofvanaker,  Helsingland,  who  came  to  Bishop  Hill  in  1846,  but 
after  three  months  bade  farewell  to  the  prophet  and  his  colony  and 
moved  to  Victoria,  where  he  bought  a  small  farm.  Olsson  also  died 
shortly  after  his  arrival.  Jonas  Hellstrom,  a  tailor,  left  Bishop  Hill 
in  1847  and  opened  a  tailor  shop  at  Victoria,  where  he  plied  his  trade 
until  1850,  when  he  caught  the  gold  fever  and  went  to  California. 
After  a  year  he  returned  to  his  old  trade  at  Victoria.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  "War,  he  enlisted  as  sergeant  in  Company  C,  83rd  Illinois 
Volunteers,  being  advanced  in  1864  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  in 
the  8th  U.  S.  Artillery.  He  died  shortly  afterward,  leaving  a  wife  and 
one  son.  "Old  Man  Back"  from  Bollnas,  Helsingland,  an  eccentric 
character,  was  another  of  the  Bishop  Hill  settlers  who  moved  to 
Victoria,  where  he  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Copley  township.  He  is 
said  to  have  considered  himself  the  most  important  personage  in  the 
entire  community.  Olof  Olsson  from  Alfta,  another  Erik  Janssonist, 
simultaneously  with  Back  moved  to  Copley  township  and  became  one 
of  Victoria's  first  landowners.  Then  came  in  rapid  succession  Hillberg, 
Hans  Hansson,  Carl  Magnus  Pettersson,  Sven  Larsson,  Lars  Larsson, 
and  Peter  Kallman.  The  last  named  accompanied  the  first  party  of 
Erik  Janssonists  to  Chicago,  remaining  in  that  city  a  few  years,  sub- 
sequently living  three  years  in  Galesburg,  finally  settling  in  Victoria 
in  1853.  He  died  in  1877,  leaving  a  family.  Furthermore,  we  find 
among  the  Swedish  pioneers  at  Victoria  Charles  Pettersson  from 
Osterunda,  Upland,  who  also  came  with  the  first  Erik  Janssonist  party, 
remaining  two  years  in  New  York,  and  coming  to  Victoria  in  1848. 
He  also  went  to  California  in  1850  as  a  gold  seeker,  and  eventually 
settled  on  the  coast.  John  E.  Seline  was  another  Erik  Janssonist  who 
deserted  Bishop  Hill,  going  to  Galesburg  in  1849,  whence  he  moved  to 
Victoria,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  building  contractor  until  1856, 


GALESBURG  281 

when  he  purchased  a  farm.  This  man  was  one  of  Erik  Jansson's  twelve 
apostles.  Seline  later  in  life  became  an  agnostic  and  a  stanch  follower 
of  Robert  G.  Ingersoll.  One  Fetter  Skoglund,  who  came  over  with  the 
Esbjorn  party  of  emigrants,  settled  down  in  Victoria  as  a  tailor,  but 
later  went  to  farming.  He  was  still  living  in  1880,  in  comfortable 
circumstances.  Peter  Dahlgren  from  Osterunda  severed  his  allegiance 
to  Erik  Jansson  after  half  a  year's  stay  in  the  colony  and  established 
himself  in  Victoria  township  as  a  farmer  in  1853.  He  was  accidentally 
killed  in  1856  by  falling  earth. 

The  Town  of  Victoria  was  organized  May  11,  1849,  by  John  Becker, 
John  W.  Spalding,  G.  F.  Reynolds,  A.  Arnold,  Jonas  Hedstrom,  W.  L. 
Shurtleff,  Jonas  Hellstrom,  Joseph  Freed  and  J.  J.  Knopp.  The  site 
then  selected  was  not  the  same  as  the  present  one,  being  a  mile  and  a 
half  southeast,  where  Hedstrom  had  a  blacksmith  shop,  Becker  a  gen- 
eral store,  and  Reynolds  a  hotel.  The  present  village  of  Victoria 
slowly  grew  up  to  one  side  of  this  starting-point. 

The  large  Swedish  settlement  of  which  Victoria  forms  the  center 
early  grew  to  be  one  of  the  most  flourishing  localities  in  the  state. 
Prosperity  was  general  owing  partly  to  the  fact  that  the  Swedes  almost 
from  the  start  became  owners  of  the  soil,  partly  to  the  circumstance 
that  Methodism  gained  a  firm  foothold  there  from  the  first,  making  for 
industry,  temperance  and  good  morals.  Furthermore,  this  settlement 
is  the  most  Americanized  Swedish  community  in  the  whole  state, 
resulting  from  early  stoppage  of  immigration,  the  great  majority  of  its 
present  inhabitants  having  been  born  and  reared  in  this  country.  From 
the  very  start  Methodism  became  a  power  in  that  community  and  is 
still  firmly  rooted  there.  The  Swedish  Methodist  church  is  the  only 
house  of  worship  in  the  place  and  almost  the  entire  population  of  the 
village  and  the  surrounding  country  are  members  of  that  congregation. 
Neither  Lutherans,  Baptists,  nor  Mission  Friends  have  sought  to 
establish  missions  there,  and  encroachment  by  secular  organizations 
in  this  stronghold  of  Methodism  is  out  of  the  question. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  Victoria  in  1900  was  329.  The 
number  of  Swedish-Americans  in  the  village  proper  together  wih  the 
surrounding  settlement  we  have  been  unable  to  ascertain. 

GALE1SBURG,    KNOX    COUNTY 

The  city  of  Galesburg  is  situated  on  a  rolling  plain,  164  miles 
southwest  of  Chicago,  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  railway 
line.  It  was  named  from  George  W.  Gale,  who,  together  with  several 
others,  came  there  from  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1836  and  purchased 
11,000  acres  of  land  in  Knox  county.  On  this  tract  he  laid  out  a  town 
site,  the  sale  of  lots  and  the  building  of  houses  progressing  nicely  at 


282 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


first,  In  one  year  the  population  increased  to  232.  From  1837  to  1850 
progress  was  slow,  owing  to  lack  of  communications.  The  outlook  for 
a  railroad  line  through  the  place  brightened  during  the  latter  year, 
however,  causing  increased  business  activity  in  the  little  town. 

During  the  first  decade  of  its  existence  Galesburg  had  a  formid- 
able rival  in  the  neighboring  town  of  Henderson,  now  Knoxville,  which 
had  certain  advantages  through  permitting  the  sale  of  liquors,  a  traffic 
absolutely  prohibited  in  Galesburg.  So  strict  were  the  authorities  in 
this  respect  that  they  inserted  in  every  deed  to  property  sold  within 
the  town  limits  a  clause  specifically  prohibiting  the  sale  of 
spirituous  liquors  on  the  premises.  In  the  meantime,  the  liquor  traffic 
flourished  in  Henderson,  where  the  Galesburg  people  also  had  to  go 
when  in  need  of  the  cup  that  cheers.  The  rapid  growth  of  the  town 


Galesburg — Main;  Street 

soon  inspired  dreams  of  greatness  in  the  Hendersonites,  mingled  with 
pity  for  Galesburg,  which  town  seemed  doomed  to  perpetual  stagnation. 
A  certain  Swede,  who  was  particularly  hopeful  for  the  future  of  Hen- 
derson, bought  two  building  lots  there  for  $200,  although  he  might 
have  got  them  in  Galesburg  at  a  much  lower  figure.  Only  a  few  years 
later,  he  sold  his  two  lots  for  $20.  The  slump  in  realty  values  in 
Henderson  came  when  Galesburg  got  its  railroad.  On  Dec.  7,  1854,  the 
first  locomotive  steamed  into  Galesburg  over  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
and  Quincy  road,  which  was  then  almost  completed.  On  Jan.  1"  1849, 
the  town  got  its  first  newspaper,  "The  Knox  Intelligencer."  In  1873  it 
became  the  county  seat  of  Knox  county. 

The  Galesburg  of  today  is  a  live,  wide-awake  and  somewhat  aristo- 
cratic  city,   whose   population   of   18,607    at   the   census   of   1900   had 


GALESBURG  283 

reached  20,000  at  the  close  of  1905.  It  is  one  of  the  chief  railway 
centers  of  the  state,  being  the  intersection  of  the  main  line  of  the 
Burlington,  with  several  branches,  and  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and 
Santa  Fe  railways.  The  city  has  several  beautiful  parks,  and  its  streets 
are  shaded  by  avenues  of  trees  giving  to  the  entire  city  the  aspect 
of  a  park.  The  pavements  are  of  brick  throughout.  The  city  has 
a  splendid  street  railway  system,  excellent  waterworks,  is  well  lighted, 
and  has  an  efficient  fire  department.  Although  not  a  factory  center, 
yet  Galesburg  has  a  number  of  manufacturing  plants,  including  two 
foundries,  an  agricultural  implement  factory,  flour  mills,  wagon 
factories  and  a  broom  factory.  The  railway  shops  of  the  Burlington 
road  are  located  here,  also  extensive  stock  yards.  Coal  mines  are 
found  in  the  vicinity.  Galesburg  has  a  handsome  opera  house,  five 
banks,  nineteen  churches,  several  of  them  Swedish,  and  ten  public 
schools,  including  one  high  school.  It  is  also  a  notable  educational 
center,  having  several  higher  institutions  of  learning,  namely,  Knox 
College,  Lombard  University,  and  one  or  two  Catholic  schools.  The 
courthouse,  which  is  the  seat  of  the  Knox  county  government,  is  one  of 
the  largest  and  handsomest  buildings  of  its  class  in  the  state.  The 
city  is  situated  in  the  center  of  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  prosperous 
farming  districts  in  Illinois,  with  which  it  stands  in  direct  and  intimate 
communication.  The  townspeople  as  well  as  the  farmers  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  are  well-to-do,  and,  taken  all  in  all,  Galesburg  is  as 
fortunately  situated  and  as  prosperous  as  any  of  the  smaller  cities  of 
the  state. 

The  first  Swedish  settlers  in  Galesburg  arrived  about  the  middle 
of  the  forties.  In  1847,  as  far  as  known,  the  only  Swedes  there  were 
the  following:  John  Youngberg  and  family,  one  of  the  early  Bishop 
Hill  colonists,  who  later  removed  to  Galva,  but  returned  to  Galesburg 
and  went  from  there  to  California  in  1860;  Nils  Hedstrom,  a  tailor 
by  trade,  who  afterwards  settled  in  the  Victoria  colony;  Anders  Thor- 
sell,  a  shoemaker  from  Djursby,  Vestmanland,  who  came  over  in  1846 
with  one  of  the  first  parties  of  Erik  Janssonists ;  a  family  by  the  name 
of  Modin;  Kristina  Muhr,  a  widow,  and  Olof  Nilsson,  a  shoemaker. 
Thorsell,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a  very  skillful  workman,  plied  his 
trade  for  some  time  writh  so  great  success  that  he  accumulated  a  small 
fortune.  Had  he  stuck  to  the  last  and  shunned  the  bottle,  he  would 
have  become  the  wealthiest  Swede  in  Galesburg,  but  unfortunately 
he  became  a  slave  to  the  liquor  habit.  He  died  in  1870  leaving  a  widow 
and  one  child. 

The  majority  of  Swedes  who  settled  in  Galesburg  earlier  than  1854 
were  such  as  had  deserted  Bishop  Hill,  having  become  dissatisfied  with 
conditions  in  that  colonv.  In  the  vear  last  named,  however,  the  influx 


284  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

of  immigrants  brought  many  Swedish  settlers  directly  to  Galesburg, 
and  from  that  day  its  Swedish  population  has  constantly  grown,  num- 
bering at  the  close  of  1905  about  5,000,  American  born  descendants 
included.  That  this  numerous  element  has  made  itself  felt  in  the 
development  of  the  city  and  set  its  impress  on  its  general  character 
goes  without  saying.  In  every  line  of  activity  in  Galesburg  Swedes 
are  engaged.  We  find  them  as  city  and  county  officials,  as  merchants, 
and  in  all  the  various  trades.  They  are  employed  in  considerable 
numbers  on  the  railroads  and  at  the  Burlington  shops. 

In  the  Swedish  colony  here  different  denominations  early  began 
missionary  work.  As  early  as  1850  Swedish  Methodist  class  meetings 
were  held,  and  the  following  year  Jonas  Hedstrom  organized  a  Swedish 
Methodist  congregation..  Simultaneously,  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn,  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  pastor  at  Andover,  began  work  in  this  field,  and  a 
church  was  established  in  1851.  This,  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Galesburg,  in  1853  secured  as  its  pastor  Rev.  T.  N.  Hassel- 
quist,  another  pioneer  of  Swedish  Lutheranism  in  America.  The 
Swedish  Baptists  in  1857  organized  a  church,  which  had  dwindled 
down  to  seven  members  in  1880 ;  a  few  years  later,  however,  work  was 
pushed  with  renewed  vigor,  resulting  in  a  reorganization  in  1888. 
In  1868  a  second  Swedish  Lutheran  church  was  organized,  composed 
of  former  members  of  the  first  church,  and  other  persons.  We  are 
creditably  informed  that  the  present  Mission  Church  was  formed  from 
its  membership.  A  third  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  in  Galesburg 
was  organized  several  years  ago,  which  now  seems  to  have  disbanded. 
There  is  also  a  Swedish  Episcopal  church  in  the  city. 

The  fraternal  movement  was  started  among  the  Galesburg  Swedes 
in  1866  when  a  sick  benefit  society,  named  Skandia,  was  organized. 
The  society  was  soon  forced  out  of  existence  by  church  opposition.  A 
lodge  of  Good  Templars,  organized  the  following  year  under  the  name 
of  Svea,  was  almost  equally  shortlived.  In  1871  a  Scandinavian  lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows  was  formed.  Among  the  present  Swedish  population 
of  Galesburg  we  find  no  great  interest  in  fraternal  movements  based 
on  nationality. 

In  local  politics  the  Swedes  of  Galesburg  have  taken  aggressive 
part,  many  having  served  the  city  or  county  in  various  capacities.  At 
least  one  of  their  number,  M.  0.  Williamson,  has  been  honored  with  a 
high  state  office,  having  served  as  state  treasurer  for  the  term  of 
1901-1903. 

Galesburg  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  cradle  of  the  Swedish- 
American  press.  Here  was  started  in  1854,  by  Rev.  Hasselquist,  the 
first  Swedish- American  newspaper  of  permanence,  viz.,  "Hemlandet, " 
its  first  number  being  issued  Jan.  3,  1855.  This  paper  was  published 


MOLINE  285 

at  Galesburg.  until  the  close  of  1858,  when  it  was  removed  to  Chicago. 
In  the  early  part  of  1859,  "Frihetsvannen,"  another  Swedish  paper, 
was  launched  in  Galesburg,  but  was  discontinued  in  1861.  This  journal 
was  started  to  champion  the  cause  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  which 
was  the  object  of  continuous  attacks  by  "Hemlandet."  A  third 
Swedish  organ,  "Galesburgs  Veckoblad,"  started  in  1868,  shared  the 
fate  of  "Frihetsvannen,"  being  discontinued  after  a  short  time.  A 
couple  of  religious  papers  in  the  Swedish  language  have  also  been 
published  here  for  short  periods,  and  after  the  great  fire  in  1871, 
"Nya  Verlden, "  a  Swedish  weekly  newspaper  of  Chicago,  was  pub- 
lished for  five  months  in  Galesburg. 

The  Swedish  colony  of  Galesburg  furnished  a  proportionate  num- 
ber of  recruits  to  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War.  Company  C, 
43rd  Illinois  Volunteers,  was  made  up  exclusively  of  Swedish-Ameri- 
cans from  Galesburg  and  vicinity. 

These  data  establish  Galesburg 's  claim  to  an  eminent  place  in 
the  history  of  the  Swedes  not  only  of  Illinois  but  of  the  country  at 
large. 

MOLINE,    ROCK    ISLAND    COUNTY 

This  community  dates  back  to  the  year  1843,  when  the  first  houses 
were  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Moline.  The  place  made 
little  progress  until  the  late  forties,  when  John  Deere  and  others  laid 
the  foundation  for  the  local  plow  and  agricultural  implement  manu- 
facturing industry  which  caused  the  place  to  develop  with  enormous 
strides  during  the  next  few  decades  and  which  has  given  the  city 
world-wide  fame.  The  plow  works  of  Deere  and  Company  are  said  to 
be  the  largest  in  the  world  and  their  products  are  sent  annually  to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  The  Moline  Plow  Company  is  the 
name  of  a  younger  concern  which  manufactures  plows  and  other  agri- 
cultural implements  on  a  large  scale.  Besides  these,  Moline  has  a  large 
number  of  industrial  plants,  making  it  one  of  the  greatest  manu- 
facturing cities  in  the  state.  The  chief  reasons  for  the  subsequent 
location  of  so  many  factories  at  Moline  were  its  water  power  facilities, 
its  location  on  the  border  of  two  of  the  most  flourishing  agricultural 
states  in  the  Union,  and  its  unexcelled  communications  by  land  and 
water  with  all  parts  of  the  country. 

As  an  industrial  city,  Moline  naturally  has  a  large  population  of 
laborers.  A  large  percentage  of  its  many  thousands  of  workingmen 
are  Swedes,  many  of  whom  have  established  economic  independence 
and  a  respected  station  in  the  community  by  their  traditional  industry, 
thrift  and  good  habits.  The  greater  number  have  homes  of  their 
own  and  some  are  quite  wealthy.  The  Swedes  of  Moline  are  a  power 


286  EARLY  SETTLEMENTS 

in  the  community  not  merely  by  dint  of  numbers  but  owing  to  their 
splendid  citizenship.  While  conscientiously  fulfilling  their  duties  as 
citizen,  they  cautiously  guard  their  rights  as  such,  and  as  a  result  they 
will  obtain  the  majority  in  the  city  government  from  time  to  time. 
A  large  number  of  them  belong  to  one  church  or  another.  Almost 
every  religious  denomination  pursuing  work  among  the  Swedish 
people  is  here  represented.  The  fraternity  movement  also  has  made 
great  accessions.  The  neighboring  Augustana  College  has  exerted 
considerable  influence  on  the  numerous  Swedish  population  of  Moline, 
giving  out  powerful  impulses  to  religious  and  intellectual  endeavor. 


Moline — Bird's  Eye  View  from  City  Hospital 

While  the  great  mass  of  the  Swedish  workmen  are  common  factory 
hands,  not  a  few  of  them  have  forged  ahead  by  skill  and  competence 
to  become  foremen,  superintendents  and  mechanical  experts  in  the 
works,  and  in  rare  instances  they  have  gone  so  far  as  to  found  their 
own  industrial  establishments. 

The  earliest  Swedish  settlers  in  Moline  were  Olaus  Bengtsson  and 
Carl  Johansson,  the  former  coming  over  from  Sweden  in  1847,  the 
latter  in  1848.  Bengtsson  landed  with  wife  and  children  in  Chicago 
and,  being  unable  to  find  work,  left  his  eldest  son  there  and  came  on 
to  Moline  on  foot,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  three  of  the  children, 
the  parents  taking  turns  in  carrying  the  smaller  ones  when  their 
strength  gave  out.  The  family  settled  on  a  farm  in  Moline  township, 
near  the  Eock  River,  and  did  well  at  farming.  Olaus  Bengtsson  died 
before  the  eighties.  The  son  left  behind  in  Chicago  after  three  years 
rejoined  the  family,  when  he  had  to  learn  his  mother  tongue  anew, 


MOUNE  287 

having  completely  forgotten  it  while  living  exclusively  among  English- 
speaking  people. 

Carl  Johansson,  a  tailor  by  trade,  came  from  Kampestad,  Oster- 
gotland,  to  Andover  in  1847  and  from  there  to  Moline  the  next  year. 
The  place  was  at  that  time  a  bit  of  a  village  with  a  grocery  and  sundry 
other  little  stores  where  the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood  exchanged 
their  farm  products  for  merchandise  and  provisions.  A  flour  and  saw 
mill  combined  was  located  on  the  river  bank,  and  from  the  Illinois 
side,  stretching  across  the  south  branch  of  the  Mississippi  to  the 
island  opposite,  was  a  wooden  dam  which  served  until  1858.  A  large 
portion  of  the  present  site  of  the  city  was  under  cultivation,  and  at 
the  foot  of  the  hills  which  now  comprise  a  fine  part  of  its  residence 
district  grew  thick  woods  from  which  the  early  inhabitants  derived 
their  fuel  supply. 

During  the  years  1840  to  1850  came  the  following  Swedish  settlers : 
Sven  Jacobsson,  a  carpenter  from  Vermland,  with  family,  who  sub- 
sequently moved  to  Vasa,  Minn.,  but  returned  to  Moline  after  a  few 
years ;  Carl  Fetter  Andersson,  who  purchased  land  on  the  bluffs  where 
he  was  still  engaged  in  farming  thirty  years  later;  Gustaf  Johnson, 
with  family,  he  and  Jacobsson  dying  before  the  eighties;  Erik  Forsse 
with  family,  who  later  joined  the  Bishop  Hill  colony,  was  a  major  in 
the  57th  Illinois  Eegiment  during  the  war,  removing  to  Falun,  Salina 
county,  Kansas,  some  time  after  the  close  of  the  war ;  Jonas  Westberg, 
who  died  prior  to  1880;  M.  P.  Petersson,  who  began  farming  on  the 
bluffs,  then  conducted  a  small  store,  removed  to  Altona,  thence  to 
Iowa,  where  he  was  still  living  in  1880 ;  Petter  Soderstrom,  who  moved 
to  Minnesota  and  from  there  to  Swede  Bend,  la. ;  Sven  J.  Johnson, 
who  for  thirteen  years  ran  the  ferryboat  across  the  Mississippi  between 
Eock  Island  and  Davenport ;  Abraham  Andersson  from  Gnarp,  Helsing- 
land,  a  hired  man  who  bought  a  small  property  in  Moline  and  at  his 
death  in  the  early  fifties  willed  to  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  a 
house  and  lot  as  a  parsonage  for  its  future  pastor. 

A  unique  character  among  the  immigrants  was  Jon  Olsson  from 
Stenbo,  Forssa  parish,  Helsingland,  who  came  to  Moline  in  1850.  In 
the  old  country  he  had  lived  like  a  peasant  king  on  a  fine,  well 
cultivated  estate.  When  Erik  Jansson,  the  prophet,  came  to  Forssa 
and  began  preaching,  the  "Old  Man  of  Stenbo,"  as  he  was  commonly 
called,  was  among  the  first  to  embrace  the  doctrines  of  the  prophet 
and  open  his  home  for  his  meetings.  His  sons  also  early  affiliated 
with  the  new  sect,  one  of  them,  Olof  Stenberg,  or  Stoneberg,  which 
was  the  American  form  of  his  name,  becoming  one  of  its  leaders. 
During  the  winter  of  1849-50  he  and  Olof  Johnson  went  back  to 
Sweden  in  order  to  gather  together  the  remaining  followers  of  Erik 


288 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


Jansson  and  bring  them  to  America.  Then  it  was  arranged  that  the 
old  man,  who  wa,s  now  a  widower,  also  should  emigrate,  but  he  did 
not  accompany  his  son,  preferring  to  travel  alone.  After  having  sold 
his  estate,  he  chartered  a  steamer  at  Hudiksvall,  took  a  cargo  of  iron 
and,  in  addition,  all  his  household  goods  and  utensils,  down  to  tho 
dough-troughs  and  wooden  bowls  and  spoons.  The  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  was  successful.  He  took  with  him  a  small  party  of  emigrants, 
part  of  whom,  at  least,  were  not  Erik  Janssonists.  In  New  York  he 
sold  his  cargo,  but  brought  with  him  inland  the  whole  odd  collection 


Moline — Fifteenth  Street 

of  partly  worthless  wares,  which  no  doubt  cost  him  a  pretty  penny 
in  freightage. 

He  made  straight  for  Bishop  Hill,  but  apparently  did  not  take  a 
fancy  to  the  locality  and  its  prospects.  Besides,  he  probably  hesitated 
to  turn  over  his  considerable  fortune  to  the  common  exchequer.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  he  made  his  appearance  in  Moline  early  in  January, 
1851,  having  already  purchased  two  houses  there,  one  a  brick,  the  other 
a  frame  building,  with  large  lots  appertaining.  It  was  rumored  that 
he  deposited  $20,000  in  gold  in  a  bank  in  Rock  Island ;  whether  or  not, 
he  was  looked  upon  as  a  mighty  rich  man. 

"The  Old  Man  of  Stenbo"  was  an  odd  character  in  every  respect. 
He  stuck  religiously  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  his  old  home. 


MOLINE  289 

He  wore  an  old  fashioned  coat,  its  skirts  reaching  almost  to  his  heels, 
and  a  leathern  apron  of  nearly  the  same  length.  Dressed  in  this 
fashion,  he  circulated  about  the  streets  of  the  little  village  with  an 
agility  quite  unusual  for  a  man  of  his  years.  If  he  found  a  chunk  of 
coal,  an  old  shoe,  a  broken  dish  or  a  stick  of  wood  he  would  pick  it  up, 
carry  it  home  and  place  it  on  a  pile  of  similar  rubbish  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor  of  the  living  room.  In  the  basement  he  had  arranged  the 
appurtenances  of  a  blacksmith  shop  brought  over  from  Sweden,  and 
the  smoke  from  the  smithy,  which  penetrated  the  whole  house,  did  not 
bother  him  in  the  least.  In  the  basement  he  also  had  an  oven  of 
masonry  in  the  Swedish  style,  where  he  baked  thin  loaves  of  hard 
bread  in  the  manner  of  the  Helsingland  peasantry. 

The  old  man  practiced  genuine  old  time  hospitality,  and  would 
always  urge  his  friends  to  partake  of  his  repast,  were  it  only  a  pot  of 
cabbage  soup  served  in  wooden  bowls.  Having  broken  the  thin  bread 
into  the  bowl  he  would  invariably  dust  the  flour  from  his  hands  into 
the  bowl  so  as  not  to  waste  any  of  his  God-given  substance. 

At  length,  the  old  man  was  lured  back  to  Bishop  Hill.  Though 
advanced  in  years,  he  was  hankering  after  another  matrimonial  venture, 
and  what  induced  him  to  go  was  the  assurance  of  friends  that  a  suitable 
bride  had  been  picked  out  for  him.  The  match  was  made,  and  so  he 
moved  to  Bishop  Hill  with  all  his  earthly  belongings,  which  presumably 
went  the  way  of  all  other  small  fortunes  invested  in  that  enterprise. 
A  few  years  after  his  removal  the  "Old  Man  of  Stenbo"  breathed 
his  last. 

While  he  was  still  in  Moline,  there  lived  with  him  for  some  time 
Per  Andersson  from  Hassela  and  Per  Berg  from  Hog,  Helsinglaud. 
These  men  went  to  Minnesota  in  the  spring  of  1851  and  there  founded 
the  Chisago  Lake  settlement.  One  Peter  Viklund  from  Angermanland, 
who  also  lived  in  Moline  at  the  time,  accompanied  them,  settling  in  the 
vicinity  of  Taylor's  Falls,  where  he  died.  Another  of  the  early  Swedish 
settlers  in  Moline  was  Daniel  Nilsson  from  Norrbro,  Helsingland,  who 
about  the  same  time  founded  the  settlement  of  Marine,  near  Marine 
Mills.  Along  in  the  summer  of  1851  Hans  Smith  and  his  family  moved 
to  Moline  from  Princeton.  He  also  left  for  Minnesota,  going  to  Chi- 
sago Lake. 

The  first  attempt  at  organization  among  the  Swedish  population  of 
Moline  was  the  founding  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  which  still 
prospers.  The  founder  was  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn  of  Andover.  The  or- 
ganization meeting  was  held  in  the  home  of  Carl  Johansson,  the  tailor, 
this  being  a  small  room,  14  by  10  feet,  in  which  those  interested  in 
the  movement  had  habitually  met  to  worship.  But  Esbjorn  was  not 
long  to  be  alone  in  the  field  of  religious  endeavor  among  the  Moline 


290 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS 


Swedes.  Shortly  after  his  first  visit,  the  enterprising  Kev.  Jonas  Hed- 
strom  appeared  and,  being  cordially  received  by  the  other  pioneer 
Swedish  resident,  Olaus  Bengtsson,  at  once  began  to  hold  Methodist 
meetings  in  the  equally  primitive  home  of  that  pioneer.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1850  or  the  beginning  of  1851,  he  organized  here  a 
little  Swedish  Methodist  church,  which,  like  the  Lutheran,  grew  and 
prospered  apace  with  the  influx  of  Swedish  immigrants. 

A  third  Swedish  church,  called  Gustaf  Adolf,  now  a  part  of  the 
Swedish  Mission  Covenant,  was  organized  in  1875,  and  in  the  following 


Moline — Third  Avenue 

year  a  fourth  one,  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church.  A  little  flock  of 
Swedish  Episcopalians,  formed  in  recent  years,  worked  with  but  scant 
success,  and  soon  disbanded. 

The  fraternal  orders  have  operated  very  successfully  in  Moline, 
ever  since  the  latter  sixties.  The  first  Swedish  fraternal  society  organ- 
ized there  was  Freja,  in  1869,  which  flourished  for  a  number  of  years. 
During  the  seventies  a  couple  of  other  fraternal  bodies  came  into 
existence,  and  during  the  last  two  decades  a  number  of  different 
societies  have  been  formed,  including  a  Swedish  singing  club,  the 
Svea  Male  Chorus. 

Three  secular  newspapers  in  the  Swedish  language  have  been  pub- 
lished at  Moline,  viz.,  "Skandia, "  issued  from  December  1876  to  April 


ROCK   ISLAND 


291 


1878,  "Nya  Pressen,"  from  1891  to  1897,  and  "Vikingen,"  published 
for  a  short  time  in  the  early  nineties.  At  the  present  time,  the  city 
has  no  Swedish  newspaper.  In  the  seventies  and  eighties,  the  firm  of 
Wistrand  and  Timlin  published  a  number  of  books  and  papers  in  the 
interest  of  the  work  of  the  Augustana  Synod. 

The  Swedes  in  Moline  in  1880  numbered  2,589 ;  at  the  close  of  1905 
their  number  was  approximately  8,000.  The  total  population  according 
to  the  census  of  1900,  was  17,240,  succeeding  years  showing  a  sub- 
stantial increase. 

ROCK    ISLAND,    ROCK    ISLAND    COUNTY 

The  prosperous  city  of  Rock  Island  had  its  origin  in  1816,  when 
the  national  government  planted  a  fort  on  the  island  of  the  same 
name,  known  as  Fort  Armstrong.  As  its  commander  was  appointed 
Col.  George  Davenport,  who,  together  with  his  wife  and  the  garrison, 
for  thirteen  years  were  the  only  white  inhabitants  of  the  locality.  The 
arrival  in  1823  of  the  steamer  "Virginia,"  with  a  cargo  of  provisions, 
from  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wisconsin,  made  a  welcome  interruption  in 
the  monotony  of  frontier  life.  This  vessel  was  the  first  to  traverse  this 
portion  of  the  Mississippi.  In  1825  Col.  Davenport  was  appointed 
postmaster  on  the  island  and  about  the  same  time  formed  a  co-partner- 
ship with  Russell  Farnham,  a  fresh  arrival,  to  engage  in  fur  trading 
with  the  Indians.  For  the  purpose  the  partners  put  up  a  building 
which  afterwards  was  occupied  as  the  first  court-house  of  Rock 
Island  county.  In  1828  a  few  whites,  among  whom  was  John  M. 
Spencer,  arrived  and  settled  there.  Oct.  19,  1829,  Davenport  and 
Farnham  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  present  county  of  Rock 
Island,  that  being  the  first  realty  transaction  in  the  county. 

In  1831  the  little  settlement  had  grown  sufficiently  strong  to  equip 
a  troop  of  58  men  to  engage  in  fighting  the  Indian  chief  Black  Hawk 
and  his  tribe.  Two  years  later,  or  1833,  Rock  Island  county  was  organ- 
ized and  on  July  5th  of  the  same  year  its  first  county  election  was 
held.  After  another  two  years  Stephenson,  as  the  place  was  then 
called,  was  selected  as  the  county  seat.  Its  name  was  subsequently, 
changed  to  Rock  Island.  The  first  prison,  a  two  story  blockhouse, 
was  erected  in  1836.  The  same  year  work  was  begun  on  a  county  court- 
house, which  was  completed  the  following  year.  The  first  incorpora- 
tion of  Rock  Island  was  effected  in  1841.  Late  in  the  sixties  the  federal 
government  established  on  the  adjacent  island  a  large  arsenal  to- 
gether with  factories  for  small  arms,  the  plant  having  since  reached 
an  extensive  development.  During  the  Civil  War  a  large  number  of 
prisoners  taken  from  the  Confederates  were  kept  on  the  island,  and  a 
burial  ground  for  soldiers  dates  from  that  time.  The  entire  island, 


292  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

together  with  extensive  establishments,  is  under  the  control  and  strict 
surveillance  of  the  federal  government,  and  the  buildings  and  Avell- 
kept  grounds  are  among  the  interesting  sights  in  this  part  of  the 
United  States. 

The  west  arm  of  the  Mississippi  at  this  point  is  navigable  while 
the  east  and  smaller  arm  is  closed  by  a  dam  Avhich  furnishes 
water  power  for  industrial  plants  in  Moline  and  Rock  Island  and  for 
the  government  works.  A  combination  railroad  and  public  highway 
bridge  facilitates  traffic  between  Rock  Island  and  the  city  of  Daven- 
port, situated  on  the  Iowa  side,  directly  opposite,  and  named  after  the 


View  of  Rock  River  from  Black  Hawk  Watch  Tower 

first  commander  of  Fort  Armstrong,  who  together  with  several  others 
in  1835  purchased  the  land  on  which  the  city  was  built. 

Rock  Island  is  at  the  present  day  a  lively  manufacturing  and 
business  center.  Here  are  located  large  lumber  mills,  an  agricultural 
implement  factory,  a  glass  factory,  iron  works,  wagon  factories,  etc. 
The  city  has  several  banks  and  four  newspapers,  two  of  which  are 
published  daily.  A  new  courthouse,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  im- 
posing structures  in  this  part  of  the  state,  was  erected  a  few  years 
ago.  In  the  surrounding  public  square  stands  a  monument  in  honor  of 
the  men  from  Rock  Island  who  fought  in  the  Civil  War.  In  a  pretty 
park  in  the  western  part  of  the  city  is  a  statue  of  Black  Hawk,  the 
Indian  chief,  whose  name  is  intimately  combined  with  the  early  history 
of  the  city  and  its  surrounding  country.  A  charming  point  of  vantage 
south  of  the  city  bears  the  name  of  Black  Hawk  Watch  ToAver. 
It  is  a  high  bluff  rising  steeply  from  the  Rock  River  and  crowned 
with  a  pavilion,  the  verandas  of  which  afford  a  charming  panorama 


ROCK    ISLAND 


293 


of  the  vicinity,  northwest  over  the  Mississippi  and  the  wooded  bluffs 
disappearing  in  the  blue  distance,  southward  and  eastward  over  the 
fertile  valley  drained  by  the  winding  Rock  River  and  cut  at  this  point 
by  a  section  of  the  Hennepin  Canal.  This  prominence  Chief  Black 
Hawk  is  said  to  have  often  sought  at  the  head  of  his  warriors  when 
on  the  lookout  for  the  hated  palefaces  who  took  possession  of  the  rich 
hunting  grounds  of  his  tribe.  The  census  of  1900  gives  the  city  of 
Rock  Island  19,493  inhabitants. 

The  beginning  of  Swedish  immigration  to  Rock  Island  was  in  1848, 
when  the  founder  of  the  Bishop  Hill  colony  established  a  fishing  camp 
on  the  island,  managed  by  the  aforementioned  N.  J.  Hollander  as  fore- 
man for  a  half  dozen  colonists.  At  this  point  Erik  Jansson's  wife  and 
the  youngest  two  of  their  children,  together  with  several  other  persons, 
succumbed  to  the  cholera  in  1849. 

Among  the  earliest  Swedish  settlers  at  Rock  Island  was  A.  J. 
Swanson,  who  came  there  in  1850  and  made  a  small  fortune  in  the  boot 
and  shoe  business.  Swanson,  or  Svensson,  hailed  from  Odeshog,  Oster- 
gotland.  When  he  died,  Jan.  8,  1880,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one,  he  left 
an  estate  worth  $40,000.  Other  Swedish  settlers  about  this  time  were : 
J.  Back  and  Peter  Soderstrom,  both  sons-in-law  of  Rev.  J.  Rolin  of 
Hassela,  Helsingland;  Jonas  Strand,  Jonas  Norell,  and  Erik  Thomas- 
son,  all  from  Northern  Sweden ;  A.  T.  Manke,  and  Fredrika  Boberg. 
Manke  is  supposed  to  have  been  among  those  who  perished  at  the 
burning  of  the  steamer  "Austria"  on  the  Atlantic  Sept.  13,  1858. 
Fetter  Soderstrom  and  Fredrika  Boberg  moved  to  Iowa  before  the 
eighties.  In  the  fifties  came  August  Linder,  a  tailor,  Erik  Akerberg, 
a  jeweler,  N.  J.  Rundquist,  a  wagonmaker  by  the  name  of  Envall, 
Israel  Johansson,  a  shoemaker,  one  Hofflund,  the  brothers  Carl  and 
Peter  Stjernstrom,  the  one  a  tailor,  the  other  a  day  laborer.  Hofflund 
moved  to  Osco  township,  and  the  Stjernstrom  brothers  to  Iowa 
previous  to  1880.  Not  until  the  sixties  and  more  especially  in  the 
seventies,  however,  did  the  Swedish  immigrants  come  to  settle  in  Rock 
Island  in  any  great  number. 

The  little  colony  of  Swedes  that  existed  there  in  the  fifties  is  note- 
worthy in  this  that  it  was  the  origin  of  the  first  Swedish  Baptist 
Church  in  America,  organized  there  Sept.  26,  1852.  The  founder  was 
Gustaf  Palmquist,  a  former  school  teacher  from  Stockholm  who  had 
joined  the  American  Baptists  in  Galesburg  in  June  of  that  year,  and 
its  first  members  were :  A.  T.  Manke,  A.  Boberg  and  Fredrika,  his  wife, 
Petter  Soderstrom.  Carl  Johansson,  mentioned  among  the  Moline 
pioneers,  and  Anders  Norelius,  a  brother  of  Eric  Norelius  who  later 
became  a  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  America  and  is 
now  president  of  the  Augustana  Synod. 


294 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS 


The  few  Swedish  Lutherans  in  Rock  Island  at  first  belonged  to 
the  church  in  Moline,  but  in  1870  they  tired  of  going  to  the  neighboring 
city  to  worship,  and  that  year  an  independent  congregation  was  or- 
ganized, with  a  membership  of  only  twenty-eight.  The  few  Swedish 
Methodists  and  Mission  Friends  who  reside  in  Eock  Island  are  mem- 
bers of  their  respective  church  organizations  in  Moline.  Eock  Island 
has  little  or  nothing  in  the  way  of  Swedish  fraternal  societies. 

The  oldest  and  principal  Swedish-American  educational  institu- 
tion, Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary,  is  located  at  Eock 
Island,  having  been  removed  there  from  Paxton  in  1875.  Under  the 


Rock  Island — Spencer  Square 

guidance  of  zealous  and  competent  educators,  the  institution  has 
developed  far  beyond  the  aspirations  of  its  founders.  Besides  being 
a  complete  college  and  a  theological  seminary,  Augustana  embraces 
an  academic  department,  a  normal  school,  a  commercial  school,  a 
musical  conservatory,  and  a  department  of  art.  For  several  years 
past  the  work  of  gathering  large  endowment  funds  for  the  institution 
has  been  carried  on.  These  and  other  signs  point  to  a  period  of  new 
and  greater  prosperity  for  this  old  and  venerated  institution  of 
learning.  In  immediate  proximity  to  the  institution  lies  the  Augustana 
Book  Concern,  the  publishing  house  of  the  Augustana  Synod. 

The  Swedish-American  population  of  the  city  of  Eock  Island  at 
the  close  of  the  year  1905  was  estimated  at  3.500. 


PRINCETON 


PRINCETON,    BUREAU    COUNTY 


295 


On  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railway,  105  miles  west 
of  Chicago,  is  situated  on  a  plateau  the  pretty  little  city  of  Princeton. 
Its  history  dates  from  the  year  1832,  when  the  site  was  mapped  out 
and  the  first  houses  were  erected.  A  log  cabin,  here  as  in  most  of  the 
other  settlements,  formed  the  first  human  habitation.  It  was  built  by 
one  S.  D.  Cartwright  near  the  spot  where  the  Congregational  Church 
now  stands.  The  sale  of  lots  was  not  brisk,  and  it  took  a  number  of 
years  to  dispose  of  the  entire  plat.  Bureau  county  was  organized 
Feb.  28,  1837,  when  Princeton  was  made  the  county  seat.  The  county 
court  held  its  first  sessions  there  the  followingAugust.  In  1845  the 
first  courthouse  was  built,  with  county  jail  and  sheriff's  residence 
in  connection.  The  structure  was  remodeled  in  1860. 

Prior  to  1850,  only  five  known  Swedes  resided  in  Princeton.  Doubt- 
less the  first  to  arrive  was  a  man  named  Burgeson,  who  later  settled 
at  Andover.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  company  with  the  Rev.  Pillsbury 
mentioned  under  the  head  of  Andover,  and  for  some  time  was  in  his 
service.  Simultaneously,  a  young  Swede  was  in  the  employ  of  Owen 
Lovejoy,  the  renowned  abolitionist,  who  in  the  later  forties  and  early 
fifties  was  stationed  in  Princeton  as  minister  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  afterwards  was  elected  to  Congress.  In  the  city  hotel  a 
Swedish  girl  was  employed,  supposed  to  have  been  Sigrid  Norell  from 
Bergsjo,  Helsingland,  who  in  1859  became  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Field 
from  Ostergotland.  The  name  of  the  fourth  one  is  not  known  to  a 
certainly.  It  may  have  been  the  aforesaid  Field. 

The  fifth  one  was  Captain  Erik  Wester,  the  adventurer  spoken 
of  in  Chapter  III.  This  man 's  career  is  of  sufficient  interest  to  warrant 
a  fuller  account.  His  right  name  was  Westergren,  shortened  to  "Wester 
for  convenience.  The  year  and  place  of  his  birth  and  the  date  of  his 
arrival  in  America  are  not  known.  It  is  a  matter  of  record,  however, 
that  he  emigrated  to  escape  punishment  for  a  crime.  Wester,  who 
was  employed  as  guard  in  the  riksbank  in  Stockholm,  was  once  sent 
to  Helsingor  to  purchase  a  large  lot  of  old  rags  for  the  Tumba  paper 
mills,  where  the  paper  for  the  Swedish  national  currency  has  been 
turned  out  for  years.  Instead  of  closing  the  deal,  he  fled  to  America 
with  the  money  entrusted  to  him.  Landing  in  New  Orleans,  he  re- 
mained there  for  an  indefinite  period.  In  the  fall  of  1848  he  made 
his  appearance  at  Bishop  Hill  in  company  with  two  other  adventurers, 
one  being  John  Ruth,  who  later  became  notorious,  the  other  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Zimmerman,  who,  like  Ruth,  claimed  to  have  a  military 
training  from  Sweden,  and  to  have  served  in  the  French  army  during 
the  campaign  in  Algiers.  Bishop  Hill  and  its  plodding  life  had  no 
charm  for  the  three  soldiers  of  fortune.  Zimmerman  soon  departed 


296  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

for  California,  presumably  in  quest  of  gold,  while  Wester  went  to  the 
Pine  Lake  settlement  in  Wisconsin,  and  Ruth,  who  had  been  enamored 
of  a  young  woman  at  Bishop  Hill,  remained  there  a  few  months,  after 
which  time  he  resumed  his  roaming  career. 

At  the  outset,  Wester  masqueraded  at  Pine  Lake  as  a  very  devout 
person,  going  around  preaching  in  the  different  homes.  Finding  that 
this  line  of  endeavor  among  the  few  Swedish  settlers  yielded  but 
poor  returns,  he  established  himself  as  a  barber,  securing  friends  and 
customers  among  the  more  numerous  Norwegians,  many  of  whom  are 
said  to  have  been  victimized  by  this  smooth  stranger. 

Having  reached  the  end  of  his  rope  in  Wisconsin,  Wester  returned 
to  Illinois.  He  first  appeared  in  Peru,  whence  he  came  to  Princeton 
in  the  spring  of  1850,  so  utterly  destitute  that  he  was  unable  to  pay 
the  freight  on  his  barber's  chair.  Though  short  of  money,  he  was  enter- 
prising and  resourceful  in  his  own  peculiar  way,  and  soon  found 
Princeton  a  splendid  field  to  exploit.  A  prosperous  merchant  helped 
him  to  a  supply  of  cigars  and  with  that  he  opened  for  business  in  a 
shanty.  When  business  grew  a  trifle  dull,  he  turned  his  cigar  store  into 
a  grog  shop.  This  attracted  more  customers,  the  business  grew,  and 
presently  Wester  had  to  look  around  for  larger  quarters.  Soon  the 
place  grew  to  be  quite  a  large  department  store,  considering  Princeton 's 
stage  of  development  at  the  time.  He  sold  goods  of  every  description, 
such  as  clothing,  eatables,  boots  and  shoes,  hardware,  tobacco  and 
whisky.  Wester  subsequently  extended  his  business  beyond  the  limits 
of  Princeton,  establishing  a  branch  store  at  Galesburg. 

For  a  time  it  appeared  as  though  the  quondam  bank  messenger, 
evangelist  and  barber  would  finish  his  career  as  a  rich  and  respected 
businessman.  Such  might  have  been  the  case,  but  for  wild  speculations 
and  a  decided  decline  in  general  business.  In  the  young  neighboring 
town  of  Galva,  Olof  Johnson,  the  financier  of  Bishop  Hill,  was  at  this 
time  actively  engaged  in  the  management  of  its  affairs,  and  looking 
forward  to  a  highly  roseate  future.  Why  not  join  with  him  in  one  of 
his  numerous  enterprises  and  get  rich  in  a  trice?  With  this  object  in 
view,  Wester  went  into  partnership  with  him  and  Samuel  Remington 
and  started  the  Western  Exchange  Bank  at  Galva.  No  one  knows 
how  much  money  Wester  furnished,  but  it  is  more  than  likely  that 
the  bulk  of  the  capital  was  taken  out  of  the  Bishop  Hill  funds.  This 
was  in  1857,  while  the  speculative  fever,  especially  in  the  West,  was 
still  at  its  height.  The  same  year  the  reaction  came — a  panic  that 
swept  the  entire  country,  wrecking  countless  business  enterprises  vastly 
more  solid  than  those  of  Olof  Johnson  and  Wester.  The  latter  was 
caught  in  the  crash,  so  was  his  financial  institution,  and  in  this  failure 


PRINCETON 


297 


a  large  bulk  of  the  money  that  the  Bishop  Hill  colonists  had  earned 
by  the  sweat  of  their  brow  is  said  to  have  been  lost. 

But  Wester  persevered  with  dogged  tenacity.  The  next  year  he 
made  a  new  start,  but  failed  again.  In  1859  he  started  in  business 
for  the  third  time,  but  only  to  court  another  catastrophe.  This  time 
he  appears  to  have  made  a  fraudulent  assignment,  it  being  reported 
that  he  withheld  more  than  enough  property  to  pay  his  debts,  had  he 
been  so  inclined.  With  $1,700  in  his  pocket  and  a  trunk  packed  with 
revolvers — it  will  be  remembered  that  he  also  dealt  in  hardware — 
Wester  left,  stating  that  he  was  bound  for  Chicago,  but  going  instead 
to  Dallas,  Texas,  where  he  was  still  living  in  1880,  but  in  reduced 
circumstances.  What  afterwards  became  of  the  adventurer,  whether 
he  again  got  on  his  feet  or  went  down  in  the  struggle  for  existence, 
there  are  no  records  to  show. 

In  the  summer  of  1850,  A.  P.  Anderson  came  to  Princeton  from 
the  parish  of  Horn,  Ostergotland.  He  had  come  over  the  year  before 
and  gone  to  Peru,  whence  he  came  alone  to  Andover  in  the  hope  of 
finding  certain  relatives,  but  on  his  arrival  he  learned  that  they  were 
all  dead.  He  then  returned  to  Peru  and  moved  with  his  family  to 
Princeton.  Anderson  still  lived  in  1880  at  the  age  of  seventy-one. 
His  eldest  child,  a  son,  had  then  lived  in  California  for  many  years. 

In  the  autumn  a  whole  party  of  Swedish  settlers  arrived  from 
northern  Helsingland  and  southern  Medelpad.  They  had  sailed  from 
Gefle  August  17th  on  the  Swedish  ship  ' '  Oden, ' '  Captain  Norberg,  and 
arrived  in  New  York  October  31st,  coming  on  to  Princeton  November 
21st,  after  a  difficult  journey.  In  the  party  was  Erik  Norelius  from 
Hassela,  Helsingland,  then  a  mere  youth  of  seventeen,  whom  Providence 
had  destined  to  take  an  eminent  part  in  Swedish-American  religious 
progress.  In  his  valuable  work  entitled,  "The  History  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Congregations  and  of  the  Swedes  of  America,"  he  has  given 
a  vivid  and  graphic  description  of  the  whole  journey. 

Of  this  party  of  immigrants  a  few  stopped  in  Princeton  while 
the  rest,  Norelius  among  them,  proceeded  to  Andover.  Among  those 
remaining  at  Princeton  were :  Hans  Kamel,  Olof  Jonsson,  Staffan 
Berglof,  and  Anders  Nord  with  their  families,  all  from  Bergsjo, 
Helsingland;  Per  Soderstrom  from  Norrbo  or  Bjuraker,  Helsingland; 
Hans  Smitt  from  Hassela,  Helsingland;  Anders  Larsson  from  Torp, 
Medelpad ;  Olof  Nilsson  and  one  Simeon  from  Attmar,  Medelpad.  The 
Kamel  family  died  out  before  the  eighties,  Soderstrom  after  a  few 
years  moved  to  Iowa  or  Minnesota  and  Simeon  went  away,  leaving  no 
trace.  Olof  Jonsson  became  the  first  Swedish  property-holder  of 
Princeton,  living  and  prospering  as  a  farmer  for  more  than  twenty- 
five  years,  afterwards  removing  to  Humboldt,  Kansas,  where  he  is 


298 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


said  to  have  owned  large  country  estates.    Anders  Larsson  also  went 
west  in  the  late  seventies. 

In  1851  came  Lars  Magnus  Spak  and  Nils  Johan  Nilsson  from 
Djursdala,  Smaland,  and  Jacob  Nyman  from  Tjarstad,  Ostergotland, 
the  first  and  the  last  named  with  their  families.  The  Spak  family  had 
come  to  this  country  in  1849,  living  for  a  time  in  Chicago,  where  they 
are  said  to  have  taken  part  in  the  organization  of  the  Swedish  Episcopal 
Church  of  St.  Ansgar  (Ansgarius.)  The  family  head  passed  away 
long  before  1880,  but  his  widow  was  then  still  living,  also  their  elder 


Princeton — Main  Street  Looking  North 

son,  who  was  engaged  in  business.  The  younger  son  was  living  in 
Galesburg,  as  also  the  daughter,  who  was  married  to  one  A.  J.  Anders- 
son.  Jacob  Nyman  also  passed  away  in  the  late  seventies,  his  widow 
and  their  son  Johan  still  living  in  Princeton  after  his  death.  Nils  J. 
Nilsson  was  also  conducting  a  business  of  some  kind  in  the  eighties. 

The  year  1852  brought  large  acquisitions  of  Swedes  to  Princeton. 
Among  the  new  arrivals  were  the  following:  C.  M.  Skold,  a  tailor, 
from  Vestra  Ryd,  unmarried,  and  Anders  P.  Damm,  with  six  children, 
from  Asby,  both  in  Ostergotland;  Anders  Petter  Larsson  from  Vad- 
stena,  Ostergotland;  J.  0.  Lundblad  from  an  unknown  locality  in  the 
same  province;  S.  Frid  and  wife  from  Wa,  Skane;  Ake  Nilsson  with 
wife  and  two  children ;  Nils  Lindeblad  with  wife  and  son,  all  from 
Skane,  but  localities  unknown;  P.  Fagercrantz  from  Brosarp,  Skane; 


PRINCETON 


299 


Lars  Andersson  fran  Gingrid  and  Johan  A.  Westman  from  Bb'rstig, 
both  located  in  Vestergotland;  Pehr  Christian  Andersson,  also  from 
Vestergotland,  locality  unknown;  Johan  Gabriel  Stahl  with  wife, 
son  and  daughter  from  Smaland,  place  unknown;  Johan  Andersson 
and  Henri k  Norman  from  Stockholm.  Of  these  Skb'ld  was  still 
living  in  1880;  Nilsson  lived  on  his  own  farm  near  Wyanet;  Pehr 
Christian  Andersson  was  employed  by  a  railway  company  since  twenty- 
five  years  back ;  also  Westman,  Stahl  and  his  wife,  Fagercrantz,  Anders 
Fetter  Larsson,  Lars  Andersson  and  J.  O.  Lundblad,  the  latter  living 
in  Aledo,  Mercer  county,  were  among  the  survivors  in  1880.  Norman 
removed  to  Monmouth  in  1856.  Damm,  who  changed  his  name  to  Stem, 
died  in  1878,  leaving  a  widow  and  several  children;  Frid  died  before 
1880,  also  Lindeblad,  while  the  wife  and  son  of  the  latter  were  still 
living  in  Princeton  in  that  year.  Johan  Andersson,  who  had  been 
foreman  in  the  printing  office  of  "Stockholms  Dagblad"  died  of  the 
cholera  in  1853,  his  wife  returning  to  Stockholm  the  following  year. 

Another  Swedish  pioneer  of  Princeton  was  Jonas  Andersson  from 
Farila,  Helsin gland.  He  emigrated  in  1849,  remained  a  short  time  in 
Chicago,  spent  the  following  winter  in  St.  Charles,  went  to  Wisconsin 
in  the  spring,  returning  to  St.  Charles  after  working  a  few  months  in 
the  woods,  and  remained  there  until  1853,  when  he  moved  to  Princeton. 
Here  he  settled  permanently  and  became  the  father  of  a  large  family. 
He  was  still  living  in  the  eighties  and  was  a  prosperous  building 
contractor. 

Almost  simultaneously  with  Jonas  Andersson  came  A.  A.  Shenlund. 
He  was  born  at  Toarp,  Vestergotland,  and  was  engaged  in  the  mer- 
chandise business  in  his  native  land.  He  emigrated  in  1853  to  Prince- 
ton, where  he  went  to  work  on  Rev.  Pillsbury's  farm,  his  wife  being 
employed  there  as  housekeeper.  Having  worked  for  some  time  at 
sawing  wood,  he  next  got  a  situation  as  bookkeeper  with  the  afore- 
mentioned Wester,  but  disapproving  of  the  loose  business  methods  of 
his  employer,  he  went  into  business  on  his  own  account,  opening  a  small 
grocery  store  near  the  railway  station  just  two  days  before  the  first 
railway  train  rumbled  into  Princeton.  A  few  months  later  he  removed 
with  his  stock  to  Bureau  Junction,  but  moved  back  to  Princeton  after 
five  months.  When  Wester  failed  in  business,  the  administrators  per- 
suaded Shenlund  to  take  charge,  and  he  conducted  the  business  until 
1865,  when  he  retired.  In  1868  he  resumed  business  in  partnership 
with  one  Clark  who  withdrew  from  the  firm  in  1876.  After  that 
Shenlund  ran  the  business  alone  for  a  number  of  years  with  so  great 
success  that  he  grew  moderately  wealthy.  He  was  highly  respected 
by  his  townsmen.  Americans  and  Swedes  alike.  Shenlund  died  many 
years  ago. 


300 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS 


Speaking  of  the  early  business  men  of  Princeton  it  may  be  noted 
that  S.  Frid  in  1854  established  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  conducting  the 
business  for  some  years,  afterwards  going  into  farming.  Having  no 
success  as  a  farmer,  he  soon  returned  to  the  last  and  stuck  to  it,  being 
successfully  engaged  in  the  shoe  business  to  his  death.  J.  O.  Lundblad 
had  early  left  for  Missouri,  but  returned  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out, 
engaging  in  the  same  line  of  business  but  soon  afterwards  removed  to 
Rock  Island,  going  from  there  to  Aledo  to  live.  P.  Fagercrantz  in  1853 
established  himself  in  Princeton  as  watchmaker  and  jeweler,  conducting 


Princeton — Main  Street  Looking  South 

the  business  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  after  which  he  surprised 
his  friends  by  going  bankrupt.  Although  well  advanced  in  years,  he 
made  a  new  start  in  business.  In  the  vicinity  of  Princeton  a  number 
of  Swedes  settled  and  soon  became  prosperous  farmers. 

Religious  activity  was  begun  early  among  the  Swedish  people  of 
Princeton.  A  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized  in  1854, 
a  Swedish  Mission  church  in  1870,  a  Swedish  Baptist  church  being 
added  seven  years  later. 

According  to  the  city  directory,  there  were  1,200  Swedish-Amer- 
icans in  Princeton  at  the  close  of  1905,  but  well  informed  townsmen 
believed  that  figure  too  low,  holding  that  the  actual  number  was  1,400. 
The  Swedes  living  in  the  surrounding  locality  are  about  equally 
numerous.  Besides,  there  are  Swedes  in  considerable  numbers  living 


CHICAGO 


301 


at  other  points  in  Bureau  county,  viz.,  Wyanet.  Tiskilwa,  Providence, 
Spring  Valley,  Ladd.  Seaton,  New  Bedford,  Walnut,  and  other  places, 
adding  about  1,200  more  to  the  Swedish  population  in  the  county  and 
bringing  the  total  up  to  about  4,000. 

CHICAGO,    COOK.    COUNTY 

There  have  been  Swedish  people  in  Chicago  almost  from  the 
earliest  days  of  the  city,  and  their  number  has  constantly  increased 
until,  at  the  last  general  census  in  1900,  it  was  48,836,  or  greater  than 
the  population  of  Norrkoping,  the  fourth  city  in  Sweden  in  point  of 
size.  The  same  year  there  were  in  Chicago  95,883  persons  born  of 
Swedish  parents,  making  a  total  Swedish-American  population  of 
144,719.  Counting  as  Swedish- Americans  6,707  persons,  one  of  whose 
parents  was  born  in  Sweden  and  the  other  in  some  other  foreign 
country,  we  would  obtain  a  total  of  151,426  Swedish-Americans  in 
the  city.  During  the  last  seven  years  this  number  naturally  has  grown 
according  to  the  usual  ratio  of  increase.  This  is  further  evidenced 
by  the  school  census  of  1904  which  set  the  number  of  Chicagoans  born 
in  Sweden  at  55,991.  A  comparison  of  various  estimates  would  indicate 
a  Swedish- American  population  in  Chicago  of  not  less  than  170,000  at 
the  close  of  1907. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  Swedish- Americans  have  engaged  in 
business  and  thereby  laid  the  foundation  for  prosperity  and  economic 
independence.  The  great  mass  of  their  male  population,  however,  is 
composed  of  skilled  workmen.  In  almost  every  trade  they  are  found, 
and  everywhere  they  have  the  reputation  of  being  highly  intelligent, 
skillful  and  conscientious  in  their  work.  Not  a  few  have  distinguished 
themselves  by  making  ingenious  and  practical  inventions.  Especially 
in  certain  trades,  like  that  of  the  cabinetmaker,  the  architect  and 
builder,  the  custom  tailor  and  the  mechanical  artisan,  they  are 
found  in  the  front  rank.  In  many  instances  they  have  succeeded  in 
building  up  comparatively  large  industrial  establishments  of  their  own ; 
others  are  engaged  as  engineers  and  foremen  in  large  industrial  plants 
owned  by  Americans  and  men  of  other  nationalities. 

The  majority  of  Swedish-American  skilled  workmen  in  Chicago 
doubtless  are  members  of  the  labor  organizations,  their  coolness  and 
conservatism  making  them  a  desirable  and  wholesome  element  thereof. 
The  unskilled  laborers  among  them  are  few  in  proportion  both  to  the 
entire  number  of  Swedish-American  workmen  and  to  the  proportion 
of  unskilled  laborers  among  other  nationalities.  As  a  consequence, 
the  Swedish  working  class  in  Chicago  stands  on  a  higher  economic 
plane  than  the  corresponding  class  among  the  average  foreign  nation- 


302 


EARLY  SETTLEMENTS 


ality,  and  is  able  to  lead  an  existence  more  in  keeping  with  the  Amer- 
ican standard  of  life. 

The  Swedish  workingmen  are  in  the  main  industrious,  orderly, 
temperate,  and  thrifty.  Generally,  their  first  care  is  to  get  a  home 
of  their  own,  and  for  this  purpose  they  have  usually  placed  their 
savings  in  some  one  of  the  Swedish  building  and  loan  associations, 
obtained  loans,  purchased  lots  and  built  their  own  houses.  Probably 
few  other  nationalities  can  show  so  large  a  proportion  of  property 
owners  and  home  builders.  Long  ago  the  Swedes  of  Chicago  solved 
the  question  of  workingmen 's  homes  which  is  agitating  industrial 
communities  everywhere,  thus  setting  an  example  worthy  of  emulation 
in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Many  of  the  Swedish  householders  have 
two  houses  on  their  lots,  the  older  one  a  frame  structure  built  during 
pioneer  days,  the  new  one  usually  a  brick  building  erected  after  the 
children  grew  up  and  the  family  began  to  prosper. 

A  number  of  Swedish  skilled  workmen  and  men  in  business  and 
the  professions  put  their  earnings  into  realty;  others  deposit  them 
in  the  banks  or  put  them  out  at  interest  elsewhere.  There  are  two 
Swedish  banks  in  the  city,  viz.,  the  State  Bank  of  Chicago,  founded 
in  1879,  and  the  Union  Bank  of  Chicago,  founded  in  1905.  The 
majority  prefer  the  latter  method  of  keeping  capital  growing,  as 
against  the  more  risky  one  of  speculating. 

The  Scandia  Life  Insurance  Company  is  a  Swedish  corporation 
with  head  offices  in  Chicago,  and  the  Swedish  Methodists  and  Baptists 
each  have  a  mutual  life  insurance  society  with  headquarters  here. 

The  Chicago  Swedes  have  been  criticised  for  their  lack  of  political 
activity,  and  to  a  certain  extent  the  criticism  is  deserved.  True,  they 
have  always  cast  their  votes  in  great  numbers  at  elections  and  fulfilled 
their  duties  as  as  citizens  in  the  intervals,  yet  when  nominations  and 
appointments  were  to  be  made  they  have  not  insisted  on  the  repre- 
sentation due  them  in  consideration  of  their  numbers  and  their  civic 
standing.  This  fact  possibly  is  due  to  the  prevailing  opinion  among 
them,  that  the  office  ought  to  seek  the  man  and  not  the  reverse. 
Furthermore,  they  seem  to  take  greater  pride  in  upbuilding  and  main- 
taining the  community  than  in  the  governing  of  it.  In  other  words 
they  would  rather  be  producers  than  consumers.  The  great  mass 
of  the  politically  interested  among  them  are  Republicans.  In  the 
wards  where  they  are  numerous  they  form  political  clubs,  and  evince 
great  political  activity,  especially  prior  to  important  elections.  These 
ward  clubs  are  combined  into  a  central  organization  known  as  the 
Swedish-American  Central  Republican  Club  of  Cook  County,  which 
in  turn  forms  a  part  of  the  Swedish- American  Republican  League  of 
Illinois.  Many  Swedish-Americans  of  Chicago  have  held  political 


CHICAGO 


303 


offices  in  the  city  and  the  county,  and  not  a  few  have  represented 
the  community  in  the  state  legislature  during  the  past  thirty  years. 

A  trait  characteristic  of  the  Swedes  in  Chicago,  as  elsewhere,  is 
their  obedience  to  law  and  the  high  order  of  their  citizenship.  While 
they  deprecate  the  wholesale  manufacture  of  laws,  they  believe  that 
good  laws,  dictated  by  the  people's  own  sense  of  justice  and  equity, 
should  be  absolutely  obeyed. 

They  believe  in  education  and  culture.  They  keep  their  children 
in  school  regularly,  and  the  great  number  of  prizes  and  distinctions 
awarded  them  from  time  to  time  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  they 
rank  with  the  best  pupils  both  in  point  of  diligence  and  of  intelligence. 
Many  of  them  continue  their  studies  from  the  public  to  the  high 
school,  while  others  enter  commercial  schools  in  order  to  fit  them- 
selves for  a  business  career.  Still  others  in  considerable  number 
attend  technological  institutions,  such  as  the  Armour  and  Lewis  in- 
stitutes, pursuing  courses  in  engineering  or  other  technics,  or  go  to  the 
universities,  the  medical  colleges,  the  law  schools,  the  dental  colleges, 
the  musical  conservatories,  where  they  are  graduated  year  by  year  in 
ever  increasing  numbers. 

It  would  seem  that  so  large  a  Swedish  population  would  be 
capable  of  supporting  a  common  institution  of  learning  in  the  city. 
The  absence  of -such  an  institution  must  be  ascribed  to  the  fact  that 
from  the  first  the  nationality  has  been  divided  into  numerous  reli- 
gious and  fraternal  organizations,  each  striving  in  its  own  way  to 
make  the  greatest  possible  acquisitions  and  accomplish  the  best  re- 
sults in  behalf  of  its  own  adherents. 

Without  exaggeration,  it  may  be  said  that  the  traces  of  Swedish- 
American  activity  are  most  marked  in  the  field  of  church  and 
fraternal  organization.  The  principal  denominations  and  sects  that 
have  gained  a  foothold  among  them  are  the  Lutherans,  Methodists, 
Baptists  and  Mission  Friends.  Less  numerous  are  the  Episcopalians,  the 
Salvationists,  the  Seventh-Day  Adventists,  and  a  few  still  smaller 
religious  groups. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1905,  there  were  in  Chicago  and  vicinity 
41  Swedish  Lutheran  congregations  having  a  total  membership  of 
15,000  and  owning  property  to  the  aggregate  value  of  $517,300.  The 
Swedish  Methodists  had  18  congregations  with  2,520  members  and 
property  valued  at  $249,600;  the  Swedish  Baptists,  11  congregations 
with  2,588  members  and  $159,975  worth  of  property,  and  the  Mission 
Friends,  12  congregations  with  2,036  members  and  property  to  the 
value  of  $131,940.  As  to  the  other  denominations  there  are  no  statistics 
at  hand. 

These  denominations  carry  on  a  relatively  extensive  work  along 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

educational  and  charitable  lines.  The  Lutherans  control  and  maintain 
the  Augustana  Hospital,  one  of  the  prominent  institutions  of  its  kind 
in  the  city.  Martin  Luther  College,  an  institution  of  learning,  was 
founded  by  them  in  1892  but  discontinued  in  1896.  In  Evanston  the 
Swedish  Methodists  have  their  own  theological  seminary,  and  in 
Chicago  they  maintain  a  home  for  the  aged,  named  Bethany  Home. 
The  Swedish  Baptists  also  conduct  their  own  theological  institute, 
located  in  Morgan  Park,  and  support  an  old  people's  home,  known  as 
"Fridhem. "  The  Mission  Friends  not  only  own  a  school,  North  Park 
College,  but  a  hospital  and  an  old  folks'  home.  In  addition  to  these 
institutions  there  is  in  Englewood  a  Swedish- American  hospital  owned 
and  controlled  by  the  people  of  the  various  Swedish  churches  in  that 
part  of  the  city. 

As  far  as  it  has  been  possible  to  ascertain,  the  Swedish  fraternal 
societies  and  lodges  in  Chicago  number  about  one  hundred.  In  the 
total  absence  of  common  statistics  exact  information  concerning  them 
cannot  be  given.  These  organizations,  designed  for  the  pleasure  as 
well  as  the  pecuniary  benefit  of  its  members,  annually  disburse  large 
sums  in  the  form  of  sick  benefits,  funeral  expenses  and  mutual  life 
insurance.  Two  lodges,  "Svithiod"  and  "Vikingarne,"  have  branched 
out  in  recent  years  so  as  to  form  large  independent  orders,  with  branch 
lodges  as  far  west  as  the  Missouri  River.  The  Independent  Order  of 
Svithiod  now  embraces  38  lodges  and  has  16  ladies'  guilds.  The  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Vikings  is  composed  of  30  lodges  in  addition  to 
which  there  are  15  ladies'  guilds.  The  Svithiod  and  the  Viking 
lodges  of  Chicago  are  included  in  the  above  total.  There  are  10 
lodges  of  Good  Templars,  four  other  temperance  societies,  and  a 
number  of  lodges  of  the  Scandinavian  Brotherhood  of  America.  Other 
fraternities,  including  a  couple  of  lodges  each  of  Free  Masons  and 
Odd  Fellows,  together  with  nondescript  organizations  approximate 
twenty  in  number.  Many  churches,  moreover,  have  their  own  sick 
benefit  and  benevolent  societies. 

A  number  of  different  societies  have  associated  themselves  for 
the  common  purpose  of  charity  and  benevolence.  One  is  the  Swedish 
Societies'  Old  People's  Home  Association  (formerly  the  Swedish 
Societies'  Central  Association),  which  founded  and  maintains  an  old 
people's  home  at  Park  Ridge.  The  other  is  the  Swedish  National 
Association,  which  conducts  a  free  employment  bureau  and  carries  on 
charity  work  in  a  measure. 

A  significant  movement  among  Chicago's  Swedes  is  the  organ- 
ization and  maintaining  of  singing  societies,  chiefly  male  choruses. 
Such  have  existed  for  several  decades  and  they  now  number  a 
dozen,  exclusive  of  male  or  mixed  choirs  connected  with  the  churches. 


CHICAGO 


305 


They  all  form  a  part  of  the  American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers  and, 
in  order  to  further  their  local  interests,  they  have  united  into  a 
local  organization  named  the  Chicago  Union  of  Swedish  Singers. 

In  the  field  of  culture,  the  Swedish-Americans  here  have  ac- 
complished noteworthy  results,  aside  from  the  work  of  their  churches, 
schools  and  singing  organizations,  this  city  being  as  far  back  as  the 
'60s  the  Swedish-American  literary  producing  center  and  for  decades 
the  location  of  a  considerable  publishing  and  bookselling  business. 
At  present  no  less  than  eight  large  weekly  Swedish  newspapers  are 
published  in  Chicago,  four  being  secular,  viz.,  "Hemlandet",  "Svenska 
Tribunen-Nyheter, "  "Svenska  Amerikanaren, "  "Svenska  Kuriren;" 
the  remaining  four  religious  wholly  or  in  part,  viz.,  "Sandebudet" 
(Methodist),  "Nya  Vecko-Posten  (Baptist),  "  Missions-  Vannen" 
(Mission  Church),  and  " Chicago-Bladet "  (Free  Mission  Church). 
In  addition  to  those  mentioned,  a  large  number  of  monthly  church 
and  society  papers  are  issued  in  this  city.  A  general  pub- 
lishing business  was  first  started  in  Chicago  by  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Publication  Society  and  is  still  continued  by  The  Engberg-Holmberg 
Publishing  Company.  In  connection  with  the  church  paper  "Sande- 
budet"  a  Methodist  Book  Concern  has  more  recently  been  established, 
in  connection  with  "  Missions- Vannen "  a  book  store  for  the  Mission 
Covenant,  and  in  connection  with  "Chicago-Bladet"  a  similar  store 
to  meet  the  needs  of  the  Free  Mission  churches.  To  this  should  be 
added  that  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  has  established 
a  Swedish  book  department.  Several  small  book  stores  are  conducted 
by  private  persons. 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  from  time  to  time  there  have 
existed  in  Chicago  various  Swedish  dramatic  companies  which, 
although  composed  largely  of  amateurs  and  not  to  be  compared  with 
the  standard  theatrical  companies  of  Sweden,  yet  have  served  to 
acquaint  Swedish-Americans  with  the  Swedish  drama  of  past  and 
modern  times. 

These  various  lines  of  activity  pursued  by  the  Swedish  people  of 
Chicago  are  more  fully  treated  in  subsequent  chapters. 

Somewhat  later  than  Flack  and  Von  Schneidau.  mention  of  whom 
has  been  made,  one  Astrom  came  to  Chicago  from  Norrland.  In  South 
Water  street,  not  far  from  the  spot  where  Old  Fort  Dearborn  stood, 
he  and  another  man  from  Norrland  by  the  name  of  Svedberg,  who 
came  here  from  Buffalo,  opened  a  restaurant,  conducting  that  business 
for  several  years.  This  was  in  the  latter  forties.  In  1850  Svedberg. 
doubtless  smitten  with  the  prevalent  gold  fever,  went  to  California, 
and  Astrom  returned  to  Sweden.  He  came  to  America  a  second  time ; 
after  that  nothing  is  known  of  him. 


3o6  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

In  1846  the  first  party  of  Swedish  immigrants  to  Chicago  arrived. 
There  were  fifteen  families,  and  the  newcomers  seem  to  have  had  no 
connection  with  the  emigration  movement  directed  by  Erik  Jansson. 
Not  one  among  them  understood  a  word  of  English,  not  one  had  a 
relative  or  friend  here,  all  were  poor  to  the  verge  of  destitution. 
But  von  Schneidau  befriended  them,  acting  as  their  interpreter  and 
counselor,  and  soon  procured  work  for  the  men  in  the  employ  of  two 
Americans,  W.  B.  Ogden  and  A.  Smith.  They  were  set  to  clearing  a 
piece  of  ground  just  north  of  the  present  Division  street,  at  50  cents 
per  day,  without  board,  which,  nevertheless,  they  considered  fairly 
good  pay.  That  winter  and  all  the  following  year  (1847)  those  Swedes 
are  said  to  have  worked  at  sawing  wood  for  a  daily  wage  of  from  50 
cents  to  621/2  cents.  Tho  women  took  washing  in  American  families 
and  thereby  earned  10  to  25  cents  a  day,  with  board. 

Oct.  3,  1846,  Jonas  Olsson  arrived  in  Chicago  at  the  head  of  a 
party  of  Erik  Janssonists  bound  for  Bishop  Hill.  Many  of  the 
emigrants,  having  begun  to  doubt  the  divine  mission  of  Erik  Jansson, 
now  refused  to  go  any  farther  and  decided  to  remain  in  Chicago. 
Among  these  recalcitrants  was  Jan  Jansson,  the  prophet's  own  brother. 
He  afterwards  became  the  owner  of  a  fertile  farm  situated  one  and 
one-half  miles  from  Montrose,  Cook  county.  Among  the  others  were, 
Anders  Larsson,  John  P.  Kallman,  Pehr  Ersson,  Petter  Hessling, 
A.  Thorsell  and  Kallstrom.  They  all  lived  together  for  a  time  in  a 
house  in  Illinois  street,  between  Dearborn  avenue  and  State  street. 

The  year  after,  forty  Swedish  immigrants  came  to  the  city,  and  in 
1848  one  hundred  more.  Times  had  now  improved  noticeably,  so  that 
a  good  laborer  could  earn  75  cents  a  day.  But  the  necessaries  of  life 
were  high,  a  barrel  of  flour  costing  $6  to  $7,  while  pork  sold  at  6  to  8 
cents  per  pound. 

One  of  the  earliest  Swedish  settlers  in  Chicago  who,  like  Astrom 
and  Svedberg,  had  a  business  of  his  own,  was  a  man  from  Gotland  by 
the  name  of  Lundblad.  He  came  over  in  1847  and  the  year  after  started 
a  soda  water  factory  which  he  ran  for  some  months  and  then  went  to 
Quincy,  where  he  died.  His  widow  returned  to  Chicago  and  died  here. 
At  the  close  of  the  year  1848,  the  Swedish  population  of  Chicago 
could  not  have  exceeded  300,  all  of  whom  waged  a  hard  fight  for 
existence.  In  1849  no  less  than  400  Swedish  immigrants  were  added 
to  Chicago's  population.  If  conditions  had  been  bad  before,  things 
now  grew  still  worse,  for  the  newcomers  of  that  year  brought  the 
cholera,  the  epidemic  causing  indescribable  suffering  and  misery 
among  them. 

In  some  instances  the  plague  broke  out  on  board  the  emigrant 
ships,  and  many  victims  were  buried  at  sea.  The  majority  of  cases, 


CHICAGO 


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however,  occurred  on  the  tedious  journey  from  the  eastern  ports  to 
the  western  points  of  destination,  and  after  the  arrival.  The  canal- 
boats  were  stopped  ever  and  anon  to  permit  the  emigrants  to  go  ashore 
and  bury  their  dead.  Conditions  grew  little  better  after  the  railroad 
from  the  East  to  Chicago  was  completed.  Then  the  emigrants  were 
packed  like  cattle  in  uncomfortable  cars  whose  doors  were  opened 
seldom,  if  at  all,  during  the  entire  journey. 

The  cholera  raged  unabated  for  several  years  till  1854,  inclusive, 
apparently  claiming  more  victims  that  year  than  any  foregoing,  in- 
creasing immigration  furnishing  a  favorable  field  for  its  ravages.  In 
1850  Chicago  received  500  Swedish  immigrants  and  in  1851-52  1,000 
each  year.  We  quote  a  few  examples  of  the  dreadful  effect  of  the 
scourge  among  these  people  during  1854.  One  large  party  from  Karl- 
skoga  and  Bjurtjarn,  in  Vermland,  brought  with  them  six  corpses, 
when  the  train  arrived  at  the  Michigan  Central  railway  station.  Seven- 
teen of  the  party,  afflicted  with  the  disease,  were  brought  to  the  pest- 
house,  where  more  than  half  of  their  number  died  before  morning. 
Of  the  older  members  of  the  Immanuel  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
organized  the  year  before,  about  one-tenth  died  of  the  plague,  the 
percentage  of  deaths  among  their  children  being  still  greater.  Among 
the  newcomers  the  death  rate  was  so  great  that  two-thirds  of  the 
immigrants  arriving  that  year  are  believed  to  have  succumbed  to  the 
cholera. 

Poverty,  unspeakable  misery,  absolute  wretchedness — such  was 
the  lot  of  the  families  of  the  deceased.  Fortunately,  there  were 
charitable  people  among  their  fellow  countrymen  here,  who  took  pity 
on  these  victims  of  pest  and  penury.  Chief  among  these  were  Consul 
von  Schneidau,  and  three  clergymen,  Gustaf  Unonius,  Erland  Carlsson 
and  Sven  Bernhard  Newman.  The  names  of  these  four  noble-hearted 
men  shine  in  the  annals  of  the  Swedish  pioneers  in  Chicago  like  stars 
in  a  dismal  night.  One's  heart  is  warmed  and  the  pulse  is  quickened 
in  reading  the  accounts  of  what  these  men  accomplished  in  behalf 
of  the  suffering  immigrants. 

Actuated  by  his  goodness  of  heart  as  well  as  by  his  sense  of  duty, 
Consul  von  Schneidau  obtained  permission  to  use  the  United  States 
Marine  Hospital  for  the  accommodation  of  the  plague  victims.  As  soon 
as  they  were  fairly  restored  to  health,  the  question  of  getting  work 
arose.  Yet  this  was  sometimes  a  difficult  problem,  and  if  they  did 
obtain  employment,  being  weak  and  emaciated,  they  were  not  always 
equal  to  the  task.  In  either  event,  they  turned  to  von  Schneidau  for 
assistance,  and  he  helped  them  as  far  as  it  was  in  his  power  to  do  so. 
Having  exhausted  his  own  resources,  he  appealed  to  public  benevolence, 
nor  was  this  done  in  vain,  for  donations  poured  in  in  such  quantities 


3o8  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

that  the  residence  was  turned  into  a  veritable  supply  depot,  where  his 
good  wife  acted  as  distributor  of  the  accumulated  provisions. 

TJnonius  was  equally  energetic  in  the  cause  of  charity.  In  1849. 
the  very  first  year  of  his  residence  in  Chicago,  it  fell  upon  him  to 
render  assistance  to  the  cholera  victims.  He  was  untiring  in  his  efforts 
to  solicit  among  well-to-do  citizens  money,  clothing  and  food  for  the 
relief  of  the  sufferers.  When  the  pesthouses  could  no  longer  hold  the 
plague  victims  he  opened  the  second  story  of  his  parsonage  as  a 
temporary  hospital.  His  wife  had  the  welfare  of  the  patients  equally 
at  heart,  giving  them  her  service  as  nurse.  When  parents  died,  Unonius 
would  see  to  it  that  their  children  were  cared  for,  either  in  some 
orphanage  or  by  adoption  in  private  families. 

Rev.  Carlsson  also,  immediately  upon  his  arrival  in  Chicago,  be- 
came entirely  engrossed  in  relief  work  among  the  cholera  sufferers. 
Not  only  among  the  members  of  his  flock,  but  among  the  immigrants 
as  well,  his  energy  proved  equal  to  the  emergency.  Scarcely  an  immi- 
grant train  arrived  but  he  was  at  the  station  to  assist  and  advise  his 
fellow  countrymen.  After  having  spent  all  that  terrible  summer  of 
1854  on  a  constant  mission  of  relief  among  the  sick,  he  himself  was 
attacked  by  the  plague  in  the  fall,  but  rallied  after  a  few  weeks.  Even 
after  the  cholera  epidemic  subsided,  Rev.  Carlsson  continued  his  mission 
of  benevolence  among  the  Swedish  immigrants. 

What  has  been  said  of  these  three,  in  their  relation  to  the  cholera 
victims,  applied  equally  to  Rev.  Newman.  Without  the  slightest  fear 
of  the  epidemic  he  went  about  ministering  to  his  stricken  countrymen, 
sat  at  their  bedsides,  comforting  the  sick  and  dying  by  word  and  deed, 
buried  the  dead  and  gave  advice  and  succor  to  the  survivors. 

Sometimes  Revs.  Carlsson  and  Newman  cooperated  in  the  work. 
Thus,  one  day  the  former  made  the  suggestion,  "Brother  Newman, 
suppose  you  take  one  street  and  I  another,  and  we  solicit  for  a  common 
fund."  The  memory  of  the  unselfish  exertions  on  the  part  of  these 
pioneer  clergymen  in  the  days  of  dire  calamity  will  be  ever  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  succeeding  generations  of  their  countrymen. 

Another  example  of  prevalent  conditions  among  the  immigrants 
of  those  days  may  here  be  given.  In  1855  Swedish  and  Norwegian 
paupers  cost  the  city  of  Chicago  and  Cook  county  no  less  than  $6,000, 
exclusive  of  assistance  rendered  by  individuals  aggregating  a  still 
larger  sum.  During  the  month  of  October  that  year,  which  was  by  no 
means  the  most  unhealthy  period,  35  Swedes  who  had  died  in  private 
houses  were  buried  at  public  expense  because  of  the  destitution  of 
their  families.  During  the  same  period  the  county  defrayed  the  expense 
for  the  interment  of  about  double  that  number  of  Swedes  who  died  in 


CHICAGO 


309 


hospitals  and  the  poorhouse.  Yet  health  conditions  and  the  death  rate 
were  no  worse  in  Chicago  than  in  Milwaukee  or  other  neighboring  cities. 

The  city  of  Chicago  at  this  period  was  a  mere  nucleus  for  future 
development,  and  as  yet  few,  if  any,  anticipated  or  dared  hope  for 
the  enormous  progress  it  was  destined  to  make.  The  north  side  being 
the  original  location  of  the  Swedish  colony  in  Chicago,  that  part  lays 
claim  to  the  especial  interest  of  Swedish-Americans. 

In  1850  that  part  of  the  city  was  an  open,  almost  uninhabited 
prairie,  the  only  objects  that  broke  the  monotony  of  the  scene  being 
large  stumps  or  individual  trees  still  left  standing.  The  locality  was 
low  and  swampy,  with  here  and  there  pools  of  stagnant  water,  inhabited 
by  snakes  and  other  reptiles.  To  the  north  from  the  present  Division 
street  line  stretched  an  extensive  swamp  covered  with  underbrush  and 
vines.  Although  the  district  was  platted  and  the  streets  were  laid  out 
on  paper,  there  were  in  fact  no  other  thoroughfares  than  Kinzie  street, 
North  Clark  street  and  Chicago  avenue,  if  indeed  those  might  be  so 
styled  in  their  almost  impassable  state.  They  were  practically  very 
badly  kept  country  roads,  unworthy  of  the  name  of  city  streets.  But 
what  could  be  expected  of  the  north  side  at  a  time  when  the  streets 
on  the  south  side,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  were  at  times  little 
better  than  quagmires.  Ordinarily  they  were  like  rough  country  roads 
flanked  at  intervals  with  narrow  planks  in  lieu  of  sidewalks.  In  the  fall, 
winter  and  spring  they  were  especially  wretched,  not  to  say  perilous 
to  life.  Then  the  mud  would  be  knee  deep  throughout,  while  in  places 
there  would  be  bottomless  mudholes.  It  was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see, 
on  Clark,  Lake  and  other  principal  streets,  a  pole  stuck  hi  the  middle 
of  the  street  and  on  it  a  cross  board  bearing  the  legend :  "No  Bottom. ' ' 
In  the  north  and  west  parts  of  the  city  as  well  as  to  the  south  of  the 
"down  town"  district  weeds  man-high  skirted  the  driveways  on  both 
sides,  while  the  vacant  blocks  were  the  stamping  ground  of  tethered 
cows  and  goats,  and  flocks  of  cackling  geese,  not  to  mention  pigs, 
chickens  and  turkeys  innumerable.  Add  to  this  that  dead  dogs  and 
cats  and  other  carcasses  graced  the  roadsides  and  perfumed  the  air  as 
they  lay  putrifying  in  the  ditches,  and  you  will  have  a  true  picture  of 
Chicago  and  its  immediate  environments  at  this  period. 

On  the  north  side  the  buildings  were  as  yet  few  and  primitive. 
Standing  at  the  Clark  street  bridge  you  had  an  unobstructed  view  of 
a  two-story  house  and  an  adjoining  blacksmith  shop  erected  by  one 
Sheldon,  a  Norwegian,  at  Ohio  street,  just  west  of  Market  street.  From 
the  same  point  of  observation  one  had  a  free  prospect  all  the  way  to 
Hubbard  street,  where  R.  B.  Johnson,  another  Norwegian,  had  built  a 
house.  So  few  and  far  apart  were  the  houses  in  this  neighborhood. 
The  price  of  a  building  lot  in  those  days  was  a  mere  bagatelle  in 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

comparison  with  present  day  realty  values.  Tracts  north  of  Division 
street  could  then  be  bought  for  $100  per  acre,  which  was  considered 
quite  high  enough.  At  Chicago  avenue  lots  could  be  had  for  nothing, 
provided  the  applicants  agreed  to  put  up  two-story  houses  on  them,  this 
stipulation  being  designed  to  attract  people  to  the  neighborhood  and 
raise  the  value  of  realty.  A  few  years  before,  or  in  1847-49,  any  one 
eould  become  the  owner  of  lots  140  to  150  by  25  feet  on  the  north  and 
west  sides,  a  few  blocks  from  the  river,  for  the  mere  trouble  of  sawing 
a  few  cords  of  wood  for  the  owners  of  the  ground.  Many  of  the 
pioneers  took  advantage  of  this  offer  to  procure  cheap  building  lots. 
Not  many  years  thereafter  the  price  of  such  lots  had  risen  to  $1,000 
and  over.  Today  an  immigrant  who  desired  to  earn  one  of  these  lots 
in  the  same  manner  would  be  sawing  wood  for  the  better  part  of  his 
natural  life. 

The  Swedes  who  had  become  established  in  Chicago  at  this  time 
had  located  between  Indiana  and  Erie  streets,  on  an  island  formed  by 
the  two  arms  of  the  north  branch  of  the  river,  the  west  arm  following 
the  present  river  bed  while  the  eastern  came  about  to  present  Orleans 
street.  The  place  was  known  as  "Swedish  Town"  and  formed  the 
nucleus  for  the  populous  north  side  Swedish  community.  The  buildings 
on  this  island,  as  elsewhere  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  were  small 
frame  houses  or  primitive  log  cabins,  or  shanties  built  of  rough  boards 
set  on  end.  The  latter  style  of  architecture  was  much  in  vogue  in  the 
large  stretch  of  swamp  between  Indiana  street  and  Chicago  avenue. 
The  neighborhood  was  literally  filled  with  these  shanties,  put  up 
without  respect  for  compass  or  street  lines,  by  poor  immigrants  who 
could  afford  no  better  shelter.  In  these  rude  huts  hundreds  of  Swedes 
lived  and  died  during  the  terrible  years  of  the  cholera  scourge  in 
the  early  fifties. 

After  a- few  years  the  east  arm  of  the  river  was  filled  in,  whereby 
the  island  became  part  of  the  north  side  district.  When  the  owners 
of  the  land  on  which  the  Swedes  were  squatters  in  the  years  1853  and 
1854  began  to  assert  their  property  rights,  the  settlers  were  forced  to 
move.  They  then  bought  lots  here  and  there  on  the  north  side,  the 
entire  district  being  owned  by  two  men,  W.  B.  Ogden  and  W.  L. 
Newberry.  Both  grew  immensely  rich  from  the  sale  of  real  estate. 
Mr.  Newberry  donated  a  part  of  his  wealth  for  a  library  to  be  estab- 
lished in  that -part  of  the  city  and  to  bear  his  name.  This  was  done, 
the  present  library  building  having  been  completed  in  the  nineties. 

The  early  Swedish  colony  on  the  north  side  embraced  principally 
that  part  bounded  on  the  north  by  Division  street,  on  the  south  by 
Indiana  street,  on  the  east  by  Wells  street  and  on  the  west  by  the  river. 
Within  these  limits  their  first  churches,  the  Ansgarius  Episcopal,  the 


CHICAGO  311 

Immanuel  Lutheran,  and  the  Methodist-Episcopal,  wrere  built.  Little 
by  little,  the  Swedish  people,  however,  scattered  over  the  entire  north 
side,  but  before  that  another  rapidly  growing  Swedish  colony  had  been 
started  on  the  south  side.  In  a  short  time  there  were  Swedish  settle- 
ments in  all  three  of  the  older  divisions  of  the  city,  while  thousands 
of  Swedes  poured  into  the  outlying  districts  or  suburbs  that  grew  up 
in  rapid  succession.  WThile  none  of  these  suburbs  bears  a  distinctively 
Swedish  stamp,  still  it  is  only  the  plain  truth  to  say  that  the  Swedes 
have  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  work  of  building  them  up. 

Time  and  change  have  long  since  erased  every  vestige  of  the  afore- 
said island  and  its  "Swedish  Town,"  but  to  following  generations  of 
Swedish-Americans  it  will  always  retain  an  historic  interest. 

The  calamity  that  befell  Chicagoans  through  the  great  fire  of 
Oct.  9,  1871,  probably  fell  more  heavily  on  the  Swedish  inhabitants 
than  on  any  other  nationality,  from  the  fact  that  these  still  lived 
almost  exclusively  in  one  locality,  that  being  swept  by  the  flames, 
while  other  nationalities,  being  generally  distributed  over  the  whole 
city,  partly  escaped.  It  has  been  estimated  that  three-fourths  of  the 
Swedes  that  had  established  homes  up  to  that  time  were  residing  on 
the  north  side,  principally  along  Market,  Sedgwick,  Townsend,  Bremer, 
Wesson  and  Division  streets  and  North  avenue.  This  whole  area  was 
swept  by  the  fiery  tornado,  and  Swedish  homes  were  destroyed  by  the 
hundreds.  Four  Swedish  churches,  as  many  newspaper  offices  and 
numerous  shops  and  stores  owned  by  Swedes  were  leveled  with  the 
ground.  Of  the  50,000  people  who  during  the  nights  following  the 
catastrophe  slept  out  of  doors  with  no  protection  from  the  cold  but 
the  few  garments  they  had  snatched  from  the  flames,  probably  10,000 
were  Swedes.  True,  they  were  left  under  the  open  sky  practically 
destitute,  but  all  was  not  lost,  for  they  still  possessed  the  power  and 
the  will  to  work  and  an  unflinching  trust  in  the  future.  Like  all  the 
other  fire  victims,  they  took  up  the  task  of  building  a  new  and  greater 
Chicago  on  the  smoking  ruins  of  the  old.  By  industry  and  thrift  they 
succeeded  after  a  few  years  in  retrieving  their  fortunes.  An  instance  of 
the  enterprising  spirit  of  the  fire  sufferers  was  given  by  the  members 
of  the  Immanuel  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  who  gathered  around  the 
still  smoking  ruins  of  their  fine,  neAvly  built  house  of  worship  and,  in 
the  name  of  God,  decided  to  continue  work  and  rebuild  the  edifice  as 
soon  as  possible,  a  resolve  all  the  more  sacrificial  as  the  members'  own 
homes  were  in  ashes.  So  promptly  was  the  resolution  carried  out 
that  the  congregation  on  Christmas  Day,  1872,  could  worship  for  the 
first  time  in  the  new  edifice  which,  however,  was  not  fully  completed 
until  the  winter  of  1875. 

The  total  loss  sustained  by  Swedes  in  the  Chicago  fire  was  not  far 


312 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


from  one  million  dollars.  Few  of  them  received  any  insurance  money, 
most  of  the  local  insurance  companies  being  forced  to  the  wall.  In  this 
and  other  countries  a  relief  fund  of  $7,500,000  was  raised,  but  of  this 
only  an  insignificant  share  fell  to  the  modest  and  unobtrusive  Swedes, 
while  less  numerous  but  more  aggressive  nationalities  claimed  more 
than  their  rightful  share.  The  sums  that  were  sent  from  Sweden  for 
the  relief  of  their  countrymen  here  were  designated  for  the  "Scandi- 
navians," and  had  to  be  divided  in  brotherly  fashion  among  Swedes, 
Norwegians  and  Danes  alike,  although  the  losses  sustained  by  the  last 
two  nationalities  were  not  to  be  compared  to  those  of  the  thousands  of 
Swedes.  Our  countrymen,  together  with  other  sufferers,  were  sheltered 
in  hastily  built  wooden  sheds  where  they  endured  great  hardships 
during  the  severe  winter  of  1871-72,  despite  the  free  distribution  of 
coal  and  provisions.  The  free  building  materials  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  those  who  would  avail  themselves  thereof,  enabled  many  of  the 
Swedes  to  rebuild  at  once,  their  new  houses  being  in  many  instances 
larger  and  more  commodious  than  those  burned.  Thus  the  Swedish 
district  on  the  north  side  was  rebuilt  in  a  short  time,  the  inhabitants 
gradually  resuming  their  former  functions  in  business  and  daily  life. 

ORION,    HENRY    COUNTY 

This  flourishing  little  town  is  the  center  of  a  prosperous  farming 
community  in  Western  township,  which  was  organized  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony.  Erik  Jansson  visited  the  locality  in 
1849  and,  finding  the  soil  very  fertile,  determined  to  locate  an  auxiliary 
colony  there.  Another  point  in  its  favor  was  its  location  halfAvay 
between  Bishop  Hill  and  its  fishery  and  nearest  trading  station  on 
Rock  Island.  He  purchased  a  tract  embracing  1,116  acres.  When  the 
colony  built  its  steam  power  flour  mill,  the  authorities  took  a  loan  of 
$2,000  from  Hall  &  McNeely  of  St.  Louis,  offering  this  property  as 
collateral.  The  colony  failing  to  meet  payments,  the  mortgage  was 
foreclosed  and  the  land,  together  with  several  primitive  buildings,  was 
sold  at  auction  in  1851  to  satisfy  the  creditors. 

But  before  Erik  Jansson 's  visit  a  Swede  named  John  Johnson  is 
said  to  have  lived  there,  removing  to  Iowa  in  the  late  seventies.  When 
the  cholera  broke  out  at  Bishop  Hill  in  1849  many  of  the  colonists 
sought  refuge  in  this  locality,  but  were  pursued  by  the  plague,  which 
raged  here  with  such  fury  that  as  many  as  sixteen  persons  died  in  one 
day.  Fifty  cholera  victims  among  the  refugees  lie  buried  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  section  25,  with  nothing  to  mark  the  place  where  these 
pioneers  sleep. 

One  of  the  earliest  permanent  settlers  was  William  A.  Anderson, 
who  came  over  in  1851  and  died  here  in  1858.  He  is  said  to  have  been 


ST.  CHARLES 


313 


very  helpful  and  accommodating  towards  Swedish  newcomers.  Other 
pioneers  were  Anders  M.  Pettersson,  from  Sodra  Vi,  Smaland,  who 
arrived  in  1852,  and  N.  P.  Pettersson. 

John  Samuelsson  was  one  of  the  prominent  Swedish  settlers  here. 
From  Vestra  Eneby,  Ostergotland,  he  came  as  an  immigrant  to  Andover 
in  1852.  During  the  Civil  War  he  served  for  three  years  in  the  43rd 
Illinois  Infantry  and  was  in  several  battles,  including  Shiloh  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg.  With  the  small  savings  from  his  pay  as  a  soldier 
he  made  the  first  payment  on  a  small  farm  which  he  purchased  and 
kept  adding  to  and  improving  until  in  1880  it  comprised  400  acres,  with 
splendid  farm  buildings. 

Peter  Westerlund  is  another  prosperous  pioneer  settler  in  these 
parts.  He  was  born  at  Hassela,  Helsingland,  Aug.  10,  1839,  emigrated 
in  1850  and  settled  at  Andover.  There  he  lived  for  seven  years,  where- 
upon he  made  a  trip  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colo.,  with  a  party  in  search  of 
gold.  From  there  Westerlund  and  eleven  others  started  on  an 
adventurous  expedition  to  the  southwest  without  a  guide,  through  a 
territory  without  roads  or  trails.  Their  vehicles  were  drawn  by  oxen. 
They  eventually  reached  the  Rio  Grande  and  followed  the  river  to 
Albuquerque.  Here  they  sold  their  oxen,  built  three  boats  and,  con- 
trary to  the  advice  of  the  townsmen,  started  to  float  down  the  un- 
explored waterway,  ultimately  arriving  at  El  Paso.  Up  to  that  time 
the  Rio  Grande  was  supposed  to  be  impassable,  one  reason  given  being 
that  it  ran  through  a  mountain  at  a  certain  point.  The  intrepid  Swedes, 
however,  exploded  that  tradition. 

The  town  of  Orion  was  founded  in  1853  by  Charles  W.  Deane,  and 
at  first  bore  the  name  of  Deanington,  which  was  subsequently  changed 
to  Orion.  Three  years  later  it  got  railroad  communications  and  entered 
upon  a  new  stage  of  development.  Orion  has  a  Swedish  Lutheran 
church,  organized  in  1870. 

According  to  the  census  of  1900  the  town  then  had  a  population 
of  584.  At  the  close  of  1905  the  number  of  Swedish- Americans  living 
in  and  around  Orion  was  800,  of  whom  298  were  born  in  Sweden 
and  522  in  this  country. 

ST.  CHARLUS,  KANE:  COUNTY 

That  part  of  Illinois  now  comprising  Kane  county  was  first  settled 
by  whites  in  1833  when  a  party  of  colonists  from  Indiana  came  there 
to  live.  The  next  year  another  party  arrived  from  New  York,  and  in 
1836  the  county  was  organized  and  named  after  Elias  K.  Kane,  who 
became  one  of  the  early  United  States  senators  from  Illinois. 

St.  Charles,  on  the  Fox  River,  was  one  of  the  first  settlements  in 
the  county.  In  1834  the  place  had  only  six  houses,  but  the  following 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

year  the  growth  of  the  population  necessitated  the  building  of  a  school- 
house.  In  another  year  a  hotel  was  erected  and  a  bridge  was  built 
across  the  Fox  River. 

Almost  from  the  first,  the  Swedes  have  formed  an  important, 
though  not  the  dominating,  element  of  the  community.  They  were 
there  in  the  latter  forties,  it  being  a  matter  of  record  that  at  least 
three  Swedes,  viz.,  Nils  Jansson,  wrho  ran  a  turning  lathe,  and  two 
storekeepers,  Bjorkman  and  Baker,  settled  in  St.  Charles  prior  to  1849. 
The  latter,  wrho  changed  his  name  to  Clark,  failed  in  business  and  then 
removed  to  Chicago. 

Nils  Jansson,  who  hailed  from  Horby,  Skane,  emigrated  to  America 
in  1830  as  a  young  man.  He  was  a  hard  drinker  and  somewhat  of  an 
adventurer,  having  traveled  in  Mexico  and  roamed  at  large  over  the 
western  continent  for  some  time  before  settling  down  here.  When  the 
number  of  Swedes  in  St.  Charles  increased,  he  assumed  a  sort  of 
guardianship  over  them,  started  raising  money  for  a  little  church  and 
sometimes  tried  his  ability  as  a  preacher,  which  was  none  too  great. 
The  church  was  built  in  1852,  and  Swedish  clergymen  of  different 
denominations,  among  them  Gustaf  Unonius,  the  Episcopal  pastor  in 
Chicago,  made  occasional  visits.  The  wife  of  Nils  Jansson  is  said  to 
have  been  a  pious  woman  who  often  warned  her  husband  to  mend  his 
ways.  One  morning  she  took  him  severely  to  task,  pointing  out  his 
fate  in  the  hereafter,  if  he  persisted  in  his  sinful  course.  To  this  he 
replied,  it  is  said,  that  she  need  not  worry  about  his  soul,  for  half  an 
hour  was  all  he  wanted  to  prepare  for  death.  That  same  day  Nils 
Jansson  was  killed  by  lightning  in  the  country,  a  short  distance  from 
St.  Charles.  This  seems  to  have  occurred  in  1850,  though  the  year  is 
not  positively  known. 

The  Jonas  Andersson  from  Farila,  Helsingland,  who  is  mentioned 
among  the  Princeton  pioneers,  was  one  of  the  first  Swedes  to  settle 
in  St.  Charles.  He  came  from  Chicago  in  1849,  remaining  over  winter, 
and  left  for  Wisconsin  in  the  spring.  After  a  few  months,  he  returned 
to  St.  Charles,  lived  there  till  1853,  then  removed  to  Princeton. 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  the  Swedish  colony  in  St.  Charles. 
In  1852  several  hundred  Swedes  arrived  directly  from  the  old  country. 
Most  of  the  immigrants  came  from  Vestergotland,  being  persuaded  to 
come  by  the  glowing  accounts  of  St.  Charles  and  surrounding  country 
given  in  letters  from  Anders  Andersson,  a  blacksmith  and  wagonmaker 
from  Timmelhed,  who  had  emigrated  in  1847.  Some  years  later  he 
moved  to  Taylor's  Falls,  Minn.,  where  he  died.  He  left  two  daughters, 
one  of  whom  was  married  to  Daniel  Fredin,  living  near  that  place,  the 
other  to  Dr.  Erland  Carlsson,  one  of  the  pioneer  clergymen  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  America.  Other  arrivals  in  1852  were. 


ST.    CHARLES 


315 


Lars  Fran  (Frenn)  from  Timmelhed  and  his  brothers,  Sven  Thim,  and 
Anders  Larsson,  and  a  half-brother,  Carl  Larsson;  the  first-named 
moved  to  Wayne  Station,  a  few  miles  from  Geneva,  after  a  year,  and 
from  there  in  1880  to  Vasa,  Minn.,  where  he  died  the  same  year  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one ;  Thim  died  in  Geneva ;  Anders  Larsson  moved  to  Red 
Wing,  Minn.,  in  1855  or  1856,  and  died  at  Vasa  in  1871,  fifty-eight 
years  old.  Still  others  were,  a  shoemaker  named  Bowman,  who  served 
in  the  Union  Army  during  the  war  and  died  several  years  thereafter; 
his  stepson,  P.  G.  Boman,  who  moved  first  to  Chicago,  then  to  Rock- 


St.  Charles — West  Main  Street 

ford ;  J.  Sannquist ;  Carl  Samuelsson  and  Carl  Sjoman  from  the  Tim- 
melhed neighborhood,  the  former,  who  was  somewhat  of  a  spiritual 
leader,  moving  to  Elgin,  the  latter  to  the  neighborhood  of  McGregor, 
la. ;  Abram  Swensson  and  his  sister,  later  removed  to  Hastings,  Minn. ; 
Anders  Svensson  and  his  brother-in-law  Hedelin  from  Rangedala. 
Vestergotland,  both  removing  later  to  Faribault,  Minn.  Among  the 
early  settlers  was  also  one  Jonas  Hakanson,  thought  to  have  moved 
from  there  to  Rockford. 

These  immigrants  also  brought  the  cholera,  the  plague  having 
broken  out  on  shipboard  and  pursuing  them  to  their  destination.  Had 
they  taken  the  necessary  precautions  upon  arrival,  such  as  obtaining 


3I6  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

clean  and  airy  lodgings,  the  danger  of  contagion  might  have  been 
minimized.  Unfortunately,  however,  few  houses  were  to  be  had,  and 
the  immigrants  had  to  be  packed  into  small  and  unsanitary  rooms  that 
became  the  hotbeds  of  the  disease.  The  first  case  of  cholera  in  St. 
Charles  appeared  July  3,  the  victim  being  a  man.  An  Irish  physician 
named  Crawford,  who  was  called  in,  advised  the  immigrants  to  scatter 
so  as  not  to  give  the  epidemic  a  chance  to  spread  to  the  others,  but 
instead  of  heeding  his  counsel,  a  dozen  newcomers  occupied  a  vacant 
cooper  shop,  which  was  turned  into  a  pesthouse,  all  the  occupants  being 
attacked  by  the  epidemic.  Immigrants  living  elsewhere  in  the  place 
also  were  taken  sick.  Dr.  Crawford  and  a  volunteer  nurse  were  at  the 
bedsides  of  the  plague  victims  night  and  day  for  one  whole  week, 
exerting  their  utmost  power  to  save  the  stricken  ones.  Meanwhile 
the  contagion  spread  among  the  older  settlers,  five  of  whom  died. 
Among  the  immigrants  the  plague  at  this  first  outbreak  claimed 
ten  lives. 

At  length  the  local  authorities  awoke  to  the  necessity  of  strenuous 
and  systematic  measures  to  check  the  ravages  of  the  disease.  For  that 
purpose  a  temporary  hospital  was  hastily  erected  of  boards  at  a  healthy 
and  picturesque  spot  in  the  woods  north  of  St.  Charles.  Several  women 
volunteered  as  nurses  and  provided  everything  needed  for  the  patients. 
But  despite  the  best  efforts  of  the  community  the  epidemic  was  not 
checked  until  seventy-five  persons  had  succumbed. 

A  small  party  of  Swedes  came  to  St.  Charles  in  1853,  including 
Peter  Lundgren,  from  Bottnaryd,  Smaland,  John  Carlsson,  from  Aske- 
ryd,  in  the  same  province,  Peter  Lundquist,  Fredrik  Pettersson,  and 
August  Nord.  Lundquist  afterwards  removed  to  Rockford  and  Pet- 
tersson to  Nebraska.  In  the  surrounding  countrjT  a  number  of  Swedes 
early  settled  down  as  farmers. 

In  1853  a  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized  in  St. 
Charles,  but  its  growth  was  deterred  by  litigation  over  the  question  of 
ownership  of  the  aforesaid  church.  An  Irishman  named  Marvin  took 
almost  forcible  possession  of  the  edifice  in  settlement  of  claims  against 
the  congregation,  so  that  when  its  members  came  to  celebrate  early 
mass  on  Christmas  morning,  1854,  they  found  the  doors  of  the  little 
church  tightly  nailed  up.  One  of  the  intending  worshipers,  named 
Jonas  Magnusson,  broke  open  the  door  and  let  the  people  in.  When 
the  congregation  came  to  worship  on  Easter  Sunday  the  following  year 
they  discovered  that  the  edifice  had  been  moved  away  on  rollers,  and 
from  that  time  Marvin  seems  to  have  had  undisputed  possession. 

From  this  time  until  1882  the  Swedish  Lutherans  in  St.  Charles 
worshiped  together  with  their  brethren  in  Geneva.  That  year  a  new 


KNOXVILLE 


317 


congregation  was  organized  in  St.  Charles,  and  a  church  was  built  the 
following  year.  During  1905  a  new  and  larger  edifice  was  erected. 

As  early  as  1853  S.  B.  Newman,  a  Methodist  clergyman,  organized 
a  small  Swedish  class  in  St.  Charles,  which  soon  disbanded  owing  to 
the  prevailing  hostility  to  Methodism  among  the  Swedish  settlers. 
Again  in  1890  the  Methodists  began  work,  resulting  in  the  organization 
of  a  small  congregation.  A  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1904. 

During  the  last  two  decades  the  Swedish  population  of  St.  Charles 
has  slowly  but  steadily  grown,  partly  by  immigration  from  Sweden, 
but  principally  from  people  moving  in  from  other  localities.  At  the 
close  of  1905  they  numbered  about  1,500,  out  of  a  total  population 
of  2,675. 

KNOXVILLE:,  R.NOX  COUNTY 

Knoxville  is  the  oldest  town  in  Knox  County,  having  been  founded 
in  1831.  During  the  first  two  years  of  its  existence  the  place  was 
known  as  Henderson.  For  many  years  it  was  the  county  seat  until  the 
more  prosperous  city  of  Galesburg  laid  claim  to  the  honor.  A  bitter 
fight  ensued,  Knoxville  vigorously  defending  the  right  once  granted, 
while  Galesburg  claimed  it  as  the  prerogative  of  the  principal  city  in 
the  county  and  was  ultimately  victorious.  One  day  in  1873,  the  ques- 
tion having  been  settled,  the  archives  of  the  county  were  removed  to 
Galesburg,  where  they  have  since  remained.  In  the  fight  for  the  county 
seat  none  took  a  more  active  part  than  Sven  Pettersson  of  Knoxville, 
who  sacrificed  both  time  and  money  in  behalf  of  Knoxville  as  the  seat 
of  the  county  government.  The  part  played  by  the  liquor  traffic  in  the 
rivalry  between  the  two  communities  is  described  under  the  head  of 
Galesburg. 

Prior  to  1849,  there  were  no  Swedes  in  Knoxville,  but  that  year 
several  located  there,  among  whom  were  two  shoemakers,  Adolf  An- 
dersson  and  one  Bostrom.  The  latter  left  in  1850,  Andersson  remain- 
ing until  1853.  Simultaneous  with  these  two  were  other  settlers, 
among  whom  one  Tinglof  with  his  family,  Kristian  Johnson,  A.  Berg- 
quist,  a  farmer,  and  Trued  Persson,  a  schoolmaster  from  Stoby,  Skane, 
known  as  Granville  among  the  Americans  of  Knoxville  and  Galesburg. 
He  removed  to  Vasa,  Minn.,  in  November,  1855,  where  he  attained 
prominence,  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  and  held  other  positions 
of  trust.  He  died  there  Dec.  27,  1905.  One  Daniel  J.  Ockerson  came  to 
Knoxville  in  1851,  went  to  California  in  1859  and  removed  to  Red  Oak, 
la.,  in  1880.  The  same  year  Ockerson  came,  John  Gottrich  located  in 
Knoxville  and  in  1880  was  the  only  one  of  the  early  Swedish  settlers 
still  living  there.  The  aforesaid  Sven  Pettersson  arrived  in  1852  as  did 
a  considerable  number  of  Swedes.  The  influx  was  steadily  on  the 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


increase,  and  in  1854  the  Swedes  formed  a  considerable  part  of  the 
population. 

That  year  the  cholera  broke  out  in  Knoxville,  its  ravages  being 
mostly  confined  to  the  Swedes,  forty  of  whom  died  of  the  pestilence. 
The  fact  that  the  Americans  generally  escaped  is  attributed  to  their 
more  sanitary  dwellings.  As  poor  immigrants,  the  Swedes,  on  the 
contrary,  had  to  be  satisfied  with  little  stuffy  huts ;  besides,  they  were 
unaccustomed  to  the  climate  and  did  not  know  how  to  accommodate 
their  diet  to  the  circumstances.  The  lack  of  proper  sheltering  resulted 


Knoxville — Street  Scene 

from  the  lack  of  money,  for  while  there  was  plenty  of  work  to  be  had, 
the  pay  was  usually  in  the  form  of  cows,  calves,  sheep  and  pigs. 

For  a  period  of  about  twenty  years,  from  1852,  there  was  a  rapid 
increase  of  the  Swedish  population.  But  in  the  latter  seventies  came  a 
stagnation  which  has  continued  to  this  day.  The  descendants  of  the 
old  pioneers,  as  also  the  Swedes  who  have  located  there  in  later  years, 
are  generally  prosperous  and  belong  to  the  best  portion  of  the  Swedish 
population  of  the  state.  During  the  Civil  War  the  Knoxville  Swedes 
displayed  their  great  loyalty  to  the  flag  by  enlisting  to  the  number  of 
forty  to  fight  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  Union. 

The  city  has  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
state,  founded  in  1854.  In  Knoxville  there  was  printed,  in  December, 
1854,  the  first  issue  of  "Gamla  och  Nya  Hemlandet,"  the  oldest 
Swedish  newspaper  in  the  West  and  the  next  oldest  in  the  United 
States.  The  first  number  was  dated  Jan.  3,  1855. 

From  1873  to  1885,  Knoxville  had  a  Swedish  institution  of  learn- 


WATAGA 


319 


ing,  the  Ansgarius  College,  owned  and  controlled  by  the  Ansgarius 
Synod.  The  total  population  of  Knoxville  in  1900  was  1,857.  The 
number  of  Swedes  cannot  be  precisely  stated.  The  membership  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Church  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1905  was  280, 
and  the  total  number  of  Swedes  in  the  city  will  not  exceed  850. 

WATAGA,  K.NOX    COUNTY 

The  little  town  of  Wataga  is  situated  in  Sparta  township,  its  first 
white  inhabitant  having  been  Hezekiah  Buford,  who  located  there  in 
1834.  Two  years  later  came  three  brothers,  Cyrus,  Levy  and  Reuben 
Robbins,  who  planted  a  grove  of  shade-trees  and  a  large  orchard, 
known  as  Robbings  Grove. 

The  first  Swedish  settlers  arrived  in  1849.  They  were :  Lars  Ols- 
son,  with  family,  from  Bollnas,  Helsingland;  Peter  Ericksson,  with 
wife  and  two  sisters-in-law,  from  Alfta,  Helsingland ;  Olof  Palsson  and 
Anders  Danielsson  from  Ockelbo,  Gestrikland.  The  first  named  died 
in  1864,  having  lived  long  enough  to  reap  the  fruits  of  his  labors  as  a 
pioneer.  One  of  his  sons,  Win.  H.  Olson  enlisted  as  a  volunteer  in 
Company  I,  102nd  Illinois  Infantry  on  Aug.  9,  1862.  He  was  soon  pro- 
moted to  corporal  and  died  March  26,  1865,  from  wounds  received  in 
battle.  His  brother,  L.  W.  Olson,  died  in  1907.  In  1880  he  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Olson  and  Bergman.  Two  of  his  sisters  were 
also  living  at  that  time.  Peter  Ericksson,  his  wife  and  one  of  her 
sisters  after  a  few  years  moved  to  Bishop  Hill,  where  all  died  prior  to 
1880.  Olof  Palsson  moved  first  to  Minnesota  and  then  to  Kansas. 
Anders  Danielsson  was  still  living  in  Wataga  in  the  early  eighties. 

In  1850  N.  J.  Lindbeck  came  over  from  Ockelbo  and  settled  two 
miles  east  of  Wataga;  also  Jonas  Pettersson  and  his  wife  from  Alfta, 
the  Williamson  family  from  Jerfso,  Helsingland,  and  Lars  Williams 
from  Ljusdal,  in  the  same  province.  Lindbeck  left  after  nine  months' 
stay,  subsequently  moving  from  one  place  to  another,  finally  settling 
at  Victoria,  where  he  was  still  living  in  1880.  Jonas  Pettersson  died 
after  a  few  years,  but  his  widow  and  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  were  still  living  there  in  1880.  The  head  of  the  Williamson 
family  died  in  1885.  His  five  sons  all  became  prominent  citizens  in 
their  respective  communities.  William  Williamson  went  to  farming  on 
a  large  scale  near  Wataga,  owning  over  400  acres  of  land  in  1880,  a 
general  merchandise  store  in  Galesburg  and  a  large  interest  in  the 
grocery  store  of  Nelson  Chester  &  Co.,  in  Moline.  Jonas  Williamson 
at  that  time  also  owned  a  large  farm  near  Wataga.  The  third  brother, 
Peter  Williamson,  had  a  valuable  farm  in  Lucas  county,  la.  The  fourth, 
John  Williamson  in  1862  enlisted  in  Company  K,  83rd  Illinois  Infantry, 
was  wounded  and  received  honorable  discharge  the  following  year. 


320 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


dying  shortly  after  his  return  home.  Moses  0.  Williamson,  the  fifth  of 
the  brothers,  born  on  the  Atlantic  during  the  voyage  of  the  family  to 
America,  began  his  career  as  a  harness-maker  and  later  devoted  himself 
to  politics,  rising  from  one  position  to  another  until  elected  to  the  office 
of  state  treasurer.  After  serving  one  term,  1901-1904,  he  retired  fron? 
public  life  and  established  himself  in  business  in  Galesburg  where  he 
has  resided  for  a  long  period.  A  sister  of  the  Williamson  brothers 
married  W.  C.  Olson,  who,  after  many  years'  residence  in  Wataga, 
where  he  held  several  public  offices,  removed  to  Wakeeney,  Kans.,  some 
time  in  the  seventies. 

Wataga  was  founded  in  1855  by  an  American  by  the  name  of 
J.  M.  Holyoke  and  a  Swede  named  A.  P.  Cassel,  who  jointly  established 
a  general  merchandise  store.  The  next  year  the  place  got  a  railway 
station  and  a  hotel.  Rich  coal  veins  were  early  discovered  in  this 
vicinity  and  the  work  of  mining  began  forthwith.  The  coal  mining 
industry  was  at  its  height  here  about  the  middle  of  the  fifties,  when 
the  mines  employed  250  workingmen ;  after  that  it  declined,  causing 
the  floating  population,  a  large  percentage  being  Swedish  laborers,  to 
drift  away  to  other  localities.  Those  of  the  Swedes  who  had  been  able 
to  purchase  land  remained,  as  a  rule,  and  in  time  became  well-to-do. 
A  few  engaged  in  business  with  uniform  success. 

A  Swedish  Lutheran  church  was  organized  here  in  1856  and  a 
Swedish  Methodist  church  the  year  following.  Neither  church  is 
numerically  strong,  the  former  numbering  245  and  the  latter  only  26 
members.  In  1900  Wataga  had  545  inhabitants.  The  percentage  of 
Swedish- Americans  in  the  town  and  the  surrounding  country  can  only 
be  conjectured. 

SWEDONA,  MERCER  COUNTY 

The  town  of  Swedona  was  first  known  as  Berlin.  It  is  situated 
on  a  plateau  commanding  a  view  of  the  plains  stretching  to  the  south 
and  drained  by  the  Edward's  Creek.  The  growth  of  Swedona  was 
stunted  from  the  first  by  the  lack  of  railway  communication,  New 
Windsor,  Lynn  and  other  neighboring  towns  developed  at  its  expense, 
a  number  of  houses  being  moved  from  Swedona  to  these  places.  No 
other  factors  requisite  to  development  having  since  came  into  exist- 
ence, the  place  is  still  but  a  small  village.  The  country  around  is  popu- 
lous with  successful  farmers,  largely  Swedes. 

The  first  Swede  in  Swedona,  undoubtedly,  was  Nils  Magnus  Kihl- 
berg  from  Kisa,  Ostergotland,  who  came  over  with  a  party  of  300 
emigrants  on  board  the  sailing  vessel  "Charles  Tottie,"  in  the  summer 
of  1849,  after  a  seven  weeks'  voyage  from  Goteborg  to  New  York. 
Their  original  destination  was  New  Sweden,  la.,  where  Peter  Cassel 


ALTONA 


321 


had  settled,  but  the  cholera  and  other  diseases  crossed  their  purpose 
and  compelled  them  to  stop  in  Andover  and  vicinity.  Late  in  the 
autumn,  Kihlberg  started  for  New  Sweden,  but  while  in  Rock  Island 
awaiting  a  boat  for  Burlington  he  changed  his  mind  and  returned  to 
Andover.  Shortly  afterwards  he  located  at  Swedona  with  his  family, 
consisting  of  wife  and  three  sons.  In  1880  Kihlberg  and  his  wife  were 
still  living.  The  year  following  the  arrival  of  Kihlberg,  other  Swedes 
settled  here.  They  were  Gustaf  Larsson  and  Anders  Samuelsson  from 
Sund,  Ostergotland,  the  former  with  wife  and  three  daughters.  Lars- 
son  died  in  the  seventies.  Samuelsson  later  removed  to  the  vicinity  of 
Cambridge,  Henry  county.  In  1857  still  another  family  was  added, 
that  of  Peter  Magnusson  from  Ydre,  Ostergotland,  with  wife  and  five 
children.  Magnusson  died  late  in  the  seventies ;  one  of  his  sons  became 
one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  in  the  locality,  and  two  daughters 
successively  married  Rev.  L."  P.  Esbjorn. 

After  1870,  parties  of  immigrants,  mostly  from  Smaland,  began  to 
arrive  and  settle  in  Swedona.  The  largest  influx  seems  to  have  oc- 
curred in  1865,  or  thereabouts,  when  a  number  of  fairly  well-to-do 
families  arrived  and  made  extensive  land  purchases  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

The  Swedish  Methodists  were  on  the  ground  as  early  as  1855, 
when  a  mission  was  established,  but  not  until  1863  did  the  congrega- 
tion get  its  own  pastor. 

The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Swedona  was  founded  in  1859. 
Among  its  early  pastors  was  Rev.  A.  Andreen,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  Augustana  Synod,  and  father  of  Gustav  Andreen,  president  of 
Augustana  College,  and  Revs.  Philip  and  Alexis  Andreen,  all  ministers 
of  the  Augustana  Synod. 

While  Swedona  had  a  population  of  111,  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  there  numbered  490  at  the  close  of  1905,  the  majority  living  in 
Cable  and  Sherrard  and  in  the  country  roundabout  Swedona.  The 
Swedish  Methodists  are  36  in  number,  some  living  in  New  Windsor. 
In  the  Swedona  neighborhood  there  were  in  1905  approximately  250 
people  without  church  connections. 

ALTONA,    HENRY    COUNTY 

The  first  white  man  in  Altona  was  John  Thompson,  who  came 
there  in  1836.  His  nearest  white  neighbor  was  living  in  Franker 's 
Grove,  eleven  miles  away.  After  a  few  years  a  number  of  Mormons 
located  in  the  neighborhood.  Joseph  Smith,  their  prophet,  had  had  a 
revelation  to  the  effect  that  here  an  auxiliary  colony  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints  was  to  be  founded,  the  principal  one  being  at  Nauvoo.  The 
branch  colony  numbered  about  one  hundred  persons.  The  neighbors 


322 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


having  given  the  Mormons  due  notice  that  they  could  not  count  on 
security  of  life  and  property,  the  prophet  had  another  revelation  with 
orders  to  the  branch  colony  to  reunite  with  the  main  body  at  Nauvoo, 
which  was  done. 

The  first  schoolhouse  in  this  vicinity  was  built  in  1841.  When 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Kailway  was  built  through  this 
locality  one  J.  B.  Chambers,  who  furnished  the  railroad  laborers  with 
provisions,  built  a  store  on  the  present  site  of  Alton  a,  which  was  sub- 
sequently platted  in  1854  by  the  heirs  of  John  Thompson,  who  named 
the  place  La  Pier,  the  name  of  Altona  dating  from  1863. 


Altona — Main  Street 

The  first  Swede  to  settle  here  was  Anders  Snygg  from  Bergsjo, 
Helsin gland,  with  wife  and  four  children.  The  family  had  emigrated 
in  1849  and  settled  in  Victoria.  The  year  following  Snygg  bought  40 
acres  of  land  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north  of  Altona  and  moved  there 
with  his  family.  Shortly  after  the  removal,  Snygg  was  taken  sick  and, 
after  a  lingering  disease  of  five  years'  duration,  died.  His  widow  was 
still  living  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  One  son,  Anders  Peter 
Snygg,  was  then  living  in  Dayton,  la.,  one  daughter  was  married  and 
lived  in  Des  Moines,  and  another  daughter  was  married  to  an  American 
by  the  name  of  Shade,  in  Oneida,  111. 

The  first  Swedes  to  settle  in  Altona  next  after  Snygg  were  P. 
Petterson  and  his  brother  G-.  A.  Ericksson  from  Djursdala,  Smaland. 
The  former  had  been  living  for  some  years  in  Moline,  where  he  was 
farming  for  a  time  and  then  engaged  in  business.  These  men,  who 


ALTONA 


323 


located  here  in  1850,  proved  very  enterprising,  their  first  concern  after 
arrival  being  to  erect  a  combined  flour  mill,  sawmill  and  planing  mill 
run  by  steam.  A  little  later  they  built  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  wagon 
shop  and  a  cooper  shop.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  they  started  a  large 
general  store,  which  supplied  the  neighborhood  with  all  the  necessaries. 
After  nine  years  Ericksson  moved  to  Iowa.  His  brother  Petterson  con- 
tinued all  the  various  lines  of  business  until  1862,  when  he  sold  the 
flour  mill  to  Olof  Andersson,  shortly  afterwards  rejoining  his  brother 
in  Iowa.  One  Anders  Johnson  for  a  time  had  charge  of  the  wagon 
shop,  which  was  subsequently  removed  to  Andover.  One  A.  M.  Lonner, 
who  later  removed  to  Andover,  was  bookkeeper  for  the  Petterson 
brother  and  Ericksson  from  1853  to  1859. 

Another  early  Swedish  settler  in  Altona  was  Nils  J.  Lindback,  who 
came  in  1854,  remaining  only  a  few  years  and  then  moving  to  a  farm 
east  of  Victoria.  The  marriage  interdict  in  effect  in  Bishop  Hill  at  this 
time  caused  many  young  people  to  desert  that  colony  and  settle  in 
surrounding  places,  including  Altona.  Among  the  Erik  Janssonists  who 
located  in  Altona  in  1855  were  Erik  Lindvall  and  his  wife  Helena, 
John  Soderstrom  and  his  wife  Louisa,  Erik  Hart,  Hans  Lindgren,  John 
Granat  and  G.  E.  Rodeen.  This  party  at  first  engaged  in  brickmaking 
near  Altona.  The  two  married  couples  made  their  homes  in  Altona 
proper.  In  1858  Lindvall  got  work  in  a  flour  mill,  very  likely  that  of 
Petterson  and  Eriksson,  and  afterwards  established  a  wagon  shop, 
which  he  conducted  so  successfully  that  it  made  him  wealthy  in  a 
modest  way.  Soderstrom  for  some  years  had  owned  and  operated 
a  brick  yard  west  of  Altona,  then  moved  to  the  Galva  neighborhood 
and  rented  a  farm,  still  later  removing  to  Osage  county,  Kansas,  where 
he  was  living  for  many  years  as  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers 
of  the  state.  Erik  Hast  went  to  California;  Hans  Lindgren  moved  to 
a  farm  near  Ulah,  Henry  county;  John  Granat  went  to  Galesburg, 
where  he  was  still  living  as  late  as  1880,  and  G.  E.  Eodeen  died  in  the 
Civil  War,  while  serving  in  Company  D,  57th  Illinois  Infantry. 

In  1858  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Youngstrom  moved  to  Altona  from  Pleasant 
Hill,  Ky.,  where  they  had  belonged  for  a  few  years  to  the  Shaker  sect, 
after  leaving  Bishop  Hill  in  1854.  Youngstrom  still  lived  in  Altona  in 
1880. 

The  first  Swedish  church  in  Altona  was  the  Lutheran,  organized 
in  1854.  In  the  sixties  its  membership  grew  very  large,  but  in  the 
seventies  a  general  exodus  to  the  West  caused  a  material  decrease 
which,  however,  has  been  more  than  outweighed  by  normal  growth 
in  the  later  decades. 

A  Swedish  Baptist  church  was  founded  in  1858,  and  is  still  extant, 
according  to  the  records  of  the  denomination,  but  no  statistics  are 


324 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


therein  given.  This  church  also  lost  members  during  the  emigration 
farther  westward.  In  1887  a  Swedish  Mission  church  was  organ- 
ized, but  meeting  with  no  success,  the  little  flock  soon  disbanded. 

In  the  Alton  a  country  district  there  was  an  early  influx  of  Swedish 
farmers.  The  first  was  George  Chalman,  who  came  in  1851  or  1852, 
and  was  still  living  in  1880.  Other  of  the  earliest  settlers  were  Peter 
Newberg,  Nils  Hedstrom,  L.  Carlsson,  E.  Kraus,  P.  Olsson  and  Georg 
Eriksson.  Shortly  after  1860  a  considerable  number  of  Swedes  settled 
to  the  north  and  northwest  of  Altona. 

In  1905  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Altona  numbered  450  out 
of  a  total  Swedish  population  of  700.  Altona 's  total  population  was 
633  in  1900. 

ROCKFORD,    WINNE1BAGO    COUNTY 

That  portion  of  the  state  which  is  now  Winnebago  county  was, 
like  the  whole  northern  part  of  Illinois,  little  known  to  the  whites  prior 
to  the  Black  Hawk  War  of  1832.  The  first  spot  in  this  territory 
settled  by  whites  was  Galena,  then  named  La  Pointe.  One  Col.  Johnson 
from  Kentucky  came  there  in  1824  with  a  number  of  miners  and 
opened  a  coal  mine  about  a  mile  from  the  present  site  of  the  city.  The 
enterprise  proved  very  successful  and  when  the  news  spread  hundreds, 
not  to  say  thousands,  in  1826-7  flocked  there  from  all  parts  of  Illinois 
and  neighboring  states  to  seek  work  in  the  coal  mines. 

Partly  in  this  way,  partly  through  those  who  fought  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  which  extended  to  these  parts,  the  Rock  River  valley  was 
made  known.  One  of  the  first  white  men  who  set  foot  on  the  present 
site  of  Rockford  was  Ira  Parker,  who  came  in  1824  with  a  party  of 
landseekers  from  Terre  Haute,  Ind.  On  their  way  to  Galena,  they 
crossed  the  Rock  River  here  and  at  this  point  found  an  Indian  village 
with  300  to  400  inhabitants.  Only  the  women  and  children  and  a  few 
of  the  men  were  found  at  home,  all  the  others  being  on  the  war  path. 
The  hills  on  both  sides  of  the  river  were  covered  with  thick  timber  and 
in  the  valleys  the  grass  grew  to  a  man's  height.  The  scenery  that  met 
the  party  of  whites  at  this  point  was  inviting  and  highly  picturesque. 

But  Ira  Parker  and  his  party  were  not  the  only  whites  who  visited 
this  place  before  the  settlement  of  Rockford  began.  Shortly  after  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  Abraham  Lincoln,  possibly  in  the  capacity  of 
surveyor,  and  a  party  of  government  officials  camped  on  the  Rock 
River  at  this  point,  and  he  afterwards  said  that  both  he  and  the 
party  were  charmed  with  the  natural  beauty  of  the  locality. 

In  the  summer  of  1833,  one  John  Phelps  resolved  to  explore  the 
Rock  River  valley  throughout.  Accompanied  by  a  Frenchman,  he  left 
Mineral  Point  in  a  canoe  and  made  a  stop  on  the  present  site  of  the 


ROCKFORD 


325 


city.  One  of  the  explorers  was  in  favor  of  settling  on  the  spot  at  once, 
but  there  being  no  building  material  at  hand,  they  proceeded  on  their 
way  down  stream.  These  two  men  became  the  first  white  settlers  at 
Oregon,  in  Ogle  county. 

Several  years  before  Phelps  made  his  tour  down  the  river,  the  first 
white  had  settled  in  Winnebago  county  and  built  a  cabin  one  and 
one-half  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Pecatonica  River,  at  a  point 
afterwards  known  as  Bird's  Grove.  This  man  was  Stephen  Mack,  a 
son  of  an  ex-officer  in  the  army  who  lived  in  the  East  and  carried  on 
an  extensive  fur  trade.  Stephen  Mack  was  born  in  Vermont,  where 
he  received  his  early  education,  afterwards  entering  Dartmouth 
College  at  Hanover,  N.  H.  Being  a  roysterer  to  whom  discipline  was 
irksome,  he  soon  left  for  home.  His  father  then  sent  him  to  the  West 
to  superintend  his  fur  trade  there.  One  day  while  alone  in  his  cabin, 
he  was  attacked  by  Winnebago  Indians,  and  left  for  dead.  He  would 
doubtless  have  perished,  had  not  the  daughter  of  Chief  Ho-no-ne:gah 
remained  and  given  him  the  most  tender  care.  She  afterward  became 
his  wife  and  bore  him  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  Two  of  the 
daughters  later  attended  the  Rockford  Seminary,  but  their  wild  dis- 
position and  their  hatred  of  the  wThites  soon  caused  their  dismissal 
from  the  institution.  They  then  rejoined  the  Winnebago  tribe  which 
had  been  compelled  to  withdraw  to  Minnesota. 

Stephen  Mack  was  a  tall,  stately  looking  man  with  the  air  and 
manner  of  the  man  of  the  world.  His  Indian  wife  died  in  1847.  The 
following  year  he  was  married  to  a  white  woman.  She  was  addicted  to 
drink  and  made  life  miserable  for  her  husband.  One  day,  while  under 
the  influence  of  liquor,  she  set  fire  to  their  cabin,  which  was  partially 
destroyed.  These  sorrows  and  perplexities  proved  too  much  for  Mack, 
who  was  laid  on  a  sickbed  from  which  he  never  arose.  He  was  buried 
side  by  side  with  his  first  wife  in  a  spot  near  his  cabin. 

Among  the  early  settlers  here  we  find  Germanicus  Rent  from 
Alabama,  Thatcher  Blake  from  Maine  and  Daniel  Haight,  who  lived 
on  what  is  now  known  as  the  east  side.  A  dam  constructed  across 
the  river  by  Rent  was  swept  away  in  January,  1835,  but  rebuilt  the 
following  July.  At  that  time  there  were  only  eleven  persons  living  in 
Midway,  as  the  place  was  called  on  account  of  its  location  half-way 
between  Chicago  and  Galena.  By  fall  the  number  had  increased  to 
twenty-seven.  Ephraim  Wyman,  born  in  Lancaster,  Mass.,  in  1809 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  coming  here  Sept.  21,  1835.  In  the  woods 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river  there  were  living  about  750  Pottawatomie 
Indians  and  on  the  Pecatonica  River  about  700  Winnebagoes.  For- 
tunately for  the  settlers,  these  redskins  were  very  quiet  and  peaceable. 
The  nearest  garrison  was  at  Fort  Winnebago  on  the  Fox  River,  in 


326  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

Wisconsin,  and  from  there  assistance  could  not  have  been  dispatched 
in  time  to  protect  the  whites  in  the  event  of  an  uprising. 

The  number  of  settlers  steadily  increased,  and  in  1836  they  were 
sufficiently  numerous  to  organize  the  county,  which  was  named  Winne- 
bago  after  the  neighboring  Indian  tribe.  For  some  time  afterward, 
the  settlers  were  subject  to  hardships  and  dangers  of  frontier  life  here 
as  elsewhere  in  the  western  wilderness.  A  band  of  outlaws,  known  as 
the  "Red  Robbers,"  or  "Prairie  Bandits,"  operated  in  these  parts 
from  1836  to  1839,  striking  terror  to  the  settlers  and  making  the 
neighborhood  generally  unsafe.  Robberies  and  other  flagrant  crimes 
were  of  frequent  occurrence,  travelers  between  Midway  and  Galena 
being  especially  exposed  to  outlawry. 

The  first  merchandise  store  in  Rockford  was  opened  by  John  E. 
Vance  on  the  east  side  of 'the  river,  not  far  from  the  spot  where  the 
railway  station  now  stands.  Shortly  afterward,  E.  H.  Potter  and  one 
Preston  opened  a  store  in  a  frame  building  near  the  present  corner  of 
State  and  Main  streets.  These  were  soon  followed  by  others,  mostly 
located  on  the  east  side.  Year  by  year  business  grew,  and  in  1848  a 
bank  named  the  "Winnebago  Bank  was  established  by  the  firm  of 
Robertson,  Holland  and  Coleman.  Two  years  later,  or  only  about 
sixteen  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  first  white  settlers,  the  place  had 
1,500  inhabitants,  and  in  the  next  three  years  this  number  was  trebled, 
owing  doubtless  to  the  completion  to  Rockford  of  the  Chicago  and 
Galena  Railway,  now  a  part  of  the  Northwestern  system.  Realty  values 
rose  rapidly.  A  new  and  larger  dam  was  constructed  across  the  Rock 
River  in  the  fifties  for  the  generation  of  water  power  for  mechanical 
purposes.  A  couple  of  saw  mills  were  the  first  industrial  establish- 
ments, but  gradually  various  small  factories  grew  up — the  modest 
forerunners  of  the  big  industrial  plants  of  modern  Rockford.  During 
the  first  few  years  the  inhabitants  wishing  to  cross  the  Rock  River 
generally  forded  the  stream,  entailing  many  accidental  drownings. 
Fatalities  were  not  materially  decreased  by  the  subsequent  system  of 
ferrying.  When  a  bridge  was  built  in  1840  the  river  could  be  crossed 
with  some  degree  of  safety,  but  this  bridge  was  far  from  satisfactory. 
The  structure  was  a  rickety  affair  that  undulated  like  thin  ice  under 
the  feet  of  passengers  and  sagged  like  a  hammock  under  heavier 
weight.  In  spite  of  constant  threats  to  give  way,  it  stood  all  tests  until 
replaced  by  a  more  substantial  wooden  structure,  which  in  turn  gave 
way  to  a  modern  steel  bridge. 

In  1880  the  city  had  13,129  inhabitants;  in  1890  the  number  had 
grown  to  23,584  and  in  1900  to  31,051.  In  the  last  named  year  the  city 
had  246  industrial  establishments  of  different  kinds,  with  an  aggregate 
capitalization  of  $7.715,069,  5.223  workingmen  and  an  annual  produc- 


ROCKFORD 


327 


tion  valued  at  $8,888,904.  The  chief  products  of  the  Rockford  in- 
dustries are  furniture,  hosiery,  agricultural  implements,  pianos,  sewing 
machines  and  machinery  and  tools.  Secondary  in  order  are,  paper, 
flour,  grape  sugar,  matches,  plated  ware,  etc. 

To  the  Swedish-Americans  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  of  all 
foreign  nationalities  represented  in  Rockford  the  Swedes  have  had  the 
greatest  share  in  the  rapid  development  of  the  city  industrially,  com- 
mercially and  otherwise.  It  is  even  a  question  whether  they  have  not 
surpassed  the  native  Americans  in  these  respects.  All  the  way  from 
the  early  fifties,  Swedes  have  been  living  here.  During  the  last  three 


Rockford — River  View 

decades  they  have  formed  the  pith  of  the  working  population  in  the 
city,  and  from  twenty  years  back  the  Swedish- Americans  constitute  a 
considerable  percentage  of  the  manufacturers  and  businessmen  of 
Rockford.  Industrious  and  thrifty  as  a  rule,  they  have  generally  worked 
in  the  employ  of  others  until  acquiring  a  competence,  when  they  have 
combined  into  co-operative  companies  for  the  purpose  of  furniture 
manufacture  or  carrying  on  other  lines  of  industry,  thereby  becoming 
employers  and  themselves  reaping  the  profits.  Wide-awake  and  intel- 
ligent, as  they  are,  they  have  made  many  practical  inventions,  thereby 
simplifying  processes,  reducing  the  cost  of  production  and  increasing 
the  efficiency  of  labor  and  machinery.  Naturally  saving  and  provident, 
they  have  established  a  building  and  loan  association  whereby  many 
have  become  the  owners  of  comfortable  homes.  A  number  of  sick 
benefit  and  funeral  aid  societies  have  been  organized,  lending  econom- 
ical assistance  of  no  mean  importance  to  families  suddenly  stricken 
by  misfortune. 


328  EARLY    vSETTLEMENTS 

The  spiritual  care  of  the  Rockford  Swedes  is  well  provided  for. 
Religious  work  has  been  carried  on  among  them  ever  since  pioneer 
days,  and  there  are  now  no  less  than  half  a  dozen  Swedish  churches, 
most  of  these  having  a  large  membership  and  owning  valuable 
property. 

They  have  always  evinced  a  live  interest  in  educational  work  and 
given  liberal  support  both  to  the  purely  American  schools  and  the 
specifically  Swedish-American  institutions  of  learning.  Many  are  the 
Swedish  young  men  from  Rockford  who,  after  completing  the  pre- 
scribed courses,  have  entered  the  service  of  the  church  or  devoted 
themselves  to  the  teacher's  calling  or  the  learned  professions.  Several 
Swedish  newspapers  have  been  published  in  Rockford  at  different 
periods.  Swedish  song  is  here  cultivated  with  as  much  zest  as  any- 
where in  the  United  States.'  Although  not  a  Swedish- American  center 
of  culture  in  the  same  sense  as  Chicago,  Minneapolis,  New  York,  and 
Rock  Island,  yet  Rockford  is  an  eminent  factor  for  Swedish- American 
progress.  Its  Swedish  colony  is  more  homogeneous  than  most  similar 
communities,  making  the  Swedish  characteristics  more  pronounced  here 
than  elsewhere. 

In  1854  the  Swedes  of  Rockford  numbered  approximately  1,000, 
in  1862  about  2,000,  ten  years  later  about  3,500,  and  in  1885  about 
6,000.  At  the  close  of  1905,  their  estimated  number  was  16,000.  Assum- 
ing that  the  total  population  increased  in  the  five  years  of  1901-5  in  the 
same  ratio  as  in  the  foregoing  census  period,  the  Swedes  of  Rockford 
would  now  constitute  nearly  half  the  population. 

After  taking  this  general  survey,  we  will  review  the  story  of  the 
Swedish  pioneer  settlers  of  Rockford.  About  1852  the  first  Swedish 
settlers  came  here.  When  John  Nelson  from  Karrakra,  Vestergotland, 
subsequent  inventor  of  a  celebrated  knitting  machine,  came  to  Rockford 
from  St.  Charles  that  year,  he  found  ahead  of  him  a  few  Swedish 
families  and  single  men  who  had  arrived  shortly  before.  Among  these 
were  Abraham  Andersson  with  his  family  and  a  young  man  named 
Clark,  possibly  the  same  person  mentioned  in  the  early  history  of  St. 
Charles.  Anderson  soon  left  for  Minnesota,  and  Nelson  removed  to 
Elgin  a  few  months  later,  and  from  there  to  Chicago  in  the  spring  of 
1853.  The  following  autumn  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Erik  Nore- 
lius,  then  a  divinity  student,  lived  together  with  him  for  several  months 
and  attended  the  private  English  school  taught  by  him  in  the  winter 
of  1854.  The  same  year  Nelson  returned  to  Rockford,  accompanied 
by  Anders  Johnson  who  later  removed  to  New  Mexico,  where  he  lived 
for  many  years. 

During  Nelson's  absence  from  Rockford  in  1853  a  number  of 
Swedes  had  moved  in,  including  the  following:  Sven  August  Johnson  •<;,  .  .. 


ROCKFORD 


329 


from  Ving,  Vestergotland,  who  came  over  in  1852  and  subsequently 
became  a  prominent  business  man  of  Kockford  where  he  is  still  living, 
loved  and  honored  by  all;  C.  J.  Carlsson,  a  tailor,  and  P.  Pettersson, 
with  their  families,  both  from  Ving ;  Peter  Johansson,  or  Johnson,  and 
two  men,  Lindgren  and  Lundbeck,  both  from  Vestergotland,  who  died 
as  pioneer  settlers  in  Minnesota ;  Jonas  Larsson  and  Johan  Sparf ,  with 
families,  both  from  Olmestad,  Smaland ;  Isak  Pettersson,  a  tailor  from 
Bello,  Smaland,  all  of  whom  came  in  one  party  from  the  old  country. 

The  Rockford  pioneers  were  beset  with  the  customary  trials  and 
hardships  on  their  way  to  the  new  country  and  after  their  arrival. 
According  to  the  story  told  by  Jonas  Larsson,  they  left  Goteborg  in  a 
small,  filthy  sailing  vessel,  in  which  the  emigrants  were  packed  together 
in  most  uncomfortable  quarters.  A  terrific  storm  at  sea  still  further 
aggravated  their  misfortune,  tossing  the  little  vessel  about  on  giant 
waves,  momentarily  threatening  to  swallow  up  the  frail  craft.  The 
ship  took  the  route  north  of  Scotland,  and  the  captain  asserted  that 
he  had  never  encountered  so  heavy  seas  during  thirty  years  of  sailing. 
The  ship  was  driven  toward  the  coast  of  Ireland,  apparently  doomed  to 
imminent  destruction.  So  great  was  the  despair  on  board  that  the 
cook  ceased  to  prepare  and  serve  food  to  the  passengers.  When  they 
complained,  they  got  the  grewsome  reply:  "You  have  no  further  need 
of  food:  by  tomorrow  morning  we  will  all  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  prepare  for  death.  But  the  storm  sub- 
sided, providentially  averting  shipwreck,  and  after  a  voyage  of  five 
weeks  the  ship  made  port  at  Cork,  Ireland.  Here  the  passengers  were 
detained  for  two  and  one-half  months  while  the  ship  was  lightened 
and  repaired.  Then  they  set  out  anew,  on  an  equally  stormy  voyage, 
reaching  the  American  coast  after  another  ten  weeks  spent  on  the 
ocean. 

Ultimately  the  party  reached  Rockford  in  the  fall,  after  a  journey 
lasting  six  months;  but  even  then  their  hardships  were  not  at  an  end. 
Poor  food,  still  poorer  dwellings,  sickness  and  lack  of  work  prolonged 
their  misery.  Wages  were  very  low,  ranging  from  25  cents  to  50  cents 
per  day.  Fortunately,  however,  the  price  of  commodities  was  cheap, 
butter  selling  at  5  cents  per  pound,  and  meat  at  3  to  4  cents.  Single 
men  could  obtain  board  for  $1.50  per  week.  Even  bibulousness 
was  not  an  expensive  habit  in  those  days,  when  whisky  was  to  be  had 
at  15  cents  per  gallon. 

Larsson  and  Sparf  with  their  families  secured  common  lodgings  at 
North  Second  street,  near  the  present  public  square,  at  a  rental  of  $3 
per  month.  Larsson  went  south  that  fall  in  search  of  better  em- 
ployment, but  returned  in  a  few  months  and  remained  in  Rockford. 
About  1890,  he  was  engaged  by  the  Zion  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  as 


•3  3° 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


parochial  school  teacher.  Johan  Sparf,  after  living  in  Rockford 
for  some  time,  purchased  a  farm  near  Davis  Junction,  where  he  suffered 
from  crop  failures,  but  ultimately  bettered  his  condition  and  in  1868 
bought  a  second  farm  at  Cherry  Valley,  seven  miles  from  Rockford. 
Now  everything  went  well,  and  about  1885  Sparf  was  considered  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  of  Winnebago  county.  He  died  in 
the  nineties. 

During  the  years  of  1854-5  many  Swedes  came  to  Rockford 
directly  from  their  native  land,  others  after  a  brief  stay  in  Chicago. 
Among  others  we  mention  the  following:  Johannes  Anderson,  shoe- 
maker, arrived  from  Chicago  in  1854;  John  Erlander,  tailor,  arrived 


i 


Rockford — River  Front 

in  Rockford  in  1855,  having  emigrated  from  Slatthog,  Smaland,  the 
year  prior;  Peter  Lindahl,  later  a  grain  dealer;  A.  P.  Petterson,  a 
mechanic,  from  Vadstena ;  G.  Bergquist,  painter,  and  Gustaf  Berglund, 
dyer,  both  from  Vermland ;  the  former  remained  in  Rockford,  the  latter 
removed  first  to  Norwegian  Lake,  Minn.,  thence  to  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
where  he  engaged  in  manufacture;  Anders  Hedin,  hatter,  and  Edvard 
Wallborg,  both  from  Vermland,  who  accompanied  Berglund  to  Minne- 
sota and  from  there  to  Mississippi,  where  Wallborg  was  drafted 
for  service  in  the  Confederate  army,  but  escaped  to  Chicago, 
going  from  there  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  where  he  died;  Gustaf  Scott,  Johan 
Abrahamsson  and  A.  Johnson,  all  of  whom  removed  elsewhere ;  Adolf 
Andersson,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  war;  Peter  Hakansson,  shoemaker, 
died  in  1880;  A.  C.  Johnson  from  Torneryd,  Blekinge,  who  came  to 
St.  Charles  in  1854  and  to  Rockford  the  following  year,  becoming  the 
pioneer  furniture  manufacturer  of  the  city;  Gustaf  Lundgren  from 


ROCKFORD 


331 


Smaland  and  Isak  Lindgren,  who  removed  to  Andover,  still  living 
there  in  1880. 

In  the  fifties  Kockford,  like  Chicago,  was  a  stopping-place  for 
Swedish  immigrants  going  west  to  buy  land  and  establish  homes. 
This  was  especially  the  case  in  the  years  1852  to  1856.  The  greatest 
influx  of  Swedes  to  Rockford  occurred  in  the  decade  of  1856-66. 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  immigrants  were  subject  to  disease,  chiefly 
the  cholera,  which  claimed  most  of  its  victims  in  1854.  A  few  examples 
of  the  ravages  of  this  messenger  of  death  may  be  here  noted.  At  this 
time  Inga  Christina  Persson  from  Vernamo,  who  later  married  John 
Erlander,  was  a  domestic  in  an  American  family.  One  day  she  saw 
a  cholera  victim  carried  past  the  house  on  the  way  to  the  grave.  It  was 
the  body  of  her  own  mother.  She  had  not  been  notified  of  her  death 
for  fear  that  she  would  hasten  to  the  deathbed,  contract  the  disease 
and  spread  it  to  others.  Her  father  also  died  of  the  plague  about 
the  same  time,  no  notice  being  given  the  daughter,  who  learned  of  his 
death  accidentally,  when  a  friend  called  to  express  her  sympathies  for 
the  orphaned  girl.  The  daughter  herself  had  a  slight  attack  of  the 
cholera,  from  which  she  soon  rallied.  Johannes  Andersson,  the  afore- 
said shoemaker,  one  morning  visited  a  woman  engaged  in  doing  the 
family  washing.  That  very  evening  he  was  requested  to  order  a  casket 
for  her,  she  having  been  suddenly  stricken  down  by  the  pestilence.  An 
aged  immigrant  one  day  brought  home  a  piece  of  pork  and  placed  it 
in  the  frying-pan,  with  the  remark:  "Now  that  we  are  in  America,  I 
reckon  we'll  have  some  pork."  That  was  his  last  meal.  The  next 
morning  he  was  carried  to  the  grave,  having  died  of  cholera  in 
the  night. 

Fortunately  there  were  in  the  city  many  charitable  people  whose 
hearts  went  out  to  the  sick  and  the  suffering.  Among  those  who  in  this 
dark  hour  showed  themselves  most  sympathetic  and  self-sacrificing, 
Sven  August  Johnson,  John  Nelson  and  Clark,  then  young  men, 
deserve  special  mention.  Among  the  Swedish  settlers,  they  were  the 
most  proficient  in  the  English  language.  Without  fear  of  contagion, 
they  went  from  house  to  house,  bringing  help  and  comfort  to  their 
stricken  countrymen.  Clark  is  said  to  have  solicited  means  among 
the  Americans  for  the  support  of  the  sick  and  the  destitute.  The  Amer- 
icans, too,  showed  great  kindness  toward  the  unfortunate  newcomers. 
An  old  schoolhouse,  situated  near  the  present  public  square  on  the 
east  side,  was  turned  into  an  emergency  hospital,  and  one  Col.  Marsh 
had  a  barn  adapted  to  the  same  purpose. 

Along  in  the  late  autumn  of  1854  the  epidemic  began  to  subside, 
and  conditions  generally  improved.  Though  nearly  all  poor,  the  Swedes 
were  industrious  and  saving,  enabling  them  not  only  to  earn  a  bare 


332 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


living,  but  to  lay  by  something  for  future  use.  By  their  capacity  for 
work  and  their  integrity  they  soon  gained  the  full  confidence  of  their 
American  neighbors. 

At  first  the  Swedish  settlers  had  no  means  of  common  worship  in 
their  mother  tongue,  but  this  want  was  supplied  without  great  delay. 
The  first  Swedish  preacher  to  visit  Rockford  was  doubtless  Gustaf 
Unonius  of  Chicago,  but  the  year  is  not  known.  Most  probably  his  visit 
took  place  in  the  late  summer  of  1852,  for  in  September  of  that  year  he 
took  a  trip  to  Minnesota  and  very  likely  went  by  way  of  Rockford. 

The  first  Christmas  matin  services  celebrated  by  the  Swedes  of 
Rockford  were  described  by  survivors  in  the  eighties  as  having  been 


Rockford— Seventh  Street 

extremely  impressive.  There  was  no  house  of  worship,  where  the  gospel 
was  preached  in  the  Swedish  language,  no  bells  chiming  out  the  hour  of 
worship,  yet  the  settlers  desired  to  celebrate  the  "julotta"  as  best  they 
could.  Before  daylight,  a  little  company  of  them  gathered  in  a  small 
cabin,  where  a  Christmas  tree  had  been  provided  and  tallow  candles 
placed  in  the  windows.  The  order  of  worship  was  gone  through  some- 
how, but  simple  and  unassuming  as  was  this  service,  it  made  so  power- 
ful an  impression  on  those  present  that  at  its  conclusion  they  embraced 
one  another  amid  tears.  The  solemnity  of  the  occasion  forcibly  brought 
home  to  them  the  fact  that  they  were  children  of  a  common  land  and 
a  common  faith. 

In  October,  1853,  Rev.  Erland  Carlson  made  his  first  visit  to  Rock- 
ford  and  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  Swedish  settlers  there.  He 
returned  the  following  January  and  then  organized  the  congregation 
known  as  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Rockford.  now  one  of 


GENEVA 


333 


the  largest  Swedish  churches  in  the  United  States.  In  1882  members 
who  left  this  church  organized  another,  the  Emanuel  Church,  which  uses 
the  English  language  in  its  public  worship  and  for  some  time  belonged 
to  the  English  Lutheran  General  Synod,  but  is  now  a  part  of  the 
Swedish  Augustana  Synod.  In  1883  there  was  a  second  withdrawal 
from  the  First  Church  to  form  another  Swedish  congregation,  named 
the  Zion  Church. 

About  1854  or  1855  a  Methodist  preacher  by  the  name  of  P.  Chall- 
man  visited  Rockford,  preaching  to  his  countrymen  there.  S.  B.  New- 
man, another  Methodist  preacher,  also  made  a  visit,  forming  a  class, 
which,  however,  disbanded  shortly  after.  Not  until  1861  was  a 
permanent  Swedish  Methodist  church  organized. 

In  1875  the  Mission  Friends  of  Rockford  had  become  sufficiently 
numerous  to  form  a  congregation  of  their  own.  Still  later  the  Free 
Mission  Church  was  added,  and  in  1880  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church. 
The  independent  Swedish  Evangelical  Church,  which  was  founded  in 
1882,  dissolved  after  a  few  years. 

Among  the  Swedish  population  of  Rockford  a  large  number  of 
fraternal  societies  and  lodges  have  sprung  up  in  the  course  of  years. 

It  is  but  natural  that  the  energetic  and  aggressive  Swedish  people 
of  Rockford  should  play  an  influential  part  in  local  and  state  politics, 
and  a  number  of  them  should  attain  to  high  positions  of  public  trust, 
as  numerous  instances  have  shown. 

GENEVA,    KANE    COUNTY 

The  city  of  Geneva  is  situated  in  the  township  of  the  same  name, 
only  two  miles  from  Batavia  and  the  same  distance  from  St.  Charles, 
the  three  cities  being  of  nearly  the  same  age.  In  1836  a  party  of 
colonists  from  the  East  settled  on  the  site  of  Geneva.  The  year  after, 
a  town  site  was  laid  out  and  the  first  courthouse  was  built.  The  first 
bridge  across  the  Fox  River  was  constructed  in  1836,  the  year  of  first 
settlement. 

Swedes  came  to  Geneva  somewhat  later  than  to  St.  Charles.  When 
the  first  Swede  settled  here  is  not  known,  but  in  1832  several  came 
here,  viz.,  D.  Lindstrom,  who  later  removed  to  Paxton,  his  son  John  P. 
Lindstrom,  who  removed  to  Moline,  and  his  grandson,  A.  P.  Lindstrom, 
who  became  a  minister  of  the  Augustana  Synod  and  died  in  1895. 
These  came  from  Bone,  Vestergotland.  In  1854  the  following  Swedes 
were  living  in  Geneva:  G.  Lindgren,  Samuel  Pettersson,  who  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Aurora;  John  Rystrom,  removed  to  Oregon,  111.; 
Goran  Svensson,  removed  to  DeKalb ;  Gustaf  Pettersson,  removed  to 
Chicago;  B.  Kindblad  and  A.  P.  Andersson,  who  located  in  Batavia 
later;  Julius  Esping,  an  anchor  smith,  who  removed  later  to  Fremont, 


334 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


Kans. ;  Carl  Samuelsson  and  Sven  Andersson,  both  subsequently 
removed  to  Elgin;  Ericksson  and  C.  P.  Gronberg,  removed  to  Water- 
town,  "Wis. ;  Jonas  M.  Pettersson,  removed  to  Galesburg,  and  Olof 
Svensson,  who  remained  in  Geneva  to  his  death. 

In  1880  John  Pettersson  was  the  oldest  living  Swedish  inhabitant 
of  Geneva.  He  came  over  in  1854  from  Gallaryd,  Smaland,  and  spent 
several  years  in  Chicago,  working  at  the  shoemaker's  trade.  In  1856 
he  came  to  Geneva,  establishing  himself  as  a  shoemaker,  with  a 
branch  shop  at  St.  Charles.  After  seven  years  on  the  shoemaker's 
bench,  he  tired  of  the  awl  and  last,  and  changed  to  the  watchmaker's 
trade. 


Geneva — State    Street 

In  1853  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church  was  organized  in  Geneva.  Not 
long  afterward,  a  parochial  school  was  opened  to  give  the  children 
religious  instruction  in  their  mother  tongue.  The  first  schoolmaster 
was  John  Pehrson,  subsequently  a  clergyman  in  the  Augustana  Synod. 
He  was  succeeded  by  M.  Munter,  a  schoolmaster  of  the  olden  type  from 
Sweden,  who  flogged  his  pupils  mercilessly  for  every  offense,  while 
his  ability  to  impart  instruction  was  questionable.  The  interest  he  took 
in  the  work  of  teaching  may  be  illustrated  with  the  following  incident 
of  Swedish-American  pioneer  life.  One  day  the  schoolmaster,  wishing 
to  kill  a  sheep,  brought  the  animal  with  him  to  the  schoolroom  and 
then  and  there,  before  the  eyes  of  the  pupils,  went  through  the  uncanny 
process  of  butchering  and  quartering  the  sheep,  all  the  while  continuing 
to  hear  the  classes  in  a  perfunctory  manner.  This  same  Munter  later 
went  to  Wapello  county,  la.,  where  he  became  one  of  the  founders  of 
a  settlement  named  after  him  Munterville.  There  he  died  some  time 


GENESEO 


335 


in  the  eighties.    About  1870  a  Swedish  Methodist  church  was  organized 
in  Geneva,  and  in  1894  a  Swedish  Baptist  church. 

During  the  last  twenty  or  thirty  years  Swedes  in  large  numbers 
have  moved  into  Geneva  and  the  neighboring  cities  on  the  Fox  River. 
The  Swedes  of  Geneva  in  1905  were  estimated  at  1,200,  the  enumeration 
of  1900  giving  a  total  population  of  2,446. 

GENESE1O,    HENRY    COUNTY 

Like  Andover,  Geneseo  was  founded  by  American  colonizers  from 
the  state  of  New  York,  with  headquarters  at  Genesee,  from  which 
place  the  new  settlement  was  named.  In  1836  a  company  sent  three 
men  west  to  look  up  a  locality  suitable  for  a  settlement,  and  this  was 
the  choice  of  the  emissaries.  A  tract  of  land,  embracing  the  present 
site  of  Geneseo,  was  purchased,  whereupon  the  committee  returned 
home  to  report  the  results  of  their  expedition.  Fifty  settlers  imme- 
diately started  for  the  new  colony  site,  arriving  in  the  middle  of 
winter,  subject  to  many  hardships.  Two  thousand  acres  of  land  were 
bought  up  and  parceled  out  among  the  settlers,  who  provided  their 
own  dwellings  according  to  their  means.  In  the  spring  they  began 
tilling  the  soil,  gathering  their  first  harvests  the  following  summer 
and  fall. 

Geneseo  dates  back  to  1837,  when  the  first  houses  were  erected 
there.  The  place  did  not  receive  a  postoffice  until  1839.  Its  growth 
was  slow  until  1853,  when  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific  Rail- 
way was  built  through  the  place,  stimulating  a  more  rapid  development 
for  the  next  few  years. 

In  the  early  fifties  Swedes  began  settling  in  Geneseo.  In  1852 
John  Gustus,  Lewis  Johnson  and  Carl  Johnson  were  living  there  The 
first  named,  who  was  from  Opphem,  Ostergotland,  first  had  a  shoe- 
maker's shop,  then  opened  a  store,  and  in  1862  sold  this  business  to 
N.  P.  Rosenstone.  In  the  late  seventies  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
was  not  particularly  favored  by  fortune.  Lewis  Johnson  came  from 
Smaland  and  Carl  Johnson  from  Vermland;  the  latter  settled  on  a 
farm  just  outside  the  town. 

In  1853  Lars  Jonsson  came  over  from  Skarstad,  Smaland,  and 
bought  a  farm  of  80  acres  north  of  Green  River.  Carl  Toline,  who 
served  as  a  volunteer  in  Company  D,  57th  Illinois  Infantry,  was  among 
the  early  Swedish  settlers  here,  and  was  still  living  in  Geneseo  in  1880. 
Another  pioneer  was  Adolf  Safstrom  from  Ostergotland  who  lived  on 
a  farm  not  far  from  Geneseo. 

Most  of  the  Swedes  who  came  to  Geneseo  to  farm  were  poor  and, 
in  consequence,  had  to  be  satisfied  with  the  low,  badly  drained  lands, 
the  early  colonists  having  picked  out  the  most  desirable  tracts.  Never- 


336  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

theless,  the  Swedish  farmers  in  this  neighborhood  have  been  doing  well. 
The  Swedish  people  in  Geneseo  engaged  in  business  and  the  trades  also 
have  prospered  and  have  as  a  class  attained  a  respected  and  prominent 
place  in  the  community. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  Swedish  Lutheran  mission  work  was  begun 
in  Geneseo  but  not  until  1859  was  a  church  organized.  Five  years  later, 
a  Swedish  Methodist  church  was  established.  This  congregation  began 
to  decline  in  the  eighties,  and  is  now  dissolved. 

At  the  close  of  1905,  there  were  approximately  560  Swedish- 
Americans  living  in  Geneseo  and  vicinity.  The  total  population  at  the 
last  census  was  3,356. 

DEKALB,    DEKALB    COUNTY 

In .  1853  DeKalb  consisted  of  merely  a  couple  of  stores,  a  small 
hotel  and  a  blacksmith  shop.  But  at  that  time  a  railroad  was  built 
through,  and  the  town  began  to  grow  apace.  Building  after  building 
was  erected  and  changes  were  made  so  rapidly  that  farmers  who  visited 
the  town  only  once  a  month  would  hardly  recognize  the  place.  An 
enterprise  that  contributed  largely  to  the  development  of  the  town  was 
the  location  there  of  a  barbed  wire  factory,  which  has  since  grown  to  be 
the  largest  industrial  plant  in  this  locality,  employing  thousands  of 
workmen,  a  large  percentage  of  whom  are  Swedes.  In  1873  DeKalb 
got  its  village  charter. 

The  first  Swede  in  DeKalb  was  one  Jonas  Olsson,  who  came  there 
from  Dixon,  where  he  had  owned  a  farm.  He  was  soon  followed  by 
his  brother  and  two  young  men,  the  sons  of  a  clergyman  by  the  name  of 
P.  Bark.  Of  the  Olsson  brothers,  who  came  from  Slatthog,  Smaland, 
the  former  was  still  living  there  in  1880  while  the  latter  had  farmed 
for  twenty  years  near  Sterling.  In  1853  three  more  emigrants  from 
Slatthog  came  over  and  settled  here,  namely:  Nils  Magnus  Johnson, 
Johan  Johansson  and  Jonas  Johnson.  All  three  were  well-to-do  farmers 
near  DeKalb  in  1880.  Simultaneousuly  with  these,  came  John  Olsson 
from  Hjortsberga,  Smaland.  These  four  were  poor  emigrants  who  at 
first  were  employed  by  Americans  as  day  laborers. 

In  1854  Peter  Mansson  came  with  his  family  from  Vislanda.  Sma- 
land. He  became  the  first  Swedish  householder  in  DeKalb,  whence  he 
moved  to  Salina,  Kans.,  in  1879.  Simultaneously  with  Mansson  came 
Peter  Jonsson,  also  from  Vislanda,  with  a  party  of  eleven  others,  all  of 
whom  settled  in  this  vicinity,  Jonsson  and  several  of  the  others  still 
living  there  in  1880. 

The  Goran  Svensson  mentioned  among  the  early  settlers  of  Geneva 
was  also  one  of  the  earlv  Swedes  in  DeKalb.  He  was  born  in  the  citv 


GALVA 


337 


of  Ulricehamn,  emigrated  in  1852,  coming  to  Chicago,  where  he  lived 
for  three  years  before  removing  to  Geneva  and  establishing  himself 
there  as  a  shoemaker.  In  the  early  sixties  he  came  to  DeKalb,  where 
he  plied  his  trade  for  many  years. 

In  1858  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church  was  organized  in  DeKalb,  and 
thirty  years  later  a  Swedish  Baptist  church.  There  is  also  a  Swedish 
Mission  church  of  more  recent  date.  The  Lutheran  congregation  is 
numerically  one  of  the  strongest  of  its  kind  in  the  state  while  the  latter 


I)e  Kalb— Main  Street 

two  are  quite  small.  The  city  has  a  number  of  Swedish  fraternal 
organizations.  The  Swedish  population  of  DeKalb  and  vicinity  is  now 
approximately  3,500,  the  total  population  in  1900  being  5,904. 

GALVA,    HENRY    COUNTY 

Of  the  origin  of  Galva,  which  dates  back  to  the  fifties,  the  following 
is  told.  In  1853  two  Americans,  J.  M.  and  Wm.  L.  Wiley,  took  a 
trip  from  Peoria  to  Rock  Island,  passing  through  this  locality.  Pleased 
with  the  natural  prospect,  they  decided  to  pitch  their  camps  here,  select- 
ing for  that  purpose  a  grove  which  was  afterward  named  College  Park. 
As  they  reached  the  top  of  the  hill  one  of  the  men,  standing  erect  in  the 


338  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

wagon  and  surveying  the  surrounding  country,  exclaimed,  "What  a 
glorious  country!  Let  us  buy  the  land  and  found  a  town  here !"  Said 
and  done.  Negotiations  for  the  purchase  were  opened  at  once  and  soon 
the  land  was  theirs.  But  some  time  elapsed  before  any  sign  of  the 
future  town  appeared,  there  being  but  three  human  dwellings  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  these  small  and  far  apart.  The  thing  needed  to  give 
the  place  a  start  was  a  railroad,  and  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy  Railway  company  in  the  fall  of  1853  agreed  to  build  its  line 
through  that  point  and  locate  a  station  there,  provided  land  for  that 
purpose  was  donated.  This  the  owners  agreed  to,  and  the  following 
autumn  its  trains  thundered  through  the  town  of  Galva,  which  then 
existed  only  on  paper. 

This  was  at  the  time  when  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony  five  miles  away 
was  at  the  height  of  its  prosperity.  The  Wileys  had  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  just  south  of  the  new  town  site  and  subsequently  sold  part 
of  it  to  the  colonists  and  another  part  of  it  to  one  Jacob  Emery.  In  this 
wise  the  Bishop  Hill  people  obtained  a  voice  in  the  affairs  of  the  new 
town,  which  they  named  Gene,  after  the  capital  of  the  Swedish  province 
of  Gestrikland,  from  which  they  came.  The  name  is  said  to  have  been 
first  suggested  by  Olof  Johnson,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  colonists.  The 
Americans  of  the  neighborhood,  however,  corrupted  this  to  Galva,  which 
was  retained  as  the  permanent  form. 

Galva  was  developed  with  a  rapidity  almost  without  precedent 
among  the  booming  towns  springing  up  in  the  new  country.  Three 
years  after  its  founding,  the  place  had  1,500  inhabitants,  a  large  num- 
ber being  Swedes,  whose  industry  and  enterprise  contributed  to  its 
development.  The  largest  share  toward  its  upbuilding  in  the  first  few 
years  was  contributed  by  Bishop  Hill.  As  soon  as  the  railway  had 
been  completed,-  the  colony  erected  a  large  warehouse  at  Galva,  and 
shortly  afterward  a  large  business  block  of  brick.  Other  business 
buildings  followed,  one  of  which  was  first  used  as  a  bank  but  was  later 
turned  into  a  hotel.  The  first  comfortable  dwelling  house  in  the  place 
was  also  erected  by  the  colony. 

In  the  foregoing  chapter  the  extensive  business  enterprises  of  Olof 
Johnson  have  been  described.  The  large  warehouse  was  used  to  store 
grain  which  was  bought  up  and  shipped  in  large  quantities,  making 
Galva,  at  least  for  a  time,  one  of  the  principal  grain  shipping  centers 
in  the  state.  The  other  large  structure  was  used  as  a  packing  house 
for  pork.  It  is  related  that  at  one  time  when  the  colony  had  $60,000 
worth  of  pork  from  hogs  raised  at  Bishop  Hill  stored  here,  the  whole 
stock  spoiled  from  careless  packing,  and  was  carted  away  and  buried 
in  a  lot  purchased  for  that  purpose,  together  with  many  barrels  of 
pork  returned  from  eastern  markets.  The  colony  also  carried  on  a 


GALVA 


339 


general  merchandise  business  and  banking  at  Galva,  and  had  a  lumber 
yard  there.  Most  of  these  enterprises,  if  not  all,  proved  failures, 
entailing  great  loss  to  the  colonists  instead  of  being,  as  they  ought  to 
have  been,  great  sources  of  income  to  their  community. 

Among  the  early  Swedish  business  men  of  Galva  were  one  Young- 
berg,  who  owned  a  small  store,  and  Erik  Quick,  a  watchmaker,  who 
tinkered  with  innumerable  side  lines  of  business.  Both  of  these  men 
later  went  to  California.  Afterwards  the  number  of  Swedes  in  busi- 
ness increased,  so  as  to  make  them  predominant  in  many  lines. 

Among  the  more  notable  men  who  have  resided  in  Gralva  are, 
Jonas  W.  Olson,  son  of  the  aforesaid  Olof  Olsson,  and  John  Root,  son 


Galva— Central  Park 


of  John  Ruth,  the  assassin  of  Erik  Jansson ;  both  these  men  are  lawyers 
and  still  live  in  Galva. 

In  Galva  was  founded  one  of  the  first  Swedish-American  news- 
papers, the  full  title  of  which  was  "Svenska  Republikanen  i  Norra 
Amerika. "  It  was  first  issued  in  the  spring  of  1856  and  discontinued 
in  the  summer  of  1858,  after  having  been  moved  to  Chicago  that  year. 
Late  in  the  following  decade,  or  in  1869,  a  Swedish  and  English  news- 
paper, "The  Illinois  Swede,"  was  started  at  Galva.  Simultaneously 
an  all-English  newspaper,  "The  Galva  Republican,"  was  published  by 
the  same  firm.  Late  in  1870  "The  Illinois  Swede"  was  re-christened 
"Nya  Verlden"  and  published  exclusively  in  the  Swedish  language. 
The  paper  was  moved  to  Chicago  early  in  1871,  and  in  the  fall  of  1877 


340 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


it  was  combined  with  "Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren, "  resulting  in  a 
new  paper,  entitled  ''Svenska  Tribunen. " 

In  1867  Galva  obtained  its  village  charter.  The  town  had  2,682 
inhabitants  in  1900.  There  are  three  Swedish  churches,  the  Methodist- 
Episcopal,  founded  in  1867,  the  Lutheran,  founded  in  1869,  and  a 
church  of  the  Mission  Covenant.  In  1905  the  first-named  church  had 
175  members,  the  second  420  and  the  last  14  members.  It  has  not  been 
possible  to  ascertain  the  number  of  Swedish- Americans  in  Galva,  but 
with  the  aid  of  the  above  figures  it  may  be  stated  with  a  reasonable 
degree  of  accuracy  that  at  least  half  of  the  population  is  of  the 
Swedish  nationality. 

ONEIDA,    K.NOX    COUNTY 

The  little  town  of  Oneida  is  situated  in  the  most  fertile  part  of 
Knox  county.  Although  not  among  the  first  settlers  there,  the  Swedes 
have  had  a  large  share  in  the  development  of  the  locality.  The  first 


Oneida 


white  settler  in  Ontario  township,  where  Oneida  is  situated,  was 
Alexander  "Williams,  who  came  there  in  1833.  The  same  year  G.  W. 
Melton  settled  there  and  built  the  log  cabin  which  was  the  first 
permanent  human  habitation  in  the  locality.  The  first  schoolhouse 
was  erected  in  1839  and  the  first  church  edifice,  a  Presbyterian  one, 
in  1840. 


BATAVIA 


341 


The  town  of  Oneida  was  founded  in  1854  by  C.  F.  Camp  and  B.  S. 
West,  who  built  a  hotel  in  the  place.  At  Christmas  time  the  same  year 
the  railroad  came  through,  giving  the  place  its  real  impetus  for  growth. 

The  first  Swedish  settler  in  the  township  was  Georg  Bostrom,  who 
came  to  America  as  a  boy  and  was  reared  in  an  American  family.  The 
year  of  his  arrival  in  Ontario  township  is  not  known,  but  that  he 
removed  from  there  to  Wataga  in  the  seventies  is  a  certainty.  After 
Bostrom  came  D.  Danielsson  and  his  wife  from  Ockelbo,  Gestrikland. 
They  had  come  to  Bishop  Hill  as  young  unmarried  people,  and  were 
there  subjected  to  bitter  persecution  on  account  of  a  love  corre- 
spondence carried  on  in  defiance  of  the  drastic  rule  against  marriage 
and  every  form  of  courtship.  Disgusted  with  the  petty  annoyances 
following  their  innocent  correspondence,  they  removed  to  Oneida  in 
1855  and  were  married.  A  few  years  later  the  pair  located  in  Clay 
county,  Kansas.  Simultaneously  with  Danielsson,  E.  J.  Pettersson 
from  Tjarstad,  Ostergotland,  settled  in  Oneida,  after  living  for  five 
years  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States.  He  established  himself 
as  a  watchmaker  and  jeweler  and  was  engaged  in  that  business  for  at 
least  twenty-five  years.  A  number  of  Swedes  early  moved  into  the 
surrounding  neighborhood,  where  they  have  become  successful  farmers 
and  added  materially  to  the  wealth  of  the  community.  The  population 
of  Oneida  was  785  at  the  last  census.  .  No  Swedish  church  has  been 
organized  here. 

BATAVIA,    KANE    COUNTY 

The  Swedish  colony  of  Batavia  is  of  a  later  date  than  those  of 
the  neighboring  towns  of  St.  Charles  and  Geneva,  but  its  members  are 
numerous  and  active,  and  the  place  amply  deserves  a  mention  among 
important  Swedish  communities. 

The  very  first  settler  in  Batavia  was  Christopher  Payne,  who  came 
in  the  summer  of  1833.  He  was  soon  followed  by  other  settlers  who 
came  in  such  numbers  that  a  school  was  built  and  a  merchandise  store 
opened  the  next  year.  In  1844  settlement  of  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
Fox  Eiver  was  begun  after  a  bridge  had  been  constructed.  The 
splendid  water  power  afforded  by  the  rapids  at  this  place  was  gradually 
exploited  for  manufacturing  purposes  and  thus  this  bustling  little 
manufacturing  center  came  into  existence. 

One  of  the  early  Swedish  settlers  here  was  A.  P.  Andersson,  who 
figured  also  among  the  pioneers  of  Geneva.  He  came  from  Bone, 
Vestergotland,  and  was  a  tailor  by  trade.  In  1854  he  removed  to 
Batavia,  where  he  established  a  tailor  shop  of  his  own  in  the  middle 
sixties.  Andersson,  however,  found  several  Swedes  ahead  of  him, 
men  engaged  in  cutting  timber  for  a  railroad  company.  Following 


342 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


A.  P.  Andersson  came  August  Andersson,  from  Halland,  who  removed 
to  DeKalb  after  a  short  stay.  A  little  later  Gustaf  Svensson,  a  moulder, 
joined  the  Swedish  settlement.  By  1880  he  had  made  himself  known 
as  the  inventor  of  a  new  kind  of  fence  which  was  used  extensively 
in  the  West. 

In  the  late  sixties  there  was  a  considerable  influx  of  Swedes  to 
Batavia,  most  of  the  newcomers  obtaining  work  in  the  stone  quarries 
situated  just  outside  of  the  town.  Since  then  Swedes  have  constantly 
kept  moving  in.  A  large  number  are  employed  in  the  factories,  while 
not  a  few  are  in  business  for  themselves.  Several  have  gone  to  farming 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 


Batavia 

Until  1872  the  Swedish  Lutherans  of  Batavia  had  belonged  to  the 
church  in  Geneva,  but  that  year  they  withdrew  and  organized  a  local 
congregation,  now  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Illinois  Conference.  In 
1870  a  Swedish  Mission  church  was  founded  and  about  the  same  time 
a  Swedish  M.  E.  church.  There  is  considerable  activity  in  the  matter 
of  fraternal  organizations  in  Swedish  circles  here.  Batavia  had  a 
population  of  3,871  in  1900  and  at  the  close  of  1905  the  Swedish- 
Americans  of  the  city  numbered  about  1,600. 

MONMOUTH,    WARRE1N    COUNTY 

The  city  of  Monmouth  was  founded  in  1852,  but  made  little 
progress  up  to  1855,  when  it  got  its  railroad.  The  following  year  the 
Presbyterians  founded  Monmouth  College,  an  institution  which  grew 
to  be  largely  attended.  The  Swedes  have  been  on  the  ground  since  the 


MONMOUTH 


343 


early  fifties,  but  never  in  such  numbers  as  to  cut  much  of  a  figure  in 
the  municipality. 

The  first  Swede  in  Monmouth  was,  it  is  believed,  Johan  Lund  from 
Helsin  gland,  who  came  here  in  1853,  but  soon  moved  away  and  is 
known  to  have  died  somewhere  in  Missouri  while  on  a  journey  to 
Pike's  Peak,  Colo.  In  1854  came  J.  0.  Lundblad,  from  Oppeby,  Oster- 
gotland,  who  was  also  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Princeton,  and 
Erik  Engvall.  The  two  were  for  a  time  partners  in  the  shoe  business, 
and  after  the  firm  dissolved  Engvall,  who  died  in  1876,  conducted  a 
shoe  store  of  his  own  for  a  number  of  years,  prospering  in  the  business. 


Monmouth — South  Main  Street 

The  brothers  Hakan  and  Lewis  Nelson  from  Skane  arrived  the 
same  year  and  a  year  later  Mans  Cassell,  also  from  Skane.  In  1855 
John  Johnson  came  from  Helsingland  and  Jakob  Soderstrom  from 
Visby.  The  former  left  for  Iowa  in  1879,  while  the  latter  continued 
into  the  eighties  as  a  shoe  dealer  in  Monmouth.  Carl  Lundgren  from 
Xykoping  located  here  in  1856  and  served  in  a  Minnesota  regiment  in 
the  Civil  War.  One  year  after  Lundgren  came  Jonas  Larsson  from 
Skane,  who  moved  out  to  Iowa  in  1871.  One  Holmberg,  who  had  a 
military  education  from  the  old  country,  settled  in  Monmouth  in  1859, 
enlisted  in  the  Union  Army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  the  last 
that  was  heard  of  him  was  his  promotion  to  the  rank  of  major. 

So  few  were  the  Swedes  in  Monmouth  that  a  Swedish  Lutheran 
congregation  could  not  be  organized  here  until  1868,  and  then  there 
was  onlv  a  verv  small  flock,  which,  however,  has  increased  materiallv 


344 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


in  the  last  twenty  years.  In  1888  a  Swedish  Baptist  church  was 
established  with  a  limited  membership,  which  has  grown  but  little 
since. 

In  1900  the  population  of  Momnouth  was  7,460.  At  the  end  of  1905 
the  Swedes  in  Monmouth  proper  were  about  450  and  in  the  surrounding 
country  about  2,000. 

KEWANEX,    HENRY    COUNTY 

The  first  white  settlers  in  Kewanee  township  were  John  Kilving- 
ton,  Robert  Coustes  and  Cornelius  Bryant,  who  came  there  in  1836. 
Through  the  efforts  of  these  men  and  others  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
and  Quincy  Railway  Company  was  induced  to  build  through  the  little 
village  of  Kewanee,  which  then  developed  greatly  to  the  detriment  of 
the  neighboring  village  of  Wethersfield,  whose  inhabitants  had  the 
mortification  of  seeing  building  after  building  placed  on  rollers  and 
hauled  to  Kewanee.  Within  eighteen  months,  the  place  had  1,500 
inhabitants.  After  rich  coal  veins  were  discovered  in  the  vicinity  and 
mining  had  begun,  the  young  city  grew  still  more  rapidly.  Several 
factories  sprang  up  as  the  beginning  of  industrial  plants  which  have 
been  growing  larger  year  by  year. 

Erik  Eriksson  from  Nora  parish,  Upland,  is  believed  to  have  been 
the  first  Swedish  settler  in  Kewanee.  As  a  member  of  the  Bishop  Hill 
Colony  he  had  grown  weary  of  the  irksome  yoke  laid  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  faithful  and  removed  to  Kewanee  in  1855,  setting  up 
a  saddlery  shop  which  he  conducted  for  ten  years,  whereupon  he 
removed  to  Altona.  From  there  he  went  to  Nekoma.  Quite  a  number 
of  Bishop  Hill  colonists  located  in  Kewanee  in  1856,  among  whom 
another  Erik  Eriksson  from  Nora,  with  his  two  sons,  Erik  and  Fetter, 
Erik  Bengtsson,  Anders  Barlow  and  Hans  Lindgren.  About  the  same 
time  there  came  from  other  localities  Fetter  Berglund,  John  Hedberg, 
Fetter  Vestlund,  hailing  from  Gestrikland,  and  John  Carlsson  and 
John  Pettersson  from  Smaland,  who  were  followed  the  year  after  by 
A.  Johnson  from  Gestrikland. 

The  last  named  of  the  two  Erikssons  returned  to  Sweden  in  1867 
where  he  died  a  ye.ar  later.  His  two  sons  in  1857  went  to  California 
where  they  worked  for  several  years  digging  for  gold  without  success. 
Prom  there  they  went  to  British  Columbia,  where  fortune  smiled  upon 
them  so  lavishly  that  in  a  year  and  a  half  they  could  return  to  Sweden 
with  100,000  crowns.  They  chose  for  their  wives  the  two  daughters 
of  Erik  Eriksson  of  Nekoma,  and  made  their  homes,  the  one  in  Upsala, 
the  other  in  Nora.  Barlow  later  became  a  storekeeper  at  Bishop  Hill. 
Of  the  early  Swedish  settlers,  A.  Johnson,  Fetter  Berglund.  Fetter 


KEWANEE 


345 


Vestlund  and  John  Petterson  were  mentioned  in  1880  as  still  living  in 
Kewanee. 

In  the  early  seventies,  when  coal  mining  had  been  fully  developed, 
there  was  a  generous  influx  of  Swedes  to  Kewanee.  Many  of  them 
subsequently  removed  to  Bloomington  and  vicinity,  but  in  later  years 
immigration  has  brought  others  who  more  than  make  good  the  loss, 
and  at  present  the  Swedish  population  is  quite  large  in  proportion  to 
the  total. 


Kewanee — Tremont  Street 

The  city  has  a  vigorous  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation,  organized 
in  1869.  The  Swedish  Methodist  Church  was  founded  twenty  years 
after.  Such  a  church  was  organized  here  as  early  as  1859,  but 
before  1880  its  membership  was  decimated  by  removals  to  the  point 
where  the  field  had  to  be  abandoned  and  the  church  property  sold. 
Later  the  Swedish  Methodists  got  a  new  foothold  in  Kewanee,  the 
result  being  the  organization  of  the  second  church.  There  is  also  a 
small  Swedish  Baptist  church  which  has  been  in  existence  since  1901. 

The  census  of  1900  gave  8,382  as  the  total  population  of  Kewanee. 
The  Swedish-Americans  there  at  the  close  of  1905  were  from  2,000  to 
3,000  in  number. 


346  EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

PAXTON,    FORD    COUNTY 

Ford  county  was  organized  in  1859.  Two  years  before  there 
arrived  the  first  Swedish  settler,  Sven  Hedenskog,  superintendent  of 
a  large  country  estate  in  Halland,  Sweden,  who  emigrated  in  1857, 
settling  a  few  miles  west  of  the  site  of  Paxton.  Being  a  poor  man,  he 
was  obliged  to  undergo  the  severest  hardships,  but  his  fortitude  stood 
the  test  and  he  had  succeeded  in  accumulating  considerable  property 
before  removing  in  the  latter  seventies  to  Nebraska,  where  he  died  not 
long  after. 

In  1859  a  sailor  by  the  name  of  Carl  Andersson  and  one  Anders 
Olsson,  both  from  Helsingland,  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Paxton. 
Andersson  in  the  seventies  removed  to  Colorado,  leaving  a  daughter 
in  Paxton.  Olsson  was  still  living  on  a  farm  three  miles  south  of  the 
city  in  1880  and  was  then  in  comfortable  circumstances.  There  was  no 
great  influx  of  Swedes  to  Paxton  until  1863,  when  they  began  to  settle 
here  in  considerable  numbers,  for  reasons  presented  in  the  following. 

In  1860,  the  year  of  its  organization,  the  Augustana  Synod  estab- 
lished in  Chicago  the  Augustana  Theological  Seminary  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  young  men  for  the  ministry.  While  the  synod  was  still 
small,  its  members  few  and  there  was  difficulty  in  raising  the  money 
needed  for  the  support  of  the  seminary  by  free  contributions,  some  of 
the  leading  men  conceived  the  idea  of  purchasing  a  large  tract  of  land 
and  by  selling  farms  to  prospective  settlers  procure  the  funds  needed  to 
secure  the  permanence  of  the  institution.  The  directors  of  the  seminary, 
who  were  authorized  to  look  up  a  suitable  tract,  after  visiting  a  couple 
of  states  for  that  purpose,  without  arriving  at  any  conclusion,  received 
from  the  Illinois  Central  Kailway  Company  an  offer  of  a  suitable 
tract  of  land  at  Paxton.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  an  agreement 
signed  by  both  parties  in  February,  1863.  This  brought  quite  a  number 
of  settlers  to  the  place,  yet  they  did  not  come  in  such  numbers  as  to 
insure  the  success  of  the  plan,  causing  the  authorities  after  a  few  years 
to  cast  about  for  a  new  location  for  the  school.  A  more  detailed 
account  o^  these  transaction  will  be  found  in  the  historical  sketch  of 
Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary. 

Among  the  settlers  was  Erik  Rasmusson  from  Gammalstorp. 
Blekinge  province,  who  had  emigrated  ten  years  before,  locating  near 
Galesburg  in  1853.  Other  contemporary  settlers  of  Paxton  were.  Carl 
Larsson,  Erik  Carlsson,  John  Andersson  and  A.  M.  Hansson.  who  all 
bought  farms  and  located  there  permanently.  In  1864  J.  H.  Wistrand 
came  to  Paxton  and  was  in  business  there  until  1875,  when  he  removed 
to  Moline  and  opened  a  store  in  that  city.  Simultaneously  with 
Wistrand  came  Petter  Hedberg  from  Attica,  Ind.,  who  established  a 
lumber  yard.  He  became  justice  of  the  peace  and  later  was  elected 


PAXTON 


347 


tax  collector.  Ill  health  compelled  him  to  remove  to  Denver,  Colorado, 
in  1873,  where  we  find  him  serving  as  Swedish-Norwegian  vice  consul 
in  1880. 

From  Attica,  Ind.,  where  Swedes  had  settled  in  the  early  fifties, 
a  number  of  these  removed  to  Paxton  in  1865,  among  whom  Fredrik 
Bjorklund,  Carl  Fager,  John  Svan,  John  Johnson,  Carl  Pettersson, 
Petter  Larsson,  Carl  Johnson,  Adolph  Johnson  and  John  Nelson,  all 
farmers,  except  Larsson  and  Nelson,  who  were  merchants. 


Paxton — Market  Street 

The  influx  of  Swedish  settlers  continued  steadily  until  1870,  but 
not  on  so  large  a  scale  as  the  Synod  and  the  directors  of  the  institution 
had  hoped.  The  removal  of  the  institution  to  Rock  Island  in  the 
seventies  naturally  worked  to  the  detriment  of  the  Paxton  colony, 
many  of  the  Swedish  settlers  leaving  for  other  places  farther  west. 
During  the  next  few  years,  however,  the  exodus  was  partly  counter- 
balanced by  an  increased  immigration  from  Sweden. 

The  Swedish  element  in  Paxton  has  predominated  in  many  respects 
from  the  first.  This  is  especially  true  with  respect  to  local  politics  and 
business  pursuits.  Around  Paxton  Swedish  farmers  are  living  in  great 
numbers,  most  of  them  being  in  very  comfortable  circumstances. 

.In  church  matters  the  Swedes  of  Paxton  have  taken  a  prominent 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 

part.  The  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  there  dates  back  to  1863. 
In  1878  a  Swedish  Mission  church  was  organized,  but  the  Methodists 
and  Baptists  have  not  seen  fit  to  enter  this  field. 

In  1900  the  population  of  Paxton  was  3,036,  and  in  1905  there 
were  approximately  3,000  Swedish-Americans  living  in  and  around 
the  city. 

SYCAMORE,    DEK.ALB    COUNTY 

The  city  of  Sycamore,  county  seat  of  DeKalb  county,  is  situated 
on  a  plain  at  some  elevation  over  the  surrounding  country  and  is  the 
center  of  one  of  the  most  fertile  regions  in  Illinois,  if  not  in  the  entire 
country.  The  plain,  or  plateau,  which  at  its  highest  point  has  an 
elevation  of  772  feet  above  sea  level,  constitutes  the  watershead 
between  the  Fox  and  Rock  rivers  and  slopes  quite  abruptly  toward  the 
Kishwaukee  River,  an  insignificant  stream  which  bends  around  the 
north  and  east  side  of  the  city  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile. 

DeKalb  county  was  organized  in  1837  and  named  after  Baron  John 
DeKalb  from  Alsace,  who  was  a  general  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and 
fell  in  the  battle  of  Camden.  Three  years  before  organization,  the  area 
had  a  population  of  1,697.  The  land  was  not  opened  to  settlers  until 
1843,  being  comprised  in  an  Indian  reservation,  but  landseekers  were 
on  the  ground  as  early  as  1835  selecting  their  claims.  But  in  those 
lawless  times  to  defend  one's  right  to  his  claim  was  far  from  easy. 
Quarrels  and  fights  were  the  order  of  the  day  throughout  that  period, 
followed  by  protracted  lawsuits  after  definite  property  rights  had 
been  established. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  county,  the  neighborhood  was  infested  by 
a  numerous,  well  organized  band  of  outlaws,  who  made  a  specialty 
of  stealing  horses  and  saddles,  not,  however,  disdaining  to  carry  away 
other  personal  property.  So  great  was  the  general  uncertainty,  that 
for  a  period  of  four  years  the  settlers  were  compelled  to  keep  their 
places  guarded  by  night.  Ultimately,  when  conditions  had  grown 
altogether  intolerable,  they  organized  themselves  into  vigilance  com- 
mittees for  their  OAvn  protection  and  for  the  summary  punishment  of 
the  outlaws.  The  settlers  acted  with  such  vigor  and  promptness  that 
the  county  was  cleared  of  horse-thieves  and  robbers  in  a  very  short 
time. 

The  early  history  of  Sycamore  does  not  differ  much  from  that  of 
other  towns.  The  first  white  man  to  settle  there  arrived  in  1835;  his 
name  was  Lysander  Darling.  The  same  year  a  Norwegian  physician 
named  Xorbo  took  possession  of  a  tract  of  timber  land  which  is  known 
as  Norwegian  Grove  to  this  day.  Simultaneously,  a  Frenchman  settled 


SYCAMORE 


349 


here,  giving  his  name  to  the  place  known  as  Chartres  Grove.  A  year 
later  a  New  York  land  company  took  possession  of  a  tract  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, comprising  two  square  miles.  The  same  company  laid  out 
the  site  of  Sycamore,  built  a  dam  across  the  Kishwaukee  River  and 
erected  a  flour  mill. 

The  original  Sycamore  settlement  consisted  of  a  group  of  three 
loghuts  on  the  north  side  of  the  Kishwaukee.  With  that,  building  was 
discontinued  on  account  of  the  unsanitary  location,  and  the  new  site 
was  laid  out,  the  first  house  to  be  erected  there  being  built  by  Captain 
Eli  Barney  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  present  courthouse  square. 


Sycamore — State  Street 

The  first  courthouse  was  erected  in  1839.  At  the  end  of  one  year  the 
little  village  consisted  of  about  a  dozen  rude  dwellings  scattered  over 
a  large  area. 

The  early  growth  of  the  place  is  shown  by  the  following  figures : 
in  1848  Sycamore  had  262  inhabitants ;  in  1849,  320 ;  in  1850,  390  and 
in  1851,  435.  From  1855  on  its  growth  was  more  rapid.  In  1858  it 
received  its  town  charter,  and  in  1869  it  became  a  city  with  Reuben 
Ellwood  as  its  first  mayor. 

Sycamore  has  a  picturesque,  healthful  location.  It  has  unusually 
wide  streets  and  large  building  lots  and,  especially  in  summer,  the 
comfort  of  the  inhabitants  is  enhanced  by  the  double  or  treble  rows  of 
shade  trees  that  surround  the  houses  or  skirt  the  streets  and, walks, 
giving  to  the  entire  city  a  park-like  appearance.  Here  and  there  above 
the  masses  of  foliage  a  church  steeple  points  toward  the  sky,  giving 
mute  evidence  that  the  inhabitants  are  devoted  to  other  than  merelv 


350  EARLY    vSETTLEMENTS 

material  interests.  Persons  familiar  with  many  different  localities 
in  the  state  say  that  Sycamore  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  smaller 
cities  of  Illinois. 

The  city  has  three  large  industrial  establishments  and  a  number 
of  smaller  ones.  The  former  are  the  Sycamore  Foundry  and  Machine 
Company,  the  Chicago  Insulated  Wire  Company  and  the  Sycamore 
Preserve  Works.  The  first  named  employs  about  100  men,  the  second 
an  equal  number,  while  the  third  during  the  summer  season  gives  work 
to  200  to  300  persons,  Among  the  smaller  plants  are  a  cigar  factory, 
dairies,  stone  quarries,  wagon  and  agricultural  implement  factories, 
flour  mills,  brick  yards,  a  soap  factory,  a  varnish  factory,  a  furniture 
factory  and  others.  The  city  has  water  works  and  electric  lighting 
systems.  Eleven  churches,  three  public  schools  and  one  girls'  seminary 
are  located  here. 

In  1880  the  population  of  Sycamore  was  3,028,  in  1890  it  had  been 
reduced  to  2,987  and  in  1900  again  increased,  the  census  giving  3,653 
as  the  total  number. 

The  citizens  carry  on  various  lines  of  business,  liberally  patronized 
by  the  prosperous  population  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  city 
has  excellent  communications,  the  North-Western  and  Great  Western 
railways  crossing  each  other  at  this  point.  The  distance  from  Chicago 
is  56  miles. 

The  first  Swedes  in  Sycamore  were  Peter  Johnson  from  Mjellby, 
Blekinge,  and  Andrew  Johnson  and  Anna  Carlsson,  a  widow,  both 
from  Skatelof,  Smaland.  Somewhat  later  came  the  brothers  Daniel 
and  Sven  Gustafsson  and  Anna  Andersson,  a  widow  whose  husband 
had  lost  his  life  while  serving  in  the  Civil  War.  Peter  Johnson  was 
still  living  in  1898,  a  venerated  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church.  His  wife  and  a  daughter  died  in  1897.  Andrew  Johnson,  who 
was  a  brother-in-law  of  Peter  Johnson,  removed  to  Colorado  in  the 
late  seventies  and  died  there  as  the  owner  of  a  goldmine.  His  widow, 
nee  Anna  Carlsson,  who  returned  to  Sweden,  was  still  living  there  in 
1898,  and  Daniel  Gustafsson  was  then  living  in  Iowa.  His  brother  Sven 
died  prior  to  that  time. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  there  lived  in  Sycamore  a  Swedish 
ex-artillery  officer  by  the  name  of  C.  J.  Stahlbrand,  engaged  in  the 
business  of  abstract  examiner.  He  obtained  a  commission  from 
Governor  Yates  to  recruit  a  battery  of  artillery,  was  chosen  captain 
of  the  battalion  formed  by  this  and  a  couple  of  other  batteries, 
was  promoted  major  and  then  brigadier  general  for  bravery,  served 
in  the  army  for  about  a  year  after  the  close  of  the  war,  then  made  his 
home  in  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  died  in  Charleston  Feb.  3,  1894,  and  was  buried 
in  Columbia,  in  the  same  state.  To  this  prominent  Swedish-American 


SYCAMORE 


351 


citizen  we  will  revert  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  dealing  with  the  Illinois 
Swedes  who  took  part  in  the  Civil  War. 

In  front  of  the  courthouse  in  Sycamore  the  people  of  DeKalb 
county  in  1896  erected  an  imposing  monument  in  memory  of  the  men 
from  this  county  who  fought  and  died  for  the  Union  cause  on  Southern 
battlefields.  Among  these  men  were  a  number  of  Swedish-Americans. 

Another  early  Swedish  settler  here  was  Carl  Carlson  from  Moheda, 
Smaland,  arrived  in  1869  and  subsequently  the  most  successful  and 
prosperous  Swedish  farmer  in  the  county.  He  was  still  living  here  in 
1898,  enjoying  a  considerable  fortune  accumulated  during  a  life  of 


Sycamore — Court  House  and  Soldiers'  Monument 

toil  and  prudent  husbandry.  During  the  period  covered  by  the  late 
sixties  and  early  seventies  the  number  of  Swedish  inhabitants  was 
substantially  increased  through  direct  immigration  from  Sweden.  In 
1870  they  were  strong  enough  to  organize  a  Lutheran  church,  which 
was  for  a  time  the  only  Swedish  church  in  the  place,  being  followed 
in  1888  by  a  Baptist  church,  which,  however,  has  made  but  small 
acquisitions.  The  Swedes  of  Sycamore  have  taken  active  part  in  local 
politics,  and  several  of  them  have  held  public  office.  In  the  matter  of 
fraternal  orders  the  Sycamore  Swedes  will  not  bear  comparison  with 
other  Swedish-American  centers. 

In  the  year  1880  there  were  in  Sycamore  and  vicinity  about  1,000 
Swedish  people  and  in  1905  some  1,500.     Those  living  in  the  city  are 


352 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


engaged  in  various  commercial  pursuits,  many  of  them  being  in 
business  for  themselves.  A  number  of  the  retired  farmers  of  the 
neighborhood  are  now  residing  in  town,  enjoying  in  their  old  age  the 
fruits  of  their  labors  in  earlier  years. 

Before  closing  this  brief  historical  sketch  of  the  Swedish  colony  at 
Sycamore,  we  desire  to  give  an  account  of  the  interesting  visit  paid 
to  Sycamore  years  ago  by  Christina  Nilsson,  the  renowned  Swedish 
singer.  In  December,  1870,  the  Swedish  nightingale  appeared  in 
Chicago,  captivating  the  moneyed  aristocracy  of  the  city  at  a  grand 
concert,  and  being  herself  feted  at  a  splendid  banquet  given  by 
Swedish- Americans  headed  by  the  Svea  Society.  The  Swedes  in  Syca- 
more, hearing  of  these  affairs,  were  seized  with  a  natural  desire  to  see 
and  hear  the  prima  donna.  This  desire  was  strengthened  by  the  fact 
that  relatives  of  the  great  singer  were  living  in  Sycamore,  as  well  as 
other  persons  who  knew  her  from  the  time  when,  as  "Stina  from 
Snugge, ' '  she  traveled  around  singing  at  country  fairs  in  Smaland. 

But  there  was  still  another  reason  why  they  wished  to  have  her 
visit  Sycamore,  and  that  a  weighty  one.  Twenty  years  before,  Jenny 
Lind  had  given  a  handsome  sum  to  the  fund  for  the  building  of  the 
St.  Ansgarius  Church  of  Chicago  and  subsequently  donated  a  valuable 
communion  service  to  the  same  church.  Why,  then,  they  reasoned, 
should  not  Christina  Nilsson  visit  her  own  people  at  Sycamore  and  by 
her  voice  assist  in  raising  the  money  needed  for  a  church  for  the 
congregation  organized  that  same  year?  They  met  and  counseled, 
resulting  in  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  go  to  Chicago  and  make 
their  wishes  known  to  the  singer.  In  order  to  make  assurance  doubly 
sure,  they  appointed  on  this  committee  Anders  Ingemansson,  a  man 
whom  Christina  Nilsson  well  knew.  In  former  days  while  Anders  was 
living  at  Lofhult,  a  part  of  the  property  belonging  to  the  iron  works 
at  Huseby,  Smaland,  he  often  hauled  loads  of  ironware  from  the  factory 
to  Vexio  or  Ljungby,  and  many  a  time  the  little  flaxen-haired  violin 
player  from  Snugge  got  a  ride  with  him  to  and  from  the  fairs  held  in 
these  towns.  Would  she  have  the  heart  to  refuse  a  request  made 
by  him  ?  Hardly. 

The  other  two  members  of  the  committee  were  one  Gustafsson  'and 
Andrew  Johnson.  Through  the  kind  offices  of  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson 
they  obtained  an  audience  with  the  singer,  who  consented  instantly. 
Certainly  she  would  come  and  sing  for  them !  But  Strakosch,  her 
impresario,  said  no.  Suppose  she  would  catch  a  cold  and  become 
indisposed  but  for  one  evening — it  would  entail  the  loss  of  thousands 
of  dollars.  Or  if  there  should  be  a  train  wreck  and  she  would  break  an 
arm  or  a  leg,  what  a  dilemma  they  would  all  be  in !  Such  was  his 
reasoning,  concluding  with  a  repeated  refusal  to  let  her  go. 


MISCELLANEOUS  353 

But  the  singer  made  light  of  the  objections  of  her  manager,  mildly 
ridiculing  his  foolish  arguments,  until  he  had  to  submit.  Not  wanting 
to  break  her  engagement  in  Chicago,  Christina  Nilsson  was  compelled 
to  go  to  Sycamore  on  Christmas  Day,  which  fell  on  a  Sunday.  She  was 
accompanied  by  the  singers  and  musicians  of  her  company,  a  number 
of  prominent  Swedish  citizens  of  Chicago  and,  last  but  not  least, 
Strakosch  himself,  who  went  in  order  to  see  that  no  harm  came  to  his 
Swedish  nightingale. 

The  concert  in  Sycamore  was  given  in  the  American  Methodist 
church.  Christina  Nilsson,  as  usual,  made  an  absolute  conquest.  Prob- 
ably never  before  had  she  sung  Gounod's  "Ave  Maria"  with  such 
profound  feeling  as  at  this  occasion.  She  gave  two  other  numbers, 
besides.  Her  American  hearers  were  as  charmed  as  her  own  country- 
men. But  the  concert  given  in  the  church,  to  which  an  admission  fee 
of  three  dollars  was  charged,  had  to  be  supplemented  by  a  popular 
concert,  in  order  to  give  the  poorer  classes  an  opportunity  to  hear  her. 
At  this  concert,  held  in  Wilkins  Hall,  she  again  sang  "Ave  Maria"  and, 
in  order  to  get  into  complete  touch  with  her  audience,  now  almost 
exclusively  Swedish,  rendered  several  Swedish  ballads  in  the  most 
approved  style  of  little  "Stina  from  Snugge."  The  net  profit  of  these 
two  concerts  amounted  to  about  $1,000.  The  amount  appropriated  to 
the  church  building  fund  we  cannot  exactly  state. 

Ingemansson,  the  old  friend  of  Christina  Nilsson,  who  had  engaged 
in  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Sycamore,  died  there  about  1890.  Her 
relatives,  who  doubtless  are  still  living  there,  are  Anna,  Magni,  Gustaf, 
Emil,  Ida  and  Oscar  Nilsson,  the  children  of  Fetter  Nilsson  and  Eva, 
his  wife,  now  deceased.  She  was  a  cousin  of  the  great  singer.  Another 
relative  of  the  latter  is  Mrs.  Carrie  Bohlin,  who  bears  the  same  relation- 
ship to  the  singer  as  the  children  of  Fetter  and  Eva  Nilsson. 

MISCELLANEOUS    SETTLEMENTS 

The  previous  sketches  deal  with  the  history  of  only  the  older  and 
larger  Swedish  settlements  in  Illinois.  But  there  are  quite  a  number 
of  later  ones,  large  and  small,  many  of  which,  especially  those  of 
recent  date,  by  reason  of  rapid  growth  and  the  importance  attained, 
would  deserve  a  place  in  this  series.  But  we  are  constrained  to  limit 
ourselves  to  the  bare  mention  of  their  name  and  the  time  of  founding. 
In  many  cases  it  has  been  possible  to  give  the  year  with  absolute 
certainty,  while  in  many  others  the  time  can  only  be  approximated. 
In  the  latter  instances,  the  year  stated  is  the  earliest  in  which  Swedes 
are  definitely  known  to  have  lived  in  the  respective  localities,  not, 
however,  precluding  the  possibility  of  earlier  settlement  by  individual 
Swedes. 


354 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS 


Following  are  the  older  of  the  smaller  Swedish  settlements  of 
which  the  time  of  first  settlement  is  positively  known : 

Settlement  County  Founded 

Lafayette Stark 1846 

Henderson   Grove. .  Knox 1849 

Beaver, Iroquois 1853 

Pecatonica Winnebago 1854 

Avon Fulton 1854 

Toulon Stark 1855 

Wyanet Bureau 1855 

New  Windsor Mercer 1859 

New  Boston, Mercer 1859 

Following  are  the  smaller  Swedish  settlements  of  more  recent  date, 
the  year  of  first  settlement  being  definitely  known : 

Settlement-  County  Founded 

Coal  Valley Rock   Island 1863 

Farmersville McLean 1863 

Bloomington McLean 1865 

Woodhull Henry 1865 

Aledo Mercer 1866 

Roseville Warren. 1867 

Nekoma Henry 1867 

Evanston Cook 1868 

Lockport Will 1768 

Danville Vermillion 1869 

Ophiern Henry 1870 

Lynn Henry 1870 

Osco Henry 1870 

Cambridge. . Henry 1870 

Donovan Iroquois 1872 

Earlier  Swedish  settlements  where  the  year  of  founding  is  doubt- 
ful are : 

Elgin,  Kane   County 1852 

Aurora,  Kane  County 1857 

More  recent  Swedish  settlements  of  doubtful  date  are  as  follows: 

Settlement  County  Founded 

Neoga Cumberland 1862 

Varna Marshall 1868 

Joliet Will 1870 

Biggsville Henderson 1872 

Lemont.. Cook 1872 

Kirkland, DeKalb 1872 

Highwood Lake 1874 

New  Bedford. ...   Bureau 1874 

Rankin Ford 1875 

Port  Byron Rock  Island 1875 

Prophetstown Whiteside 1875 

Morrison Whiteside 1875 

Oregon Ogle 1876 


MISCELLANEOUS  355 

Settlement  County  Founded 

Sibley Ford 1879 

Gibson  City Ford 1881 

Peoria, Peoria 1883 

Streator La  Salle 1884 

Putnam. Putnam 1885 

La  Grange Cook 1887 

Clarence Ford 1887 

Morris Grundy 1889 

Gladstone Henderson 1889 

Canton Fulton 1890 

Stronghurst Henderson 1892 

Waukegan Lake 1892 

Wenona Marshall 1892 

Lily  Lake Kane 1894 

Belvidere Boone 1894 

Cable Mercer 1895 

Utica Fulton 1900 

Granville Putnam 1902. 

Sandwich DeKalb 1904 

Beyond  this  individual  Swedes  with  or  without  families  are  to  be 
found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  state. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  Swedish  Methodist-Episcopal  Church 

Preparatory  WorK 

T  was  through  Olof  G.  Hedstrom  that  Methodism  first 
was  introduced  among  the  Swedes  and  other  Scandi- 
navians in  New  York  and  later  by  his  brother  Jonas 
Hedstrom  among  the  Swedish  settlers  in  Illinois.  A 
sketch  of  the  life  and  work  of  Jonas  Hedstrom  has  been 
given  among  those  of  the  first  Swedes  in  Illinois.  We  proceed  to 
give  a  brief  account  of  the  church  founded  by  these  two  brothers, 
the  earliest  Swedish  religious  denomination  in  America. 

Jonas  Hedstrom  preached  his  first  Swedish  sermon  December  15, 
1846,  in  a  little  blockhouse  in  the  woods  about  three  miles  southwest 
of  Victoria,  the  same  house  where  Olof  Olsson,  the  advance  representa- 
tive of  Erik  Jansson,  and  later  Erik  Jansson  himself,  received  the  first 
shelter  after  arriving  at  their  destination  in  the  West.  At  this  same 
occasion  the  first  Swedish  Methodist  congregation  was  organized, 
consisting  of  five  members,  namely,  Hedstrom  and  his  wife,  Andrew 
Hjelm  and  wife,  and  Peter  Newberg.  At  Christmas  time,  a  couple 
of  weeks  later,  the  first  Swedish  Methodist  quarterly  meeting  was  held 
in  the  same  cabin,  when  several  new  members  were  welcomed.  For 
some  time  Jonas  Hedstrom  continued  as  the  spiritual  leader  of  the 
little  group  of  Swedish  Methodists,  meanwhile  pursuing  his  black- 
smith's trade.  But  as  the  flock  grew  larger,  he  gave  way  to  the  urgings 
of  the  members  to  devote  his  whole  time  to  gospel  work. 

In  August,  1848,  he  was  received  on  probation  into  the  American 
Rock  River  Conference  and  appointed  missionary  among  the  Swedish 
settlers.  Thereafter  he  devoted  himself  almost  exclusively  to  preaching 
and  soon  had  ample  opportunity  to  display  his  great  capacity  as  an 
organizer.  After  making  a  few  visits  to  a  certain  place  he  would 
proceed  to  organize  a  congregation  there,  and  soon  had  to  divide  his 
time  among  a  number  of  places.  He  labored  with  such  untiring  energy 
that  within  the  year  he  had  founded  churches  at  Andover  and  Gales- 


PREPARATORY     WORK 


357 


burg  and  was  able  to  report  to  the  Conference  in  1849  no  less  than 
six  charges,  viz.,  Victoria,  Andover,  Galesburg,  Lafayette,  Moline  and 
Rock  Island,  aggregating  sixty  members  in  full  connection  and  thirty- 
three  on  probation. 

At  first  Jonas  Hedstrom  was  entirely  alone  in  the  work  in  this 
mission  field.  Until  the  arrival  of  L.  P.  Esbjorn,  the  Lutheran  minister, 
in  1849,  he  \vas  also  the  only  Swedish  clergyman  in  the  entire  West. 
Soon  afterward  he  received  his  first  assistant  in  John  Brown,  who 
became  itinerant  preacher  among  the  widely  scattered  settlers.  In  the 
autumn  of  1849  Hedstrom  got  a  second  assistant,  C.  P.  Agrelius,  who 
came  on  from  New  York  with  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  the 


The  Log  Cabin  in  which  the  First  Swedish  M.  E.  Church 
in  America  was  Organized 

elder  Hedstrom.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  this  man  was  sent  to  a  Nor- 
wegian Methodist  mission  in  Wisconsin,  but  the  same  year  he  received 
new  reinforcements  in  the  persons  of  Andrew  Ericson  and  A.  G.  Swed- 
berg,  who  soon  after  their  arrival  from  Sweden  in  the  late  fall  of  1849 
joined  the  Methodist  Church  and  subsequently  became  traveling  mis- 
sionaries. In  May,  1850,  a  new  mission  field  was  opened  in  New 
Sweden,  Jefferson  county,  Iowa.  The  records  of  the  conference  meet- 
ing of  1850  show  that  the  Swedish  mission  in  connection  with  the  Rock 
River  Conference  at  that  early  date  comprised  four  circuits  with  six 
preachers  and  195  church  members.  The  preachers  were  the  five 
already  mentioned,  together  with  Peter  Cassel,  who  was  stationed  at 
New  Sweden,  la. 

In  1852  two  more  preachers  were  added,  viz.,  Peter  Challman,  or 
Kallman,  and  Erik  Shogren,  or  Sjogren,  who  at  the  behest  of  Hedstrom 
devoted  themselves  to  church  work  after  having  returned  from  a  gold- 


358  THE    METHODISTS 

seeking  excursion  to  California  late  in  the  summer  of  1851,  but  were 
not  accepted  on  probation  by  the  Kock  River  Conference  until  Septem- 
ber, 1853.  In  January  of  that  year  the  number  of  workers  was  again 
increased  by  the  addition  of  S.  B.  Newman,  who  for  two  years  had  been 
assistant  to  Eev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom  on  the  Bethel  ship  in  New  York 
harbor.  Now  he  was  sent  to  Chicago  to  take  charge  of  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Church  which  had  been  organized  there  the  previous  month, 
December,  1852.  The  next  addition  was  made  in  1854,  when  Peter 
Newberg,  Hedstrom 's  former  helper  in  the  blacksmith  shop  at  Victoria, 
where  he  had  been  under  the  spiritual  influence  of  his  employer, 
exchanged  the  anvil  for  the  pulpit.  The  following  year  the  corps  of 
preachers  received  in  Victor  Witting  a  very  valuable  member  who. 
after  diverse  experiences  in  this  country,  was  won  over  to  Methodism 
while  on  a  visit  to  New  York,  having  become  familiar  with  the  church 
during  his  previous  residence  in  Illinois.  All  these  preachers  labored 
principally  within  the  state,  but  incidentally  extended  their  operations 
to  Indiana  and  Iowa. 

In  spite  of  these  reinforcements,  the  work  of  Hedstrom  himself 
rather  increased  than  lightened,  as  the  enlargement  of  the  field  com- 
pelled him  to  make  frequent  long  journeys  to  the  widely  scattered 
churches  in  order  to  exercise  proper  supervision  of  the  work.  His  field 
now  extended  from  Chicago  west  as  far  as  New  Sweden,  la.  Opposing 
forces  notwithstanding,  the  progress  of  Methodism  among  the  Swedish 
settlers  was  continuous.  In  1856,  at  the  conference  meeting  held  in 
Peoria,  all  the  Swedish  churches  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Iowa  were 
combined  into  a  special  district  with  Jonas  Hedstrom  as  its  presiding 
elder.  However,  he  was  not  long  to  hold  this  position,  for  in  his  work 
as  pioneer  missionary  and  on  the  long,  difficult  journeys  he  was 
constantly  compelled  to  make,  his  health  had  been  undermined  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  was  forced  to  retire  after  one  year.  On  May  11,  1859, 
less  than  two  years  later,  death  ended  his  career. 

Tine  Co-WorKers  of  Jonas  Hedstrom— John  Brown 

The  first  assistant  of  Jonas  Hedstrom  in  the  missionary  field  was 
John  Brown.  He  was  of  Danish  descent,  born  on  the  island  of  Als 
Dec.  23,  1813,  but  having  been  brought  up  among  German-speaking 
people,  he  acquired  that  language  and  spoke  Danish  or  Swedish  with  a 
marked  German  brogue. 

Brown  came  to  America  as  a  sailor  prior  to  May  14,  1843,  when  he 
was  married  in  New  York  city  to  Johanna  Baden,  a  German  woman 
from  Altona,  who  proved  a  true  helpmeet  to  him. 

In  New  York,  presumably,  he  came  in  contact  with  one  of  the 
early  emigrant  parties  of  Erik  Janssonists,  joined  tlje  sect,  and  in  1847 
we  find  him  in  Bishop  Hill.  Dissatisfied  with  the  prophet  and  his 


JOHN    BROWN 


359 


colony,  Brown  soon  left,  together  with  a  number  of  others,  the  deserters 
settling  at  Lafayette,  Stark  county,  eight  miles  east  of  Victoria,  where 
they  obtained  employment  from  an  American  named  Hodgeson.  The 
energetic  sailor  at  once  joined  the  Methodists,  whose  tenets  he  favored. 
His  slight  acquaintance  with  Hedstrom,  formed  during  the  visits  of  the 
latter  to  Bishop  Hill,  was  now  deepened  by  more  intimate  intercourse 
with  him.  Finding  Brown  suitable  timber  for  the  ministry,  Hedstrom 
lost  no  time  in  urging  him  to  enter  that  vocation. 

Ere  long,  Brown  was  in  the  field  as  a  missionary,  preaching  first 
in  and  around  Lafayette  and  Victoria,  then  in  Andover  and  Rock 
Island.  In  the  last-named  place  his  efforts  were  especially  successful. 
After  having  been  received  into  the  Conference  in  1852,  he  was  sent 
to  labor  among  the  Norwegians  in  Leland  and  Fox  River,  LaSalle 
county.  As  a  consequence  of  overwork  and  privations  his  health  soon 
broke  down,  compelling  him  to  retire  from  active  service  after  three 
years.  He  was  subsequently  employed  as  bridge  tender  at  Freedom, 
halfway  between  Leland  and  Ottawa,  having  charge  of  the  local  church 
in  the  meantime.  Some  time  later  he  removed  to  Iowa,  locating  in  the 
little  town  of  Nevada,  Storey  county.  Despite  ill  health  he  traveled 
about  the  country  preaching  in  English,  German  and  Swedish  in  the 
new  settlements,  even  now  gathering  many  into  the  Methodist  fold. 
Brown  was  a  man  of  great  zeal,  a  live,  vivid  and  warmhearted 
preacher,  and  a  very  successful  revivalist.  When  he  got  especially 
warmed  up,  both  by  his  text  and  the  summer  heat  on  the  prairies,  he 
would  throw  off  his  coat  and  neckwear,  and  sometimes  his  vest,  and  go 
on  preaching  with  a  vim  that  was  overpowering.  Although  sincerely 
devoted  to  Methodism,  he  was  not  fanatical  or  intolerant.  "Let  others 
stand  by  their  flag;  I'll  stand  by  mine,"  was  his  motto,  expressed  in 
his  bluff  seaman's  vernacular. 

While  engaged  one  day  in  painting  a  fence  at  his  home  in  Nevada, 
he  suffered  an  apoplectic  stroke  which  ended  his  life.  This  was  in  1875, 
presumably  in  the  month  of  September. 

Rev.  Carl  Patter  Ag'relius 

The  second  in  order  of  the  ten  assistants  of  Hedstrom  during  the 
first  decade  was  Carl  Fetter  Agrelius,  in  temperament,  energy  and 
mental  make-up  a  complete  contrast  to  Brown.  He  also  had  been 
assistant  to  Rev.  O.  Gr.  Hedstrom  on  the  Bethel  ship  in  New  York, 
serving  there  1848-49.  and  subsequently  as  Jonas  Hedstrom 's  assistant 
in  the  Victoria  circuit.  He  became  the  first  Swedish  Methodist  preacher 
among  the  Scandinavian  population  in  Wisconsin.  Agrelius  was  born 
in  Ostergotland  Oct.  22,  1798,  studied  at  the  University  of  Upsala  and 
was  ordained  to  the  ministry,  very  likely  in  1822.  After  serving  for 


360  THE    METHODISTS 

twenty-six  years  as  a  minister  of  the  state  church  of  Sweden,  during 
the  latter  years  as  curate  of  the  parish  of  Pelarne,  in  northern  Smaland, 
he  felt  an  inner  call  to  go  to  America  and  take  up  Lutheran  missionary 
work  among  the  growing  masses  of  emigrants.  Together  with  a  large 
party,  he  arrived  in  New  York  in  1848,  probably  in  the  month  .of 
October.  Kev.  Hedstrom  and  his  alert  assistant,  Peter  Bergner,  who 
were  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  Swedes,  went  on  board  at  once  to 
bid  the  newcomers  welcome,  give  advice  and  assistance  and  invite 
them  to  attend  the  service  on  board  the  Bethel  ship  that  evening.  By 
his  dress  and  general  appearance  Agrelius  at  once  attracted  their 
attention,  and  on  addressing  him  they  learned  that  he  was  a  minister 
of  the  Swedish  state  church. 

Agrelius  stopped  in  New  York,  where  he  attempted  to  build  up  a 
Swedish  Lutheran  congregation,  an  enterprise  which,  however,  proved 
for  too  great  for  his  capacity.  He  was  devout,  forsooth,  and  had  the 
best  of  intentions,  but  lacked  energy,  enthusiasm  and  other  qualities 
requisite  to  leadership.  To  him  it  was  more  natural  to  be  led  than  to 
lead.  Finding  himself  unable  to  organize  a  Lutheran  church,  he  began 
to  associate  more  intimately  with  Hedstrom,  attended  class  meetings 
and  services  on  board  the  missionary  ship  and  preached  there  occasion- 
ally, at  the  request  of  Hedstrom.  Before  long  he  was  a  Methodist,  heart 
and  soul,  joined  their  church,  was  licensed  as  local  preacher  a  short 
time  afterward  and  was  engaged  as  Hedstrom 's  assistant  on  the  Bethel 
ship  for  a  year,  or  till  the  fall  of  1849,  when  he  was  sent  to  Victoria  to 
assist  the  younger  Hedstrom.  Together  with  E.  Shogren  and  other 
recent  arrivals  from  Sweden  who,  upon  Hedstrom 's  advice,  decided  to 
settle  at  Victoria,  he  left  New  York,  arriving  at  his  destination  in 
October.  During  the  following  six  months  he  went  from  place  to  place 
in  the  surrounding  circuit,  preaching  in  the  houses  of  the  settlers. 

At  the  solicitation  of  an  influential  American  Methodist  in  Chicago 
or  Evanston,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  the  Scandinavians  and 
guaranteed  support  to  the  preacher  for  one  year,  Agrelius  was  sent 
to  Spring  Prairie,  Wis.,  in  the  early  part  of  1850  in  order  to  begin  work 
among  the  Norwegian  settlements  thereabout.  In  July,  1851,  he  was 
received  into  the  "Wisconsin  Conference  on  probation  and  sent  as 
missionary  to  the  Norwegians  in  Primrose,  in  that  state.  Here  he 
remained  for  three  years,  till  the  fall  of  1854,  when  he  was  sent  to  the 
Swedish  Methodist  mission  in  St.  Paul  and,  a  year  later,  to  Marine, 
Chisago  county,  Minn.  At  this  place  he  built  a  log  cabin  for  himself 
on  a  piece  of  land  he  had  purchased  near  Big  Lake,  and  remained  here 
for  a  number  of  years,  preaching  to  his  countrymen  in  the  large  sur- 
rounding settlements. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  he  moved  back  to  Wisconsin  and  served  the 


ANDREW    ERICSON  361 

churches  of  Coon  Prairie,  Hart  Prairie,  Primrose  and  Highland ;  in  1866 
he  was  declared  superannuated,  but  continued  for  another  year  in 
charge  of  the  Norwegian  Methodist  church  of  Willow  River,  whereupon 
his  pastoral  career  ended.  He  now  went  back  to  live  in  retirement  on 
his  little  farm  in  Marine,  Minn.,  remaining  there  until  1878,  when  he 
removed  to  the  home  of  his  youngest  son  at  Deer  Park,  St.  Croix  county, 
Wis.  At  that  place  he  died  August  18,  1881,  at  the  mature  age  of 
eighty-three.  On  the  same  date  twelve  years  after,  his  widow,  Anna 
Elisabet,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 

Agrelius  was  a  man  of  tractable  and  peaceful  disposition.  Among 
his  associates  he  was  talkative,  benign  and  social.  Hospitable  almost  to 
a  fault,  he  was  ready  to  entertain  in  his  little  log  cabin  every  wayfarer 
who  passed,  whether  stranger  or  friend.  He  was  a  man  of  thorough 
education  but  limited  executive  ability.  His  sermons  were  dry  and 
wearisome  to  listen  to,  their  contents  being  in  substance  good,  but 
lacking  in  depth. 

Rev.  Andrew  Ericson 

The  third  in  order  of  Hedstrom  's  co-laborers  was  Andrew  Ericson. 
Born  at  Roste,  Bollnas  parish,  Helsingland,  July  8,  1815,  he  was 
converted  in  early  youth  and  soon  thereafter  began  to  preach.  He 
and  his  wife  were  among  those  who  accompanied  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn  to 
America  in  1849  and  came  with  him  to  Andover.  Ericson  did  not  long 
remain  there.  Urged  by  Rev.  Hedstrom,  who  soon  after  their  arrival 
visited  Andover,  he,  together  with  a  number  of  other  newcomers, 
decided  to  locate  at  Victoria.  Almost  immediately  he  joined  the 
Methodist  Church  and  became  a  faithful  and  ever  willing  assistant  in 
whom  Rev.  Hedstrom  reposed  implicit  trust.  Though  not  naturally 
brilliant,  he  proved  a  very  able  preacher.  The  partisanship  so  prevalent 
in  those  early  days  did  not  enter  into  his  mental  make-up. 

After  laboring  for  a  few  years  in  Illinois,  he  was  sent  to  New 
Sweden,  la.,  in  1854,  to  assume  charge  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  con- 
gregation at  that  place  and  to  exercise  general  supervision  of  the 
surrounding  field,  which  at  first  was  very  large,  extending  from 
Burlington  west  to  Swede  Bend,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  any  other  Swedish  Methodist  clergyman  ever 
kept  up  services  at  points  so  far  apart  as  those  regularly  visited  by 
Andrew  Ericson  during  the  first  part  of  the  time  he  labored  in  this 
field. 

At  the  close  of  April,  1854,  the  year  of  his  coming  to  the  state, 
a  church  had  been  organized  in  Swede  Bend,  Webster  county,  175  miles 
west  of  New  Sweden.  No  less  than  thirteen  times  in  two  years  he 
traveled  from  New  Sweden  to  Swede  Bend,  a  distance  both  ways  of 


362  THE    METHODISTS 

more  than  three  hundred  miles  through  wild  and  for  the  most  part 
unsettled  country.  Not  infrequently  his  own  countrymen  would  refuse 
to  shelter  him,  compelling  him  to  spend  the  nights  under  the  open  sky — 
all  because  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher.  Such  was  the  partisan  zeal 
among  the  church  people  at  that  time. 

In  1856  Ericson  was  sent  to  Swede  Bend  and  labored  there  ex- 
clusively until  1860,  when  he  was  sent  back  to  Illinois  and  stationed 
at  the  Norwegian  settlement  in  Leland.  The  following  year  he  was 
minister  in  charge  at  Andover,  which  position  he  held  for  two  years. 
At  the  conference  of  1863,  he  requested  that  he  be  placed  on  the  retired 
list,  which  being  done  he  returned  to  Swede  Bend,  la.,  where  he  owned 
a  farm.  Here  he  spent  his  last  days.  Sept.  11,  1878,  he  was  found  dead 
just  outside  of  his  house,  evidently  struck  down  by  apoplexy. 

Andrew  Ericson  was  a  -plain  man  of  the  people,  with  little  book 
learning,  his  opportunities  for  study  having  been  limited.  Yet  by  dint 
of  zeal  and  great  devotion  to  his  calling  his  labors  were  richly  blessed. 
He  was  a  man  of  peaceful  and  benign  disposition,  who  made  no 
enemies. 

Rev.  Anders  Gustaf  Swedberg' 

Anders  Gustaf  Swedberg,  the  fourth  of  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom's 
auxiliary  workers,  was  born  in  1827  or  1828  in  the  city  of  Hudiksvall 
or  near  there.  In  early  age  he  joined  the  so-called  "Luther  Readers," 
or  Hedbergians,  and  occasionally  appeared  as  exhorter  at  their  meet- 
ings. He  accompanied  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn  to  this  country  in  1849.  When 
they  arrived  at  Andover,  an  epidemic  of  sickness  was  raging  there,  and 
lodging  could  not  be  secured,  so  Swedberg  and  others  proceeded  to 
Ghlesburg.  There  he  at  once  came  in  contact  with  the  Methodists  and 
soon  came  to  feel  at  home  among  them.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he  joined 
the  Methodist  Church  and  became  exhorter  and  subsequently  local 
preacher.  The  following  year  he  was  received  on  probation  into  the 
Rock  River  Conference.  It  was  then  resolved  that  Swedberg  and 
Andrew  Ericson  should  alternately  have  charge  of  the  congregations 
of  the  Victoria-Galesburg  circuit,  principally  that  of  Galesburg,  where 
Swedberg  resided. 

At  this  time  Swedberg  was  a  young  man,  only  twenty-one  years 
of  age;  he  possessed  a  good  education,  was  a  gifted  speaker,  had  a 
pleasing  manner,  was  full  of  fire  and  enthusiasm,  qualities  by  which 
he  won  the  hearts  of  all.  It  was  the  general  opinion  that  in  him  Rev. 
Hedstrom  had  obtained  one  of  his  most  valuable  aids.  But  these 
expectations  were  not  fulfilled.  In  the  spring  of  1852  an  American 
Baptist  clergyman  by  the  name  of  Barry,  a  very  eloquent  man,  came 
to  Galesburg  and  by  his  sermons  on  the  doctrine  of  baptism  quickly 


CASSEL— CHALLMAN  363 

stirred  up  the  whole  community.  Among  quite  a  number  of  Swedes 
who  were  converted  to  the  Baptist  faith  was  Swedberg.  He  left  the 
Methodist  Church,  was  baptized  anew  and  in  1853  was  appointed 
minister  of  a  newly  organized  church  at  Village  Creek,  la.  •  He  at  first 
served  for  two  years,  or  until  1855,  when  the  church  was  left  without 
a  preacher  until  the  autumn  of  1856 ;  then  Swedberg  was  again  called 
there,  accepting  the  charge.  In  1864  he  was  still  in  charge  of  this 
church,  but  since  that  time  little  is  known  of  him  and  it  is  not  known 
whether  he  is  still  among  the  living. 

Rev.  Peter  Cassel 

Peter  Cassel,  to  whom  frequent  reference  has  been  made,  also 
was  one  of  Eev.  Hedstrom's  co-workers.  He  was  born  in  Asbo  parish, 
Ostergotland,  Oct.  13,  1790.  In  his  native  place  he  was  a  miller  and 
afterwards  foreman  on  a  large  country  estate.  From  1825  to  1830 
this  locality  experienced  a  general  revivalist  movement  in  which  Cassel 
joined.  Cassel  later  became  the  leader  of  a  party  of  emigrants  who 
left  Kisa,  Ostergotland,  in  1845,  destined  for  Pine  Lake,  Wis.,  but  on 
reaching  New  York  decided  to  change  their  route  and  went  to  Iowa, 
where  they  founded  New  Sweden,  the  first  Swedish  settlement  in  that 
state. 

When  in  November,  1850,  the  Swedish  Methodist  Church  in  New 
Sweden  was  organized,  Cassel  was  one  of  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first, 
to  sign  for  membership.  He  soon  became  local  preacher.  The  following 
year  he  was  appointed  minister  in  charge,  serving  in  that  capacity  for 
three  years,  till  the  fall  of  1854.  Two  years  later  he  was  ordained 
deacon  of  the  Methodist  Church.  His  strength  soon  failed,  however, 
compelling  him  to  resign.  Cassel  died  March  4,  1857. 

"Father"  Cassel,  as  he  was  reverently  styled  by  the  people  of  New 
Sweden,  was  a  man  of  the  old  stock,  honest  and  true.  He  was  the 
soul  of  the  church  as  well  as  of  the  community,  and  was  looked  up  to 
by  all  with  respect  and  confidence. 

Rev.  Peter  Challman 

Among  all  the  co-workers  and  assistants  of  Hedstrom,  Peter  Chall- 
man,  or  Kallman,  both  as  a  revivalist  and  a  pioneer  preacher,  took 
foremost  rank.  Being  a  man  of  exceptional  energy,  he  would  un- 
doubtedly have  attained  still  greater  prominence  under  more  favorable 
circumstances.  He  was  born  at  the  Voxna  factory,  in  Helsingland, 
1823.  In  the  fall  of  1844  he  joined  the  Erik  Janssonists  and  the  folloAV- 
ing  spring  began  to  conduct  religious  meetings,  preaching  in  accordance 
with  the  tenets  of  the  sect.  He  was  soon  chosen  one  of  Erik  Jansson's 


364-  THE    METHODISTS 

apostles  and  sent  out  by  him  to  preach.  By  Kallman's  preaching  many 
were  won  over.  But  to  preach  Erik  Janssonism  was  fraught  with 
grave  peril.  Kallman  was  twice  mobbed  by  the  enraged  populace; 
once  he  was»near  being  killed,  another  time  he  was  arrested  and  brought 
to  the  Gefle  prison,  the  trial  however,  resulting  in  his  release.  These 
experiences  impelled  him  to  leave  the  country.  With  a  party  of  other 
Erik  Janssonists  he  left  Stockholm  for  America  June  26,  1846,  arriving 
at  Bishop  Hill  Oct.  28th,  four  months  later. 

Here  he  found  conditions  altogether  at  variance  with  the  claims 
of  the  prophet  and  others,  and  in  June,  1847,  he  left  the  colony  in 
disgust,  taking  up  a  temporary  abode  in  Lafayette.  There  he  became 
acquainted  with  Hedstrom  and  other  Methodists.  In  the  fall  of  1847 
he  removed  to  Galesburg,  where  he  worked  as  a  carpenter  for  two 
years,  preaching  occasionally  to  his  fellow  countrymen  at  the  request 
of  Hedstrom.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  gold  fever  was  at  its  height. 
Following  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in  1848,  the  newspapers 
were  filled  daily  with  wonderful  stories  of  marvelously  rich  strikes. 
The  air  was  full  of  wild  rumors.  Wherever  people  met,  whether  in  the 
street,  in  their  homes  or  in  church,  they  talked  of  gold,  nothing  but 
gold.  Everywhere,  people  were  seized  with  an  irresistible  longing 
for  the  glittering  gold  fields. 

Many  Swedes  were  among  those  smitten  by  the  epidemic.  We 
have  noted  that  a  Swedish  party  of  goldseekers  set  out  from  Andover. 
In  Galesburg  another  similar  party  was  organized  under  the  leadership 
of  the  energetic  Challman.  This  party  of  twelve  young  Swedes,  formed 
in  January,  1850,  started  on  March  14th  on  the  2,000  mile  journey 
to  the  gold  country.  Following  are  the  names  of  the  men  composing 
the  party:  Peter  Challman,  Erik  Shogren,  Jonas  Hellstrom,  George 
Challman,  Victor  Witting,  Louis  Larson,  Peter  Newberg,  Charles 
Peterson,  Olof  Hedstrom,  C.  Alexander,  Peter  Magnus  (surname  un- 
known) and  one  Gustafson.  On  Sundays  the  party  rested,  Peter 
Challman,  the  leader,  conducting  divine  services  for  his  men.  On  July 
14th  the  party  reached  their  destination  in  California. 

The  result  of  the  adventurous  trip  fell  far  short  of  expectations. 
Gold  was  found,  to  be  sure,  but  not  in  such  quantities  as  they  had 
hoped  for  and  far  from  sufficient  to  repay  them  for  the  hardships 
and  perils  of  their  long  journey.  Victor  Witting  remained  until  1852, 
and  Charles  Peterson  and  Gustafson  staid  permanently,  but  the  main 
party  returned  in  July,  1851,  after  one  year's  work  in  the  gold  mines. 
In  Chagres,  now  Aspinwall,  on  the  return  trip  Alexander  lost  all  his 
money  in  gambling  and  then  disappeared.  In  despair  over  the  un- 
satisfactory result  of  the  trip.  Peter  Magnus  drowned  himself  by 
jumping  overboard  shortly  before  the  steamer  by  which  the  party 


PETER    CHALLMAN  .565 

returned  reached  Chicago.  Charles  Peterson  died  in  Los  Angeles  in 
1898  at  the  age  of  eighty.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Church  of  that  city.  George  Challman  is  still  living  in  Galesburg. 
Olof  Hedstrom  died  in  1904,  near  Victoria.  Erik  Shogren  died  Jan.  2, 
1906.  Of  him  and  Newberg  we  will  speak  later.  Upon  his  return  Hell- 
strom  located  at  Victoria,  engaging  in  business,  from  which,  proving 
unprofitable,  he  soon  retired.  He  enlisted  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War,  served  in  the  Union  army  as  a  non-commissioned  officer  for  a 
time  and  succumbed  in  the  Arkansas  campaign  at  a  time  and  place 
unknown.  Gustafson  was  taken  ill  after  working  in  the  diggings  that 
summer  and  remained  in  California  until  his  death.  Louis  Larson 
separated  from  the  party  at  Salt  Lake  City,  but  proceeded  to  Cali- 
fornia, whence  he  returned  to  Victoria  after  a  few  months,  bought 
land  and  became  a  prosperous  farmer.  He  married  Christin  Olson, 
who  bore  him  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  died  a  few  years  ago 
at  his  old  homestead,  about  a  mile  from  Victoria,  where  his  son  Just. 
A.  Larson  now  lives  with  his  wife,  Nancy  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of 
George  Challman.  The  Larson  family  were  worthy  and  respected 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Victoria. 

Peter  Challman  returned  via  Panama  and  New  York  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Victoria,  where  he  was  at  first  employed  as  a  house  builder. 
The  Methodist  mission  work  among  the  local  Swedes  having  grown 
quite  extensive,  Rev.  Hedstrom,  who  knew  Challman  both  from  La- 
fayette and  Galesburg,  requested  him  to  devote  himself  exclusively 
to  this  work,  although  Challman  was  not  even  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  Challman  acceded  and  began  preaching.  On  Dec. 
31,  1851,  he  joined  the  church  at  Victoria  on  probation,  was  later 
accredited  as  local  minister,  was  accepted  into  the  Rock  River  Con- 
ference on  probation  in  1853,  at  Chicago,  and  ordained  deacon,  was  for 
a  year  itinerant  preacher,  then  served  the  churches  at  Andover  and 
Rock  Island  in  1854-5  and  during  the  next  two  years  preached  in 
Victoria,  Galesburg  and  the  neighboring  district.  Together  with  Sho- 
gren he  took  a  trip  to  Minnesota  in  1854  or  1855  to  visit  the  Swedish 
settlements  there. 

When  all  hope  that  Hedstrom  would  recover  sufficiently  to  resume 
work  was  at  an  end,  Challman  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the 
Swedish  district  in  1857,  at  the  recommendation  of  Hedstrom  himself. 
In  this  capacity  Challman  served  with  credit  until  1865,  when  he  waa 
assigned  to  Bishop  Hill.  Here  he  labored  for  a  year  until  the  fall  of 
1866,  when  he  undertook  a  trip  to  Sweden,  "not  for  Christ,  but  in  his 
own  interest,"  he  explained. 

On  his  return  to  America  he  settled  on  his  farm  in  Knox  county, 
left  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  the  Free  Methodists  and  began 


366  THE    METHODISTS 

missionary  work  in  and  about  Victoria  in  behalf  of  the  latter  denom- 
ination. He  remained  with  the  Free  Methodists  for  four  years,  preach- 
ing and  laboring  at  his  own  expense.  During  this  time  he  built  a 
Free  Methodist  church  for  the  Swedes  at  Center  Prairie,  seven  miles 
southwest  of  Victoria.  When  the  Swedish  congregation  was  dissolved, 
this  edifice  passed  into  the  hands  of  an  American  congregation.  Sub- 
sequently Challman  gradually  transferred  his  interests  from  the  mission 
field  to  the  corn  field.  In  his  ambition  to  acquire  large  tracts  of  land, 
he  incurred  heavy  debts  which,  during  and  after  the  panic  of  the  early 
seventies,  he  had  great  difficulty  in  paying. 

In  1884  he  removed  to  northwestern  Iowa.  He  now  regretted 
that  he  ever  deserted  his  pastoral  calling  and  the  "old  Methodist 
Church,"  as  he  styled  it.  In  order  to  correct  his  error,  in  part  at  least, 
he  joined  the  American  M.  E.  Church  at  Galva,  la.,  in  1890,  subsequently 
taking  part  in  several  annual  meetings  of  the  Iowa  Conference.  A 
severe  siege  of  influenza  undermined  his  health,  and  after  having  been 
confined  to  the  sickbed  for  half  a  year,  he  died  in  Challer,  la.,  July  8, 
1900,  aged  77  years.  His  remains  were  borne  to  the  grave  by  his 
six  sons. 

In  several  respects  Peter  Challman  was  a  remarkable  man.  He 
seemed  a  born  leader.  He  was  a  man  of  imposing  personality,  designed 
to  attract  attention  in  any  company.  Picture  to  yourself  a  man  broad 
of  shoulder  and  of  powerful  build,  massive  head,  wide  forehead,  a 
bushy  head  of  hair,  lively  dark-blue  eyes,  heavy  eyebrows,  a  beardless 
face,  the  expression  of  which  indicated  energy,  resoluteness  and  fear- 
lessness, add  to  this  a  powerful  bass  voice  that  easily  filled  the  largest 
edifice,  and  you  have  a  fair  image  of  Peter  Challman  in  his  prime.  To 
those  who  did  not  know  him  well  he  appeared  somewhat  coarse  and 
lacking  in  the  finer  sensibilities.  But  this  was  far  from  true.  Under 
the  rough  surface  of  the  man  there  beat  a  warm,  sympathetic,  benev- 
olent heart.  He  was  a  forceful  speaker,  though  not  a  finished  orator, 
and  knew  better  than  most  preachers  how  to  deal  with  hardened 
hearts.  Among  the  Methodists  stories  are  still  being  told  of  the 
revivals  that  followed  upon  his  strenuous  preaching.  During  his  clerical 
career  Challman  is  said  to  have  taken  part  in  the  organization  of  no 
less  than  twenty-two  churches.  In  the  course  of  a  single  year,  it  is  said, 
he  gained  800  converts  to  the  Methodist  belief.  It  was  while  he  was 
presiding  elder  that  the  Swedish  denominational  organ,  known  as 
"Sandebudet, "  was  established. 

Rev.  EriK  Shog'ren 

In  Erik  Shogren  Jonas  Hedstrom  obtained  one  of  his  most  eloquent 
and  popular  co-workers.  There  was  something  about  his  manner  of 


ERIK    SHOGREN 


367 


presenting  the  gospel  truths  that  appealed  irresistibly  to  his  hearers. 
This  pioneer  among  Swedish  Methodists  doubtless  was  instrumental 


Rev.  Erik  Shogren 

in  gaining  large  numbers  for  the  church  during  his  long  period  of 
activity. 

Shogren  was  born  Jan.  26,  1824,  at  Gnarp,  Helsingland.     As  a 
boy  he  attended  the  village  school  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  became  a 


368  THE    METHODISTS 

blacksmith's  apprentice,  afterward  following  that  trade  for  many 
years.  In  the  summer  of  1849  he  left  Gefle  on  board  the  brig  ' '  Solide, ' ' 
bound  for  America,  arriving  at  New  York  sixty-three  days  later.  Here 
he  was  met  by  Peter  Bergner,  assistant  to  Hedstrom,  and  invited  to 
attend  services  on  board  the  Bethel  ship.  Hedstrom  conducted  the 
meeting  with  his  usual  vivacity.  Shogren,  being  one  of  the  "readers" 
from  the  old  country,  had  attended  many  of  their  conventicles,  but  this 
was  something  altogether  different.  Notwithstanding  the  strange 
method  of  preaching,  Shogren  felt  strongly  drawn  to  Methodism,  and 
Rev.  Hedstrom  easily  persuaded  him  to  join  his  brother,  the  younger 
Hedstrom,  at  Victoria.  On  his  arrival  he  was  unfavorably  impressed 
with  the  primitive  appearance  of  the  settlement.  He  had  expected 
to  find  something  quite  different,  and  soon  left  in  disappointment, 
departing  for  Galesburg  after  a  few  weeks  and  remaining  there  for 
three  months.  In  February,  1850,  he  joined  the  Methodist  Church, 
becoming  a  member  of  the  congregation  there  organized  by  Hedstrom 
'  the  foregoing  autumn.  In  March  he  joined  the  party  of  goldseekers 
organized  in  Galesburg  and  made  the  trip  to  California,  returning  the 
following  year.  He  then  settled  in  Victoria  and  began  to  conduct 
meetings  and  preach  throughout  that  circuit,  which  then  embraced 
Victoria,  Galesburg,  Andover,  Rock  Island,  Moline  and  many  other 
points. 

At  Hedstrom 's  suggestion  he  abandoned  his  trade  and  devoted 
himself  wholly  to  ministerial  work.  The  following  year  he  was  received 
on  probation  into  the  Rock  River  Conference,  to  which  the  Swedish 
missions  in  Illinois  and  Iowa  belonged  at  that  time.  In  1854  he  was 
ordained  deacon  and  was  made  elder  the  year  following.  During  the 
first  two  years  he  lived  at  Victoria  while  spending  almost  all  his  time 
traveling  about  the  extensive  circuit.  In  1855  he  was  sent  to  preach 
in  Chicago,  where,  despite  stubborn  opposition,  he  met  with  splendid 
success.  In  1859  he  was  transferred  to  the  Minnesota  Conference, 
acting  as  minister  in  charge  at  St.  Paul  the  first  year  and  subsequently 
for  three  years  as  presiding  elder  of  the  Scandinavian  district.  In 
1864-5  he  served  in  Chicago,  going  from  there  to  Boston,  where,  as 
assistant  at  the  Seamen's  Mission,  he  endeavored  to  organize  a  Swedish 
Methodist  church,  a  task  cut  short  by  an  illness  which  compelled  him 
to  return  to  Minnesota.  During  the  years  1866-9  he  had  charge  of  the 
little  church  at  Marine,  then  took  a  rest  for  one  year,  subsequently 
going  back  to  Illinois.  He  was  stationed  at  Bishop  Hill  until  1876. 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  California  Conference  and  placed  in 
charge  of  the  newly  organized  church  at  San  Francisco.  There  he 
remained  for  over  five  years,  and  was  then  at  his  own  request  trans- 
ferred to  the  Swedish  Northwestern  Conference  and  sent  to  Beaver. 


SVEN    BERNHARD    NEWMAN  369 

In  this  field  he  labored  for  only  a  year,  subsequently  serving  the  church 
at  Galesburg  in  1883-4  and  the  one  at  Rockford  in  1884-5.  Having 
been  made  presiding  elder  for  the  Chicago  district  the  latter  year,  he 
served  as  such  for  two  years  and  afterward  as  pastor  in  South  Chicago, 
his  last  charge,  for  the  same  length  of  time. 

In  1889  age  and  illness  compelled  him  to  retire  from  active  work. 
He  withdrew  to  his  little  country  place  near  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  where 
he  resided  until  1903,  when  with  his  wife  he  removed  to  Napa,  Cal., 
joining  their  youngest  daughter,  Mrs.  Emma  Farman,  who  is  living 
there.  He  died  in  Napa  on  Jan.  2,  1906,  after  a  short  illness. 

Like  most  other  pioneers  of  Swedish  Methodism  in  America,  Sho- 
gren  was  a  self-taught  man.  By  assiduous  studies  and  self-culture 
he  sought  to  fill  the  gaps  in  his  education.  His  favorite  study  was 
history,  and  from  its  pages  he  often  drew  valuable  lessons  for  himself 
and  his  hearers.  By  nature  eloquent,  and  possessing  a  pleasing  voice, 
he  trained  himself  year  by  year  until  attaining  a  high  degree  of  skill 
and  finish  as  a  public  speaker.  This  together  with  his  rare  affability 
gave  him  his  remarkable  power  and  influence  over  those  who 
heard  him. 

Rev.  Sven  Bernharci  Newman. 

In  January,  1845,  the  same  year  that  Rev.  0.  Gr.  Hedstrom,  on 
Whitsunday,  May  25th,  preached  his  first  sermon  in  broken  English  on 
board  the  Bethel  ship  in  New  York  harbor,  a  young  Swede  appeared 
for  the  first  time  at  a  place  near  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  preached  Methodism 
in  equally  faltering  English  to  the  Americans  of  that  place.  This 
Swedish  pioneer  preacher  in  the  sunny  south,  who  later  became  one 
of  the  pathfinders  and  standard-bearers  of  Methodism,  both  east  and 
west,  was  Rev.  Sven  Bernhard  Newman. 

Newman  was  born  Sept.  15,  1812,  at  Hoganas,  Skane,  had  a 
careful  bringing  up  and  obtained  employment  as  salesman  with  one 
of  his  brothers,  a  merchant  of  Landskrona.  After  working  there  eight 
years,  he  returned  to  his  birthplace  and  taught  private  school  several 
years.  Another  of  his  brothers  had  emigrated  long  before  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  business  at  Mobile.  Sven  followed  in  1842  and  for 
two  years  dealt  in  clothing  and  groceries  not  without  success.  Through 
his  brother  he  was  brought  in  contact  with  the  Methodists,  whom  he 
joined  in  1844.  Without  much  knowledge  of  English,  he  shortly 
afterward  began  speaking  at  Methodist  meetings.  Friends  who 
thought  they  detected  in  the  young  man  more  than  ordinary  ability 
urged  him  to  consecrate  his  life  to  the  pastoral  calling.  After  some 
hesitation  he  took  the  advice  and  began  to  study  theology  under  the 


370 


THE    METHODISTS 


guidance  of  an  American  Methodist  clergyman.  In  1845  he  was 
received  on  probation  into  the  Alabama  Conference,  was  ordained 
deacon  in  1847  and  elder  in  1849. 

Newman's  first  field  of  labor  was  the  Campbelltown  circuit  in 
Florida,  where  he  was  stationed  from  1845  to  1847.  Subsequently 
assigned  to  another  field,  with  headquarters  at  Milton,  a  pleasant  little 
town  not  far  from  Pensacola,  he  labored  zealously  there  for  two  years 
until  transferred  to  Landerdale,  Miss.  In  1851  Newman  was  called 
to  assist  Rev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom  on  the  Bethel  ship  at  New  York,  this 


Rev.  Sven  Bernhard  Newman 

being  the  beginning  of  his  work  among  Swedish  people,  a  work  which 
he  pursued  with  untiring  zeal  as  long  as  his  physical  strength  per- 
mitted. After  spending  two  years  in  New  York,  he  was  assigned  to 
Chicago  in  1853  to  gather  the  scattered  members  of  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Church  organized  several  years  before  by  the  Hedstrom 
brothers.  With  his  characteristic  zeal  and  energy  he  took  up  the 
task,  succeeding  not  only  in  collecting  the  dispersed  flock  but  also  in 
having  a  house  of  worship  erected.  The  edifice  was  built  at  Illinois 
street  and  dedicated  in  1854.  Part  of  the  building  funds  were  solicited 
in  his  former  fields  in  the  South.  With  headquarters  in  Chicago,  he 
made  regular  trips  to  other  points,  both  in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  found- 
ing churches  in  Poolsville  and  Attica  in  the  former  state,  and  St. 


PETER    NEWBERG  371 

Charles  and  Beaver  in  the  latter.  In  Chicago,  together  with  Consul 
Schneidau  and  Revs.  Unonius  and  Carlsson,  Newman  labored  ardu- 
ously among  poor  plague-stricken  Swedish  immigrants,  a  task  trying 
indeed,  but  productive  of  blessed  results. 

In  September,  1855,  Newman  was  again  assigned  to  New  York 
to  assist  Rev.  Hedstrom  on  board  the  Bethel  mission  ship.  After  four 
years  he  was  sent  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  an  extensive  circuit,  comprising  the  neighboring  points  Sugar 
Grove,  Wrightsville,  Frewsbury  and  others.  He  remained  in  James- 
town for  seven  years,  1859-66,  afterwards  going  to  the  Central  Illinois 
Conference  on  assignment  to  Galesburg,  where  he  was  stationed  for 
two  years.  At  the  conference  of  1868,  he  was  appointed  presiding 
elder  of  the  Chicago  district,  then  including  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa 
and  Kansas.  He  held  this  position  for  five  years,  in  the  meantime 
acting  as  solicitor  for  the  Swedish  Methodist  Theological  Seminary  at 
Evanston,  for  whose  benefit  he  raised  a  considerable  amount. 

Rev.  Newman's  subsequent  assignments  were:  Rockford,  1873-5; 
Wataga  and  Peoria,  1875-7;  Batavia  and  Geneva,  1877-9;  Evanston, 
1879-82;  Moline,  1882-4;  Omaha,  1884-5;  Chicago,  as  city  missionary, 
1885-8 ;  Evanston,  as  solicitor  for  the  seminary,  1888-90. 

In  1890  he  was  declared  superannuated,  but  continued  to  serve 
until  1899,  preaching  at  Moreland,  in  the  Emanuel  Church  of  Chicago, 
at  Austin  and,  lastly,  at  Ottawa.  Having  lost  his  first  wife  in  1885,  he 
remarried  in  old  age.  In  the  early  nineties,  at  the  request  of  the 
Swedish  Northwestern  Conference,  he  published  his  autobiography, 
a  very  minute  account  of  his  life  and  labors.  Enfeebled  by  the  burden 
of  years,  he  died  in  his  home  in  Chicago  on  Oct.  27,  1902,  at  the  mature 
age  of  ninety. 

In  his  years  of  activity  Newman  was  a  faithful  laborer  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard.  While  not  an  orator  in  the  common  acceptance  of 
the  term,  yet  his  words  left  a  deep  and  lasting  impression.  What  he 
lacked  in  brilliancy  and  scholarly  attainments  was  amply  made  up  in 
zeal  and  devotion  to  his  calling. 

Rev.  Peter  Newberg' 

One  of  the  first  five  members  of  the  first  Swedish  Methodist 
church  was  Peter  Newberg,  afterward  one  of  Jonas  Hedstrom 's  most 
faithful  and  reliable  fellow  workers.  Newberg  was  born  at  Lulea, 
Jan.  7,  1818.  At  the  age  of  eight  he  lost  his  father,  a  sailor,  and  as  a 
boy  of  fourteen  he  also  went  to  sea,  driven  by  the  necessity  of 
contributing  to  the  support  of  his  widowed  mother.  For  fifteen  years 
he  shipped  with  merchantmen  under  various  flags. 


372 


THE    METHODISTS 


In  the  spring  of  1846  he  mustered  at  Gefle  as  ship's  carpenter  on 
a  vessel  bound  for  New  York  carrying  a  large  party  of  Eric  Janssonists. 
On  reaching  harbor  he  left  the  vessel  and  accompanied  the  emigrants 
to  Bishop  Hill,  but  soon  left  the  colony  in  disappointment,  going  first 
to  Lafayette  and  then  to  Victoria,  where  he  remained  with  Hedstrb'm 
over  winter  as  his  helper  in  making  plows.  The  following  spring  he 
left  for  Peoria,  where  he  was  employed  for  some  time  in  the  building 
trade,  working  for  a  Swedish  contractor  or  architect  named  Ulricson, 
who  had  lived  there  for  so  many  years  that  he  had  forgotten  his  mother 
tongue.  In  the  fall  he  returned  to  Victoria  and  was  there  married. 


Rev.  Peter  Newberg 

In  the  spring  of  1850  he  joined  the  aforementioned  party  of  goldseekera 
and  went  to  California.  Returning  in  1857,  he  located  at  Victoria, 
where  he  had  a  farm,  and  also  engaged  in  house  building  in  partnership 
with  Peter  Challman.  In  1853,  when  the  latter  left  his  trade  to  devote 
himself  exclusively  to  preaching,  Newberg  continued  as  building  con- 
tractor on  his  own  account.  Among  other  buildings  erected  by  him 
was  the  Swedish  Methodist  Church  edifice  at  Victoria,  dedicated  at 
midsummer,  1854. 

While  en  route  to  America,  he  was  subject  to  the  religious  influence 
of  his  fellow  travelers,  the  Erik  Janssonists;  upon  his  arrival  he  came 
under  the  influence  of  Hedstrom,  and  at  a  camp  meeting  in  the  Victoria 
grove,  in  the  summer  of  1853,  he  was  converted  and  accepted  the 
Methodist  faith.  Thereafter  he  began  to  take  turns  with  the  other 
preachers  in  making  circuit  visits,  and  in  1856  he  was  received  on 
probation  by  the  Peoria  Conference  and  assigned  to  New  Sweden,  la., 


VICTOR    WITTING 


373 


as  minister  in  charge.  There  he  labored  for  two  years,  besides  estab- 
lishing a  small  congregation  in  the  country  just  west  of  Burlington, 
For  a  year,  1858-9,  he  served  the  Andover  circuit  and  the  following 
year,  1859-60,  that  of  Galesburg.  His  ordination  as  deacon  took  place 
in  1857,  and  in  1860  he  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  elder.  From 
Galesburg  he  was  transferred  to  Victoria,  where  he  served  for  two 
years,  until  1862.  His  subsequent  fields  were:  New  Sweden,  la., 
1864-5,  Eockford  1865-6,  Victoria  1866-72,  Swedona  1872-3.  After  that 
he  was  not  directly  .in  charge  of  any  church,  but  lived  on  his  farm 
at  Victoria.  When  occasion  required,  however,  he  would  assist  the 
other  preachers  in  their  work.  Thus,  in  1881,  he  went  to  Texas  to  aid 
Rev.  Victor  Witting  in  the  mission  field.  He  died  Jan.  13,  1882,  at 
Austin,  aged  64  years. 

Newberg  was  a  man  of  but  mediocre  mental  equipment,  lacked 
education  and  mastery  of  speech,  yet  was  a  rather  popular  preacher 
withal.  The  secret  of  it  lay  in  his  originality,  his  art  of  presenting 
old  truths  in  new  garb  and  of  drawing  striking  applications  from  his 
own  varied  experience.  He  was  a  devout  man,  who  lived  in  strict 
accordance  with  his  teaching. 

Rev.  Victor  Witting 

The  tenth,  and  last,  of  the  co-workers  of  Hedstrom,  was  Victor 
Witting.  This  man  was  to  play  a  prominent  and  many-sided  part  in 
the  work  and  progress  of  the  Swedish-American  Methodist  denomina- 
tion. Alike  as  an  eminent  preacher,  a  skillful  organizer,  a  journalist 
and  author,  this  venerable  pioneer  has  made  himself  a  name  that  will 
ever  rank  with  the  foremost  in  the  history  of  Swedish  Methodism. 

Witting  was  born  in  Malmo  on  March  7,  1825.  His  father,  Anders 
Johan  Witting,  captain  of  the  Vendes  artillery  regiment,  was  a 
descendant  of  a  Finnish  family,  which  had  originally  immigrated  from 
Livonia  and  in  the  seventeenth  century  had  been  raised  to  noble  rank. 
His  mother,  Gustafva  Helena  Rydberg,  was  a  daughter  of  Postmaster 
Rydberg  in  Malmo.  In  the  early  thirties,  Captain  Witting  removed 
to  Landskrona,  having  been  made  chief  officer  of  a  battery  of  his 
regiment  assigned  to  service  in  that  ctiy.  His  son  Victor  now  entered 
the  Latin  school  there,  and  in  1836,  when  his  father  retired  from  mil- 
itary service  and  moved  back  to  Malmo,  Victor  entered  the  collegiate 
school  there.  He  left  this  school  intending  to  prepare  for  college 
graduation  and  admittance  to  the  university  of  Lund,  but  instead  oi! 
carrying  out  this  plan  he  obtained  a  position  with  an  apothecary  and 
began  to  study  pharmacy.  In  his  early  youth  he  had  acquired  some 
knowledge  and  more  admiration  of  this  country  through  reading  the 


374 


THE    METHODISTS 


history  of  the  United  States  and  the  novels  of  James  Fenimore 
Cooper  and  other  writers,  and  when  in  the  summer  of  1841  the  neAvs^ 
papers  related  that  an  Upsala  student  by  the  name  of  Gustaf  Unonius, 
heading  a  small  party,  had  departed  for  the  new  and  wonderful  western 
world  to  found  a  settlement  there,  young  Witting 's  longing  for  America 
became  stronger  than  ever  and  he  began  devising  plans  of  his  own  for 
reaching  the  New  World.  To  him  the  only  possible  way  was  to  become 
a  sailor.  He  brooded  over  the  matter  incessantly  for  two  years,  until 
one  day,  Easter  morning,  1843,  just  as  his  apprenticeship  was  at  an  end 
and  he  was  about  to  take  the  apothecary's  examination,  he  suddenly 
deserted  the  drug  store  with  its  pills  and  powders  and  went  across  to 
Helsingor,  whence  he  hoped  to  ship  as  a  sailor.  For  want  of  a  passport 
the  plan  miscarried  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  home.  Having 
obtained  his. father's  permission  to  go  to  sea,  he  soon  afterward  shipped 
from  Malmo,  making  several  trips  to  England  in  the  next  two  years, 
after  which  he  entered  the  school  of  navigation  at  Malmo  and  passed 
the  shipmaster's  examination  in  1845.  In  May  he  went  to  Gefle  hoping 
to  be  commissioned  for  a  long  trip  on  some  large  merchant  vessel. 
After  making  a  short  summer  trip  to  England  with  the  bark  "Fama." 
when  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  aforesaid  Peter  Newberg. 
who  was  the  ship's  carpenter,  he  engaged  to  take  the  ship  "Ceres," 
with  a  cargo  of  iron,  from  Soderhamn  to  New  York.  Thus  at  last  his 
long  cherished  desire  to  get  to  America  was  to  be  fulfilled. 

On  board  this  vessel  was  a  small  party  of  Erik  Janssonists,  fore- 
runners of  the  subsequent  exodus  of  that  sect.  Off  Oregrund,  during 
a  dark  and  stormy  night,  the  ship  grounded  and  all  on  board  probably 
would  have  perished  but  for  the  fact  that  the  vessel  was  so  firmly 
wedged  between  two  rocks  that  the  heavy  seas  which  broke  over  it 
could  not  dislodge  it.  The  passengers  and  crew  spent  the  night  in  the 
forecastle  amid  indescribable  horrors.  That  night  young  Witting 
received  impressions  that  gave  to  his  life  a  different  course.  Profoundly 
impressed  with  the  resignation  and  Christian  fortitude  shown  by  the 
Erik  Janssonists  in  the  very  face  of  death,  he  made  a  resolve  to  become 
a  Christian,  should  he  survive  that  dreadful  night,  and,  if  he  ever 
reached  America,  to  look  up  these  people. 

The  following  day  they  were  taken  off  the  wreck,  and  Witting 
went  to  Gefle,  where  he  mustered  on  the  ship  "Gustaf  Vasa,"  bound 
for  the  Mediterranean.  Returning,  he  sailed  for  two  years  between 
Gefle  and  other  ports.  While  at  Stockholm  in  the  summer  of  1847. 
he  heard  that  a  brig  was  about  to  sail  for  America  with  a  party  of 
Erik  Janssonists.  Witting  engaged  to  earn  his  passage  by  acting  as 
steward  to  the  passengers.  In  October,  after  a  voyage  of  six  or  seven 


VICTOR    WITTING 


375 


weeks,  they  reached  New  York,  and  the  one  chief  goal  of  his  longing 
had  been  reached  at  last. 

He  accompanied  the  Erik  Janssonists  westward.  At  Chicago 
Witting  was  taken  sick  and  brought  to  a  hospital.  After  having 
been  restored  to  health,  he  obtained  work  in  a  drug  store  and  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  his  fellow  countrymen  in  that  city.  Late  in  the 
summer  of  1848,  he  accompanied  a  newly  arrived  party  of  Erik  Jans- 
sonists to  Bishop  Hill,  thereby  fulfilling  his  solemn  promise  on  the 
night  of  the  shipwreck.  With  the  very  best  opinion  of  the  Erik  Jans- 
sonists and  with  high  expectations  of  their  colony,  Witting  arrived  at 
Bishop  Hill.  He  had  supposed  that  all  was  harmony  there,  and  that 
the  colonists  "lived  secure  in  dwellings  of  peace,"  but  he  found  quite 
the  reverse — strife  and  discontent  over  Erik  Jansson's  despotic  rule 
and  the  miserable  state  of  affairs.  Witting  therefore  remained  only 
about  a  year  and  a  half.  In  the  late  fall  of  1849  he  began  planning 
for  his  departure  and  left  on  Christmas  Eve,  leaving  behind  him  his 
young  wife,  whom  he  had  wedded  in  the  colony.  He  repaired  to 
Victoria,  and  through  Rev.  Hedstrom  obtained  a  position  with  a 
druggist  in  Galesburg,  where  he  began  work  on  New  Year's  day,  1850. 

At  that  time  there  were  in  Galesburg  about  twenty  Swedish 
families  and  quite  a  number  of  unmarried  Swedes  of  both  sexes, 
probably  a  total  of  a  hundred  persons,  nearly  all  of  them  former  Erik 
Janssonists.  Not  a  few  already  had  been  won  over  to  Methodism. 
Hedstrom  and  Challman  in  turn  conducted  the  meetings.  Witting  and 
his  wife  attended  regularly,  joining  the  little  Swedish  Methodist 
Church  in  February.  It  was  in  the  days  of  the  gold  fever,  and  Witting 
joined  the  party  of  Swedish  goldseekers.  The  journey  as  well  as  the 
stay  in  California  was  rich  in  adventures  and  novel  experiences. 
Reaching  the  gold  country  he  went  to  digging  like  everybody  else  and 
once  was  about  to  ' '  strike  it  rich ' '  but  failed  on  account  of  the  irresolu- 
tion of  his  comrade.  From  the  diggings  which  they  abandoned  a 
Scotchman  and  his  two  sons  subsequently  took  out  a  small  fortune  in 
a  few  weeks. 

Tired  and  disappointed  with  life  in  the  gold  fields,  Witting  left 
California  in  April,  1852,  with  just  enough  gold  to  pay  his  way  back, 
arriving  in  Galesburg  just  before  midsummer.  In  July  he  removed  to 
Victoria,  where  he  and  Erik  Shogren  attempted  to  make  a  fortune  by 
cultivating  medicinal  herbs.  After  two  years  they  gave  it  up  as  a 
failure.  The  first  year  a  shipment  of  herbs  to  Cincinnati  was  lost  in 
transit ;  the  second  year  Witting,  who  was  now  alone  in  the  enterprise, 
had  to  sell  a  large  New  York  shipment  at  great  sacrifice,  leaving  him 
without  money  enough  to  get  home.  These  reverses  almost  drove  the 
sanguine  and  energetic  young  man  to  despair.  But  when  all  his  plans 


THE    METHODISTS 

failed,  he  sought  comfort  in  religion.  A  few  visits  to  an  American 
Methodist  church  in  New  York  set  his  troubled  mind  at  ease  and 
inspired  him  with  new  courage.  Having  obtained  a  sum  of  money  from 
the  kindhearted  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom,  he  returned  to  Illinois. 

His  trip  to  New  York  proved  the  turning-point  in  Witting 's  life. 
Almost  immediately  after  his  return  to  Victoria,  he  began  to  preach 
at  small  Methodist  gatherings  in  private  houses  and  was  shortly  after- 
wards appointed  class  leader.  In  the  fall  he  obtained  employment  in  a 
drug  store  in  Peoria  and  began  preaching  to  the  handful  of  Swedes 
then  found  in  that  city.  At  the  suggestion  of  Presiding  Elder  Henry 
Summers  he  now  resolved  to  devote  himself  wholly  to  pastoral  work 
and,  having  been  admitted  to  the  Rock  River  Conference  on  probation, 
in  September,  1855,  was  stationed  at  Andover.  Thus,  after  a  varied 
career  on  land  and  sea,  he  finally  found  his  proper  sphere  and  settled 
down  to  his  life's  work,  spending  a  long  term  of  years  in  fruitful 
labor  in  behalf  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

From  now  on  Witting  devoted  himself  unsparingly  to  his  calling. 
In  1858  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  at  Victoria  and  in  1860  trans- 
ferred to  Rockford.  In  1859  the  idea  of  establishing  a  seminary  for 
the  education  of  ministers  and  founding  a  newspaper  as  the  organ  of 
the  Swedish  Methodists  was  advanced,  but  not  until  the  spring  of  1862 
did  the  latter  plan  materialize,  and  then  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of 
Witting.  At  a  meeting  of  ministers  in  Chicago  he  volunteered,  if  a 
paper  were  started,  to  edit  it  for  one  year  without  salary.  It  was 
unanimously  resolved  to  launch  the  enterprise  and  Witting 's  offer  was 
gratefully  accepted.  This  paper  was  named  "Sandebudet"  (The 
Messenger)  and  was  published  at  Rockford,  the  first  number  appearing 
July  18th  of  that  year.  After  occupjnng  the  editor's  chair  for  some  two 
and  one-half  years,  having  resigned  from  his  pastoral  charge  in  1863, 
Witting  left  the  paper,  which  in  November,  1864,  was  moved  to 
Chicago.  The  foregoing  year  he  had  taken  up  the  school  question  for 
discussion  in  its  columns  and  was  gratified  to  find  his  plan  so  generally 
favored  that  during  the  year  1866,  the  centenary  of  Methodism,  a 
school  fund  was  subscribed.  The  school  was  not  opened  until  New 
Year's,  1870,  Witting  serving  meanwhile  partly  as  the  financial  agent 
of  the  school  project,  partly  again  as  editor  of  "  Sandebudet. " 

In  1865  the  Methodists  began  missionary  work  in  Sweden,  but 
their  efforts  met  with  little  success.  Witting  was  the  first  to  put  life 
into  that  work.  After  having  obtained  leave  of  absence,  Witting  went 
to  Sweden  in  May,  1867,  at  the  expense  of  a  private  individual.  He 
soon  attracted  large  audiences  there,  and  in  a  short  time  Methodism 
became  firmly  rooted,  especially  in  the  capital.  At  the  instance  of 
Bishop  Kingsley  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who  was  then 


VICTOR    WITTING 


377 


visiting  Sweden,  Witting  resolved  to  remain  to  prosecute  the  work 
which  he  successfully  started.  He  hurried  back  to  America  to  bring 
his  family  over,  returning  to  Goteborg  in  November. 


Rev.  Victor  Witting 

It  would  carry  us  far  out  of  our  way  to  describe  in  detail  Witting 's 
mission  in  Sweden.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  with  him  as  superintendent 
the  work  was  prosecuted  with  great  energy,  several  congregations 
being  organized  and  churches  built.  But  it  was  not  all  smooth  sailing. 


378  THE    METHODISTS 

The  authorities  made  trouble  for  the  Methodist  workers,  several  of 
whom  were  fined  for  disregarding  the  injunctions  of  church  councils 
against  public  preaching  by  dissenters.  But  these  obstacles  were 
removed  by  the  passage  of  the  Dissenters  Law  of  1873,  proposed  by  the 
government,  passed  by  the  riksdag  with  certain  modifications  relating 
to  obligatory  religious  instruction  of  the  young,  and  finally  sanctioned 
by  the  king,  its  effect  being  materially  to  extend  religious  liberty  in  the 
country.  The  following  year  the  Methodists  of  Sweden  resolved  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  right  granted  by  that  law  to  leave  the  state 
church  and  organize  a  denomination  of  their  own,  with  government 
sanction.  In  February,  1875,  a  delegation  of  ten  Methodist  clergymen 
and  laymen  had  an  audience  with  the  king,  laying  before  him  a  petition 
with  about  1,200  signatures,  asking  the  privilege  of  uniting  into  a 
separate  church  body.  The  petition  was  granted  March  10,  1876,  that 
act  securing  forever  the  rights  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Sweden. 
As  may  be  readily  understood,  this  was  a  day  of  triumph  for  Witting 
himself.  On  the  22nd  of  August  following  the  Methodist  missions  were 
combined  in  a  conference. 

After  ten  years'  work  in  Sweden,  during  Avhich  period  Methodism 
made  headway  and  gained  permanence,  Witting  in  1877  returned  to 
the  United  States.  After  preaching  for  a  short  time  in  Chicago,  he 
was  sent  back  to  Sweden  in  the  capacity  of  superintendent  of  the 
Methodist  Church  of  Sweden.  His  term  of  service  was,  however,  cut 
short  by  his  leaving  the  Methodist  Church,  for  reasons  unexplained, 
and  returning  to  America  in  the  spring  of  1879.  The  following  year 
he  founded  a  devotional  monthly,  entitled  "Stilla  Stunder,"  which 
was  published  in  Chicago  for  two  years.  This  breach  between  him  and 
the  church  he  had  served  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  of  brief 
duration.  Having  again  joined  the  church,  he  was  for  the  third  time 
made  editor  of  its  organ,  "  Sandebudet, "  serving  as  such  from  1883 
to  1889.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Church  at  Quinsigamond,  Mass.,  where  he  resumed  publica- 
tion of  "Stilla  Stunder."  The  following  Christmas  he  published  an 
annual  entitled,  "Bethlehemsstjernan, "  which  never  again  appeared. 
In  1895,  at  the  age  of  more  than  seventy,  he  was  made  editor  of  a 
weekly,  known  as  "Osterns  Sandebud."  While  laboring  as  pastor 
and  editor,  Witting  found  time  for  quite  extensive  literary  pursuits. 
As  a  writer  and  translator  of  religious  songs  he  has  undoubtedly 
rendered  his  church  greater  service  than  any  other  Swedish  clergyman. 
The  hymnal  used  by  the  Methodists  of  Sweden  for  many  years  contains 
a  large  number  of  hymns  written  or  translated  by  him,  and  it  is  gen- 
erally conceded  that  the  best  Swedish  translations  of  the  well-known 
songs  of  Charles  Wesley  have  been  made  by  Witting.  He  has  published 


EARLY  CHURCHES  379 

> 

at  his  own  expense  several  excellent  collections  of  songs  for  prayer 
meetings,  and  for  home  devotion,  which  are  still  extensively  used.  His 
chief  literary  work,  however,  comprises  his  memoirs,  embodied  in  a 
volume  entitled,  "Minnen  fran  mitt  lif  som  sjoman,  immigrant  och 
predikant."  The  first  edition  of  this  work  was  published  in  1901, 
followed  in  1904  by  a  second  edition,  revised  and  augmented.  This 
work  is  especially  valuable  for  its  rich  contributions  to  the  early 
chapters  of  Swedish-American  history. 

Witting,  who  spent  his  later  years  at  his  home  in  Quincy,  Mass., 
died  July  2,  1906,  his  wife  having  passed  away  a  few  years  earlier. 
Two  of  his  daughters  are  married  to  Methodist  ministers. 

Other  pioneers  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Church  of  America  ar<* 
Olof  Hamren,  whose  field  of  labor  was  western  New  York,  and  Samuel 
Anderson  and  John  Fridlund,  both  of  Minnesota. 

The  ILarly  Swedish  Methodist  Churches 

At  the  period  here  dealt  with  the  preacher's  calling  was  no 
sinecure.  The  country  was  sparsely  settled,  with  small  settlements 
from  ten  to  twenty  miles  apart,  the  settlers  were  poor,  dwelling  in 
small,  stuffy  huts  or  dugouts,  and  the  absence  of  roads  and  bridges 
made  traveling  difficult.  The  daily  routine  of  a  frontier  preacher  was 
somewhat  on  this  order:  a  wearisome  journey,  mostly  on  horseback, 
but  often  afoot;  arriving  towards  nightfall  at  some  lone  settler's  cabin, 
a  blockhouse  at  best,  with  a  single  room ;  preaching  in  the  evening  to  a 
score  of  persons,  children  included ;  sharing  with  the  inmates  their  only 
bed;  breakfasting  on  cornbread  and  molasses;  then  proceeding  on  his 
way  to  the  next  settlement,  there  to  repeat  the  selfsame  experience, 
and  so  on  for  weeks  and  months.  Owing  to  the  suspicion,  not  to  say 
hostility,  anent  the  Methodists  prevailing  among  the  Swedish  settlers, 
they  would  ofttimes  shut  their  doors  in  the  face  of  the  itinerant 
preachers,  who  were  thus  compelled  to  spend  their  nights  in  the  woods 
or  on  the  open  prairie.  With  Christian  fortitude  they  submitted  to  al) 
this,  looking  upon  their  calling  as  a  work  of  love,  not  a  means  of  liveli1 
hood.  The  majority  of  them  sustained  serious  financial  losses  from 
chosing  the  minister's  calling,  being  able  to  earn  more  at  their 
respective  trades  than  afterwards  in  the  ministry.  The  highest  annual 
salary  received  by  any  of  them  did  not  exceed  $400.  Some  got  only 
$100  to  $150  a  year.  A  certain  preacher  with  a  wife  and  three  children 
had  to  get  along  on  $90  for  the  first  year,  averaging  25  cents  a  day. 
With  this  modest  competence  went  the  duty  of  serving  an  entire  circuit, 
viz.,  Moline-New  Boston,  involving  monthly  trips  of  some  two  hundred 
miles  with  horse  and  buggy.  He  was  able  to  make  only  an  occasional 
visit  to  his  family,  living  in  a  blockhouse  forty  miles  away. 


38o  THE    METHODISTS 

During  these  early  days  it  was  customary  for  a  clergyman  to 
preach  three  times  every  Sunday  and  three  or  four  times  on  week  days, 
going  from  place  to  place,  stops  being  made  five  to  eight  miles  apart. 
In  the  spring  and  fall  in  particular,  the  roads  would  be  extremely  heavy, 
in  fact  impassable  for  vehicles,  and  then  horseback  riding  was  the  only 
possible  mode  of  travel.  Sometimes  the  deep,  sticky  mud  proved  too 
much  even  for  the  saddle  horses,  and  as  a  last  resort  the  preacher,  with 
his  trousers  tucked  into  his  boot-tops,  had  to  foot  it  through  miles  of 
mud  and  water.  Under  such  strenuous  conditions  a  Methodist  minister 
naturally  did  not  put  on  flesh,  but  these  daily  constitutionals  kept  his 
body  agile  and  his  spirits  fresh  and  buoyant. 

Such  was  the  preacher's  life  in  those  days.  All  the  Methodist 
ministers  traveled  about  in  like  manner  the  year  around.  That  was 
quite  different  from  present  conditions,  which  permit  the  preachers  to 
remain  for  at  least  two  years  in  each  place,  enjoying  comfortable  homes 
and  other  advantages. 

TKe  First  Swedish  Methodist  ChurcK  in  America 

It  was  during  the  period  just  described  that  the  first  Swedish 
Methodist  churches  were  organized  in  Illinois.  As  stated  in  foregoing 
pages,  the  very  first  was  that  at  Victoria,  founded  Dec.  15,  1846,  by 
Jonas  Hedstrom,  who  on  that  occasion  preached  his  first  sermon.  The 
first  members  were  five  all  told.  This  was  the  small  beginning  of  a 
movement  which  soon  extended  to  all  the  surrounding  towns  and  settle- 
ments, wherever  Swedes  were  living,  and  from  these  districts  came 
many  of  the  pioneer  clergymen.  The  early  settlers  at  Victoria,  with 
few  exceptions,  had  been  Erik  Janssonists.  Possessing  more  than 
ordinary  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  they  soon  became  firmly  rooted 
in  the  Methodist  faith.  They  took  religion  seriously,  these  pioneer 
settlers.  The  entire  settlement  of  Victoria  became  so  thoroughly  imbued 
with  Methodism  that  to  this  day  all  attempts  of  other  denominations 
to  gain  a  foothold  there  have  proved  futile. 

The  little  church  after  two  years  numbered  ninety  members.  At 
first  the  meetings  were  held  either  in  a  schoolhouse  or  in  private 
houses.  In  the  latter  instance,  it  was  customary  for  those  attending 
the  meetings  to  bring  their  own  chairs  and  candles.  In  the  late  summer 
of  1853  the  church  building  was  begun,  and  it  was  completed  and 
dedicated  the  following  spring.  This,  the  first  Swedish  Methodist 
church  in  the  state,  still  stands  as  a  landmark  and  reminder  of  Swedish 
pioneer  days  in  Illinois.  A  steeple  was  added  to  the  structure  in  later 
years.  In  the  late  fall  of  1858  the  adjoining  parsonage  was  built.  In 
1857  the  large  Victoria  circuit  was  divided  into  three,  Victoria,  Gales- 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


381 


burg  and  Andover  forming  independent  congregations,  each  with  its 
own  pastor.  A  year  later  three  new  fields  were  taken  up,  viz., 
Kewanee,  Nekoma  and  Oneida.  The  mother  church  at  Victoria  in  1905 
numbered  105  adult  members.  The  baptized  children  are  not  counted 
as  members  in  Methodist  statistics  as  the  case  is  in  some  other  churches. 

The  WorK  at  Andover 

The  second  in  point  of  age  among  the  Swedish  Methodist  churches 
of  Illinois  is  that  of  Andover.    The  date  of  Jonas  Hedstrom's  first  visit 


The  Swedish  M.  E.  Church  in  Victoria 

to  the  Swedes  of  Andover  is  not  known,  but  it  might  well  have  been 
as  early  as  1847,  while  the  settlers  were  still  few  in  number.  When  in 
1849  Rev.  Gustaf  Unonius  visited  Andover  he  found  cause  for  complaint 
in  the  fact  that  "a  large  part  of  the  people  had  been  converted  to 
Methodism  and  much  religious  strife  and  disorder  prevailed."  In  the 
latter  part  of  July  the  same  year,  Jonas  Hedstrom  was  in  Andover  to 
meet  a  party  of  immigrants  ravaged  by  cholera.  After  having  dis- 
tributed food  and  medicines  among  the  sick  and  emaciated  newcomers, 
he  was  kept  busy  night  and  day  procuring  lodgings  for  them.  On 
Sunday,  Aug.  12th,  he  preached  a  touching  funeral  sermon  at  the  biers 


382 


THE    METHODISTS 


of  the  latest  victims  of  the  pest,  and  two  weeks  later,  Sunday,  Aug.  26th, 
while  the  hearts  of  the  immigrants  were  still  pliant  from  suffering,  he 
chose  as  the  opportune  time  to  organize  a  Methodist  congregation. 
Those  who  joined  were,  Anna  Lovisa  Gustafsson,  who  had  just  lost  both 
her  parents,  her  husband,  three  children  and  a  brother ;  Nils  J.  Johans- 
son and  wife ;  one  Froberg  and  wife ;  Helena  Hurtig,  a  widow  whose 
husband  also  had  recently  died  of  the  cholera;  Marta  Olsson;  Nils 
Olsson  and  wife;  Ake  Olsson  and  wife;  E.  P.  Andersson  and,  on  the 
following  day,  Mrs.  H.  Aim. 

The  congregation  was  organized  at  "Captain  Mix's  place,"  a  large 
farm  with  good  buildings,  located  near  the  southeast  corner  of  the 


The  Swedish  M.  E.  Church  in  Andover 

village.  This  was  now  purchased  by  the  widow  Gustafsson,  on  the 
advice  of  Hedstrom,  and  became  the  home  of  herself,  her  daughter 
Mary,  a  girl  of  seven,  her  sisters  Caroline  and  Mary  and  her  brother 
John  M.  Ericksson.  She  was  born  in  Hagerstad,  Ostergotland,  April 
13,  1821 ;  at  twenty  she  married  Gustaf  Gustafsson  and  in  the  summer 
of  1849  they  emigrated  to  America,  with  the  aforesaid  party.  Being 
widowed  shortly  after  reaching  Andover,  she  remarried  in  1851,  becom- 
ing the  wife  of  Otto  Lobeck,  a  Pomeranian,  removed  with  him  to 
Omaha,  Neb.,  in  1884,  became  a  widow  again  in  1890,  and  died  in 
Fremont,  Neb.,  March  30,  1903.  At  her  home  in  Andover  also  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  that  place  was  organized  March  18,  1850. 
Mrs.  Lobeck  to  her  death  remained  faithful  to  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Church  by  which  she  was  regarded  as  a  venerable  mother  and  held  in 
high  esteem. 


EARLY    CHURCHES  383 

The  Swedish  Methodist  flock  of  Andover  increased  rapidly,  num- 
bering in  1850  no  less  than  74  members,  mostly  residents  of  that  place. 
A  church  edifice  was  begun  and  almost  completed  in  1854  and  the 
following  year  the  parsonage  was  erected.  In  August,  1855,  the  first 
Swedish  Methodist  camp  meeting  held  in  this  country  took  place  here. 
Two  years  later  Rev.  Hedstrom,  at  the  annual  camp  meeting  in 
Andover,  preached  his  farewell  sermon  to  his  Methodist  brethren,  it 
being  probably  the  most  stirring  address  ever  made  by  that  fiery  leader 
and  organizer:  During  this  early  period  the  Andover  minister  had 
pastoral  charge  of  eight  other  places,  namely,  Rock  Island,  Moline, 
Berlin  (now  Swedona),  Hickory  Grove  (now  Ophiem),  LaGrange  (now 
Orion),  Geneseo,  Pope  Creek  (now  Ontario)  and  New  Boston.  In  1862 
Moline  was  made  a  separate  charge,  as  was  Swedona  in  1864.  In  1905 
the  Andover  church  numbered  117  members. 

The  Galesburg'  Church 

The  third  oldest  Swedish  Methodist  congregation  is  that  of  Gales- 
burg.  As  early  as  1848  Rev.  Hedstrom  began  his  visits  there  and  in 
September  the  following  year  he  organized  a  church,  despite 
religious  indifference  on  the  one  hand  and  direct  opposition  on  the 
other.  Its  first  members  were,  Linde,  a  shoemaker,  and  his  wife, 
Erik  Grip  and  wife,  Gustaf  Berglund  and  wife,  Mrs.  Thorsell,  widow 
of  a  shoemaker,  Christina  Muhr,  married  later  to  A.  Cassel  of  Wataga, 
Nils  Hedstrom  and  wife,  besides  others.  The  opposition  grew  still 
more  bitter  when  half  a  year  later  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church  also  was 
organized  in  Galesburg.  In  the  spring  of  1852,  a  powerful  Baptist 
movement  arose  to  shake  the  little  Methodist  church  in  its  very 
foundations.  Several  of  its  members  were  re-baptized.  Even  its  young 
pastor,  Rev.  A.  G.  Swedberg,  was  converted  to  Baptism  and  took  the 
sacrament  of  immersion.  This  movement,  however,  was  of  short  dura- 
tion and  so  superficial  that  several  of  the  converts  soon  returned  to 
their  former  church. 

In  spite  of  continued  opposition  both  from  Swedes  and  Americans 
— the  latter  being  chiefly  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Congregationalists, 
who  thought  their  own  churches  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity— the  struggling  little  church  continued  to  grow,  making  a 
house  of  worship  a  necessity.  In  1850  a  subscription  was  started  for 
that  purpose.  Jonas  Hedstrom 's  most  formidable  opponent  was 
Jonathan  Blanchard,  president  of  Knox  College.  Through  his  influence, 
it  was  said,  many  Americans  withdrew  their  subscriptions  to  the 
Swedish  Methodist  church  building  fund.  As  a  side  light  on  Hed- 
strom's  character  the  following  instance  may  be  quoted.  During  a  hot 


384  THE    METHODISTS 

set-to  between  Blanchard  and  Hedstrom,  the  latter  is  reported  to  have 
said  to  his  opponent,  "Do  you  see  the  sun  in  the  heavens?  You  might 
as  well  try  to  stop  him  in  his  course  as  to  attempt  to  shut  the  Methodists 
out  of  Galesburg.  We  have  come  here  to  stay." 

The  Swedish  Methodists  could  not  be  made  to  abandon  their  plan 
to  build  a  church.  At  the  suggestion  of  some  of  the  leading  men  in 
the  American  Methodist  Church,  which  was  not  much  larger  than  the 
Swedish  one,  it  was  decided  in  the  fall  of  1851  that  the  two  congrega- 
tions should  erect  a  common  edifice,  in  which  both  should  worship  in 
turn,  according  to  specific  agreement,  so  that  on  the  days  when  the 
Americans  held  their  services  in  the  morning,  the  Swedes  were  to  hold 
theirs  in  the  afternoon  or  evening,  and  vice  versa.  The  edifice  was 
built  and  dedicated  the  following  year.  It  was  a  light  and  cheerful 
sanctuary,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  about  200.  Great  was  the  joy 
of  the  Swedes  over  the  new  house  of  worship,  which  they  justly  con- 
sidered theirs  in  part.  But  their  joy  was  soon  spoiled.  Some  sharp 
individual  among  the  members  of  the  American  congregation  soon 
made  the  "discovery"  that,  according  to  the  wording  of  the  papers, 
the  Swedish  people  legally  had  no  claim  to  ownership  whatever.  This 
caused  much  friction,  and  at  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  trustees,  two 
of  whom  were  Swedes  and  three  Americans,  it  was  resolved,  in  the 
presence  of  Hedstrom,  and  over  the  vigorous  protests  of  himself  and 
the  Swedish  trustees,  that  the  church  was  the  exclusive  property  of  the 
American  Methodist  congregation,  and  that  the  Swedes  had  no  more 
property  right  in  it  than  any  other  people  who,  by  subscription  or  other 
efforts,  had  assisted  in  its  erection.  By  that  decision  the  Swedish  con- 
gregation was  ousted  and  again  stood  without  a  church  home. 

This  misfortune  befell  the  church  at  the  time  when  its  pastor, 
Rev.  Swedberg,  and  about  half  of  its  membership,  twelve  to  fifteen 
young  and  energetic  persons,  deserted  the  flock  and  joined  the  Baptists. 
The  remaining  ones,  however,  continued  the  work,  hoping  for  better 
days  to  dawn,  and  their  hopes  were  not  in  vain.  New  members  were 
added,  and  nearly  all  of  the  deserters  returned  to  the  fold.  In  the 
surrounding  country  missionary  work  was  begun  in  the  years  1855-7  at 
the  following  points,  Knoxville,  Wataga,  Abingdon,  Monmouth  and 
Oquawka.  Late  in  the  year  1856  a  small  church  was  erected  which 
was  dedicated  New  Year's  Day,  1857.  That  same  year  the  congregation 
was  made  independent,  then  numbering  69  members.  In  1863  the  little 
church  building  was  moved  to  a  larger  lot  in  a  more  desirable  location, 
and  two  years  later  an  addition  was  built  at  a  cost  of  a  little  over 
$1,300.  In  1872  the  present  large  and  imposing  edifice  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $18.000.  In  the  middle  sixties  an  independent  church  was 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


385 


formed  at  Wataga,  decreasing  the  membership  by  fifty.    In  1905  the 
Galesburg  church  had  a  total  membership  of  300. 

Operations  in  Moline  and  RocH.  Island 

Swedish   immigration  to   Moline   and   Rock   Island  had  scarcely 
begun  when  the  wide-awake  Rev.  Hedstrom  went  there  to  preach  to  his 


H 

tr 


x 

i 


W 

O 

V 

c 


countrymen.  The  first  man  that  took  kindly  to  him  was  Olaus  Bengts- 
son,  one  of  Moline 's  Swedish  pioneers.  Rev.  Hedstrom  lived  in  his 
house  whenever  he  visited  Moline,  and  in  that  same  house  the  Swedish 


386  TH]B    METHODISTS 

Methodist  Church  was  organized,  presumably  in  September,  1849,  and 
held  its  meetings  there  during  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence.  Only 
seven  persons  joined  the  church  at  its  organization,  these  being  Olaus 
Bengtsson  and  his  wife,  three  other  persons  in  Moline  and  two  from 
Kock  Island.  During  the  first  few  years  the  growth  was  very  slow, 
the  total  number  of  members  in  1855  being  only  18  or  20,  and  three 
years  later  showing  only  a  slight  increase  over  that  figure.  The  chief 
reason  for  this  slow  progress  lay  in  the  energetic  work  done  by  th6 
newly  arrived  Swedish  Lutheran  pastor,  Rev.  0.  C.  T.  Andren,  causing 
the  majority  of  immigrants  with  religious  interests  to  join  his  church. 
In  1859-61,  after  immigrants  had  arrived  in  great  numbers,  things 
began  to  look  brighter  for  the  Methodists  in  M61ine,  their  services 
were  better  attended,  and  in  1860  they  could  dedicate  a  little  church 
which  had  just  been  erected. 

In  1862  the  Moline  Swedish  Methodists  were  organized  into  a 
separate  congregation,  independent  of  the  Andover  church,  and  with 
a  pastor  of  their  own.  The  subsequent  year,  Moline  was  combined 
with  Swedona,and  in  1867  Geneseo  was  also  added  to  the  circuit,  a  small 
congregation  having  been  organized  in  the  latter  place  in  1864  and  a 
little  church  erected.  In  1871  the  Moline  congregation  sold  its  church 
building,  which  was  now  inadequate,  and  purchased  from  an  American 
congregation  a  larger  building  which  was  moved  to  a  new  location, 
where  it  was  used  until  1889,  the  year  of  the  erection  of  the  present  still 
more  commodious  temple  of  worship.  In  1871  a  parsonage  was  built 
which  four  years  later  was  rebuilt  and  enlarged.  The  total  member- 
ship in  1905  reached  202. 

During  the  years  1852-5  there  existed  in  Rock  Island  a  small  but 
vigorous  congregation  of  Swedish  Methodists,  consisting  largely  of 
girls  in  the  employ  of  American  families,  but  soon  most  of  these  girls 
left  the  city,  almost  depleting  the  church  as  early  as  1856.  In  1854  this 
congregation  is  said  to  have  owned  a  small  church  building  which 
seems  to  have  been  disposed  of  long  ago. 

The  Chicago  Field 

Swedish  Methodism  in  Chicago  dates  back  to  1852.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  Rev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom  of  New  York  visited  that  city  on  his 
way  to  his  brother  in  Victoria.  Here  he  had  an  opportunity  to  preach 
for  several  successive  days  in  the  Norwegian,  subsequently  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  on  Superior  street.  Large  crowds  went  to  hear  him, 
and  Hedstrom  is  said  to  have  preached  with  such  power  that  "  there 
was  weeping  throughout  the  church,  from  the  pulpit  down  to  the  last 
pew."  In  December,  on  his  return  to  New  York,  he  again  visited 


EARLY    CHURCHES  387 

Chicago,  accompanied  by  his  brother  Jonas.  Here  they  stopped  a 
couple  of  weeks.  The  Superior  street  church  being  now  closed  to  them, 
they  conducted  their  meetings  in  the  Bethel  Chapel,  or  Seamen's  Mis- 
sion, on  Wells  street,  between  Michigan  and  Illinois  streets,  and  here, 
in  December,  1852,  the  foundation  was  laid  for  a  Swedish,  or  rather 
Scandinavian,  Methodist  church  in  Chicago.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
this  work  tended  to  hurry  the  organization  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Immanuel  Church  of  Chicago,  which  took  place  in  January,  1853.  Rev. 
Jonas  Hedstrom  remained  in  the  city  a  few  days  after  his  brother  had 
left  for  New  York,  in  order  to  encourage  the  little  flock,  and  give  it  a 
good  start,  services  doubtless  well  needed  in  a  congregation  made  up 
of  many  heterogeneous  elements.  The  membership  at  the  beginning 
is  said  to  have  reached  75,  but  hardly  had  Jonas  Hedstrom  left  the  city 
before  more  than  two-thirds  of  these  deserted  and  joined  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church  just  then  in  process  of  organization.  A  mere  handful 
of  them  remained  in  the  Methodist  fold. 

In  order  to  save  the  wreckage,  Rev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom,  shortly  after 
his  return  to  New  York,  sent  his  assistant,  S.  B.  Newman,  to  Chicago. 
His  task  consisted  in  gathering  the  remnant  of  the  church  and,  with 
that  as  a  nucleus,  form  a  practically  new  congregation.  In  the  latter 
part  of  January,  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom  returned  from  Victoria, 
and  the  two  worked  so  earnestly  that  in  February  the  number  of  new 
members  received  on  probation  reached  65.  In  September  of  the  same 
year  this  number  had  grown  to  123,  this,  however,  including  a  few  in 
St.  Charles,  111.,  and  about  30  in  Poolsville,  Ind.,  where  a  church  had 
been  organized  in  August. 

Captain  Charles  Magnus  Lindg'ren 

Among  those  joining  the  congregation  that  year  was  C.  M.  Lind- 
gren,  a  sea  captain,  who  almost  immediately  became  one  of  the  chief 
supports  of  Swedish  Methodism  in  Chicago.  Lindgren  Avas  born  in 
Dragsmark,  Bohuslan,  Nov.  28,  1819,  went  to  sea  at  the  age  of  14,  and 
sailed  until  1849,  when  he  went  to  California,  remaining  there  for  three 
years,  first  as  a  goldwasher  and  later  engaged  in  the  freight  traffic. 
In  the  spring  of  1852  he  returned  to  his  native  land,  was  there  married 
to  Johanna  Andersson,  returned  to  America  in  September  and  arrived 
in  Chicago  in  November  of  the  same  year.  Here  he  opened  a  livery 
stable  on  Illinois  street,  but.  finding  this  unprofitable,  entered  into  a 
railway  project  together  with  the  Erik  Janssonists  of  Bishop  Hill  and 
settled  in  1854  at  Toulon.  Henry  county,  a  few  miles  from  Galva.  In 
the  spring  of  1856  he  came  back  to  Chicago,  bought  a  couple  of  freight 
vessels  and  contracted  with  a  lumber  company  for  shipping  lumber 


388  THE    METHODISTS 

from  Michigan  to  Chicago.  At  first  this  proved  exceedingly  profit- 
able, but  suddenly  the  company  failed,  involving  Lindgren  in  heavy 
losses.-  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Montgomery,  a  small  town  on  the 
Burlington  railroad,  about  fifty  miles  from  Chicago,  where  he  set  up  as 
a  manufacturer  of  machinery,  but  soon  failed.  In  the  fall  of  I860  he 
again  came  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  shipping,  first  with  a  good-sized 
freighter  with  which  he  succeeded  so  well  that  he  was  soon  able  to 


\ 


Capt.  Charles  Magnus  Lindgren 

exchange  it  for  a  still  larger  vessel.  Fortune  now  steadily  favored 
him,  and  he  gradually  added  vessel  after  vessel  until  in  1870  he  owned 
half  a  dozen  ships  with  a  combined  tonnage  of  4,500.  Several  of  these 
were  among  the  largest  in  the  lake  trade  at  that  time.  The  following 
year  he  had  three  more  large  freighters  built  at  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  one 
of  which  was  named  "Christina  Nilsson,"  after  the  great  Swedish 
singer  who  visited  America  that  year. 

Failing  health  in   1877   compelled  his   retirement   from  business. 
That  summer  he  took  a  trip  to  the  old  country.    His  condition,  however. 


EARLY    CHURCHES  389 

grew  worse  and  on  September  1,  1879,  he  died  at  his  home  in  Evanston, 
aged  60  years. 

Captain  Lindgren  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  activity  and  a  kind 
and  philanthropic  man  withal,  who  did  much  for  his  less  fortunate 
fellow  countrymen.  His  wife  was  equally  kind-hearted.  Lindgren  was 
particularly  liberal  toward  the  struggling  little  Swedish  Methodist 
Church  in  Chicago.  Without  his  aid  it  would  not  have  accomplished 
what  it  did.  When  in  later  years  the  Swedish  Methodist  Theological 
Seminary  was  founded  here,  Lindgren  contributed  generously  toward 
its  erection  and  maintenance. 

In  the  spring  of  1854  the  young  Methodist  congregation  decided 
to  build  a  church  of  their  own.  During  the  summer  Rev.  Newman 
made  a  trip  to  his  former  field  of  labor  in  the  South  to  solicit  funds  for 
that  purpose,  and  met  with  great  success.  The  edifice,  which  was 
erected  on  Illinois  street,  near  Market,  was  completed  in  the  fall  and 
dedicated  in  October  or  November,  by  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom.  The  back 
part  of  the  structure  constituted  the  parsonage. 

In  those  days  it  was  a  common  occurrence  that  the  meetings  of  the 
Swedish  Methodists  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere  were  disturbed  by 
drunken  rowdies.  Frequently  the  preacher  would  be  interrupted  in 
the  midst  of  his  discourse  by  hideous  yells  or  by  the  hurling  of  stones 
or  other  missiles,  aimed  at  the  speaker,  through  the  windows.  After 
services,  crowds  of  hoodlums  would  gather  outside  the  sanctuary, 
jeering  and  molesting  the  worshipers  as  they  were  coming  out.  Time 
and  again,  these  people,  both  ministers  and  laymen,  were  the  objects 
not  only  of  threats,  but  of  open  attacks.  The  aforesaid  Captain  Lind- 
gren, who  was  a  man  possessed  of  both  courage  and  physical  strength, 
was  often  obliged  to  act  as  a  sort  of  special  policeman  at  the  meetings. 
On  one  occasion,  when  he  undertook  to  escort  the  leader  of  a  gang  of 
disturbers  out  of  the  church,  the  culprit  drew  a  knife,  seriously  wound- 
ing Captain  Lindgren.  This  brutal  crime,  committed  in  the  house  of 
God,  was  brought  to  trial  and  the  perpetrator  was  severely  punished, 
while  several  other  disturbers  were  arrested  and  fined.  This  example 
had  a  wholesome  effect,  disturbances  became  less  frequent,  and  soon 
the  Swedish  Methodists  were  permitted  to  worship  unmolested. 

The  summer  of  1854,  when  the  cholera  broke  out  in  Chicago,  was 
fraught  with  many  trials  for  Rev.  Newman  and  his  flock.  The  noble 
work  of  relief  accomplished  by  Newman  and  other  Swedish  pastors  of 
Chicago  is  recounted  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  About  this  time,  also, 
his  field  was  widened  by  work  being  begun  in  Beaver,  St.  Charles  and 
Rockford,  111.,  and  at  Attica,  LaFayette,  LaPorte  and  other  points  in 
Indiana. 

In  September,  1855,  Newman  returned  to  his  former  place  in  New 


390 


THE   METHODISTS 


York  as  assistant  to  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom,  Rev.  Erik  Shogren  succeeding 
him  in  Chicago,  where  he  labored  for  four  years,  until  1859,  when  he, 
in  turn,  was  succeeded  by  Jakob  Bredberg.  At  this  time  two  young 
and  gifted  men,  A.  J.  Anderson  and  N.  O.  Westergreen,  joined  the 
church,  both  of  whom  in  later  years  became  prominent  clergymen  in 
the  Swedish  Methodist  Church. 

Rev.  Jacob  Bredberg' 

The  aforesaid  Jakob  Bredberg  was  in  some  respects  one  of  the 
notable  men  in  the  Swedish  Methodist  clergy.  He  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Alingsas,  Sweden,  May  1,  1808,  completed  his  college  course  at 
twenty-one  and  was  ordained  minister  in  1832.  Having  served  for 
twenty  years  as  curate  in  Sweden,  he  emigrated  in  1853.  Like  his 
former  colleague,  Rev.  C.  P.  Agrelius,  a  few  years  earlier,  Bredberg 
became  acquainted  with  Rev.  Hedstrom  in  New  York  and  joined  the 
Methodists,  was  subsequently  in  charge  of  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Church  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  for  four  years,  until  1859,  when  he  came  to 
Chicago.  During  his  first  year  here  the  work  progressed  nicely,  Rev. 
Bredberg 's  eloquence  and  his  reputation  for  great  learning  attracting 
good  audiences.  But  the  second  year  marked  a  complete  change.  Then 
it  was  discovered  that  he  was  indifferent  to  the  interests  of  his  church 
even  to  the  extent  of  planning  to  leave  the  Methodists  and  join  another 
denomination.  This  lost  him  the  confidence  of  the  parishioners  and 
caused  a  falling  off  in  attendance  and  a  gloomy  outlook  generally.  In  the 
fall  of  1861  the  anticipated  flop  took  place,  when  Bredberg  went  over 
to  the  Episcopalians  and  became  pastor  of  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church  in 
Chicago,  occupying  that  pulpit  until  1877,  when  old  age  and  sickness 
compelled  his  retirement.  Alongside  of  his  pastoral  work,  Rev.  Bred- 
berg engaged  to  some  extent  in  literary  pursuits,  such  as  editing  a 
Swedish  Methodist  hymnal,  the  contents  of  which  were  partly  compiled, 
partly  translated  by  him,  and  later  translating  the  English  Episcopal 
ritual  and  a  number  of  English,  French  and  Bohemian  tracts  into 
Swedish. 

In  the  condition  just  described  A.  J.  Anderson  found  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Church  when  he  took  charge  of  it  in  the  fall  of  1861.  The 
church  edifice  was  in  so  bad  repair  as  to  be  almost  condemnable.  Sun- 
day school  had  been  discontinued,  class  meetings,  prayer  meetings  and 
the  customary  forms  of  Christian  activity  had  been  abandoned. 
Furthermore,  the  congregation  was  still  heavily  in  debt  from  the  time 
the  church  was  built.  Rev.  Anderson  succeeded,  however,  in  putting 
new  life  into  the  work :  the  church  was  rebuilt  in  1863.  and  through  his 
efforts  the  membership  increased  by  160  in  the  period  from  1861  to  1864 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


391 


J 


392 


THE    METHODISTS 


making  a  total  of  210.  The  Sunday  school  numbered  130  pupils  and 
the  church  property,  now  free  of  debt,  was  valued  at  $8,000. 

During  the  following  year,  while  Rev.  Shogren  was  in  charge, 
another  hundred  members  were  added,  and  the  attendance  at  services 
was  so  great  that  the  congregation  had  to  choose  between  securing 
a  larger  house  of  worship  or  dividing  into  two  flocks.  They  chose  the 
latter  alternative ;  an  American  Methodist  church  on  the  west  side  was 
purchased  and  moved  to  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Sangamon  streets, 
and  thenceforth  regular  services  were  held  also  in  this  part  of  the  city. 
This  was  in  April,  1865.  The  next  fall  Shogren  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
N.  O.  Westergreen,  whose  three  years  of  service,  1865-8,  were  character- 
ized by  steady  progress.  Up  to  1867  Swedes  and  Norwegians  had 
worshiped  under  one  roof  as  members  of  the  same  church,  but  about 
that  time  it  became  apparent  that  it  was  better  for  all  concerned  that 
the  Norwegians  separated  and  formed  a  congregation  of  their  own. 
This  was  done  and  the  second  church  building  was  turned  over  to  the 
Norwegians,  most  of  whom  were  living  on  the  west  side.  This  marked 
the  beginning  of  Norwegian  Methodism  in  Chicago. 

During  the  years  1868  to  1870  Rev.  Nils  Peterson  was  pastor  of  the 
church.  The  congregation  at  that  time  purchased  the  lot  at  the  corner 
of  Market  and  Oak  street  where  later  its  present  church  was  built. 
Rev.  Peterson  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Anderson,  who  labored  here 
for  three  years  up  to  1873.  In  the  great  fire  of  1871  the  church  on 
Illinois  street  was  destroyed,  as  were  the  other  Swedish  churches  of  the 
city.  This  disaster  was  the  turning-point  in  the  history  of  the  Swedish 
Methodists  of  Chicago.  For  a  time  they  held  their  services  in  the  newly 
built  Norwegian  Methodist  church  on  Indiana  street.  But  after  the 
fire  the  influx  of  Swedes  to  the  west  side  increased,  and  for  that  reason 
it  was  found  expedient  also  to  make  it  the  religious  center.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  purpose  the  lot  on  Illinois  street  was  traded  for  one  on 
May  street,  where  the  present  Swedish  Methodist  church  on  the  west 
side  was  then  erected.  A  small  dwelling-house  situated  on  the  lot  was 
remodeled  into  a  parsonage.  The  basement  of  the  church  was  finished 
in  1872  and  the  entire  edifice  was  not  completed  until  1878. 

On  the  north  side  a  temporary  chapel  was  built  simultaneously.  In 
the  summer  of  1875  it  was  removed  to  make  room  for  the  Swedish 
Methodist  church,  which  was  not  completed  until  1879,  during  the 
incumbency  of  Rev.  D.  S.  Sorlin,  when  a  parsonage  also  was  built. 
From  1873  to  1875  its  pastor  was  Rev.  E.  Shogren,  assisted  by  Rev. 
Alfred  Anderson,  and  in  1875-6  Rev.  N.  0.  Westergreen  was  in  charge. 
Although  there  was  a  church  on  the  west  side,  Swedish  Methodists 
living  there  still  belonged  to  the  north  side  church  until  1875,  when  a 
formal  division  of  the  congregation  took  place  and  the  westsiders 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


393 


formed  a  separate  church  and  received  their  own  pastor,  Rev.  D.  S. 
Sorlin,  the  following  year.  In  1876  Rev.  Witting,  just  returned  from 
Sweden,  was  assigned  to  the  north  side  church,  serving  it  for  one  year. 
On  the  south  side  work  was  begun  by  the  Swedish  Methodists  about 
this  time,  resulting  in  the  organization  of  a  congregation  in  1876,  with 
Rev.  Fredrik  Ahgren  as  its  first  pastor.  The  progress  of  these  churches 
up  to  the  present  time  can  only  be  indicated  here  by  means  of  the 
following  statistics  of  membership  for  the  year  1905,  to-wit :  the  First 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  425,  the  west  side  church  168  and 
the  south  side  church  200. 

The  Beaver  Settlement 

About  75  miles  southeast  from  Chicago,  in  Iroquois  county,  a 
Swedish  settlement,  named  Beaver,  was  founded  in  1853.  There  a 
Swedish  Methodist  church  was  started  May  4,  1854,  with  nine  members. 
The  next  year  the  missions  in  Indiana  were  organized  into  a  separate 
circuit,  comprising  Attica,  Poolsville,  LaFayette,  Yorktown  and  Buena 
Vista,  with  Attica  as  the  headquarters.  To  this  circuit  Beaver  was  now 
added.  In  1863  the  congregation  in  Attica  disbanded,  the  church  was 
sold,  work  ceased  entirely  and  the  pastor  removed  to  Beaver,  which 
thus  became  the  principal  missionary  station  of  the  circuit.  A  church 
had  been  built  there  in  1860.  Work  at  this  point  grew  still  more 
difficult  when  in  1870  a  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  was  founded 
there,  its  church  edifice  and  parsonage  being  built  the  following  year. 
The  Lutherans,  however,  had  little  success  owing  to  the  fact  that  their 
members  arrived  later  to  Beaver  and  consequently  had  to  settle  on 
poorer  land,  where  they  hardly  could  make  their  living.  Therefore  they 
had  to  sell  their  farms  and  move  to  other  parts  of  the  country,  their 
number  was  gradually  decimated,  the  pastor  left  and  finally  the  church 
closed  its  doors.  The  field  was  thus  abandoned  to  the  Methodists,  who 
have  worked  persistently  with  the  result  that  the  Beaver  church  is  now 
one  of  their  best  country  congregations.  A  new  church  was  erected 
there  in  1890,  the  parsonage  has  been  rebuilt  since  1877,  and  in  1905 
the  congregation  had  a  total  of  165  members. 

Methodist    WorK    in    RocKford 

Methodism  was  first  preached  to  the  Swedes  of  Rockford  in  1854, 
doubtless  in  the  month  of  February,  by  Rev.  S.  B.  Newman,  who  went 
there  on  a  visit  to  the  parents  of  Rev.  N.  0.  Westergreen,  they  having 
moved  there  from  Chicago.  A  class  was  started,  in  charge  of  the  elder 
Westergreen.  Early  in  1855  the  younger  Westergreen,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Rev.  Newman,  began  preaching,  continuing  until  the  following 


394 


THE    METHODISTS 


spring,  when  the  family  removed  to  Evanston  in  order  to  give  the  son 
an  opportunity  to  study.  In  May  he  visited  Eockford  only  to  find 
the  class  dissolved,  and  when  Rev.  E.  Shoerren  visited  the  city  in  1856 


The  Swedish  M.  E.  Church  in  Rockford 

the  outlook  for  Swedish  Methodism  in  Rockford  was  still  very  dark. 
No  further  visits  were  made  by  Methodist  clergymen  until  the  year 
1859,  when  Westergreen  again  came  there.  The  year  after,  Rockford 
had  visits  from  Revs.  Challman  and  Erik  Carlson.  At  that  year's 
conference  it  was  resolved  to  begin  operations  in  Rockford  with  Victor 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


395 


Witting  in  charge.  A  little  old  church  owned  by  the  American  Pres- 
byterians was  rented  for  the  meetings  and  in  October  that  year  Witting 
began  preaching  there,  at  first  to  audiences  of  four  or  five  persons,  but 
the  attendance  steadily  increased.  Wednesday,  Jan.  30,  1861,  a  congre- 
gation with  a  membership  of  12  was  organized.  Prejudices  and  active 
opposition  for  a  time  deterred  the  growth  of  the  church,  but  when  at 
length  the  ice  was  broken  more  rapid  progress  was  made.  A  year  later, 
when  Rev.  Witting  began  to  issue  his  paper  "  Sandebudet, "  there  was 
renewed  opposition,  but  he  was  not  the  man  to  give  up  in  dismay.  He 
stuck  to  his  post  of  duty,  and  in  1863  the  congregation  was  able  to 
purchase  the  little  church  they  had  hitherto  hired,  and  renovate  it,  all 
without  incurring  any  considerable  debt.  That  year  the  congregation 
had  43  members;  its  pastor  was  Rev.  Albert  Ericson,  who  was  also 
assistant  editor  of  ' '  Sandebudet. "  The  following  year  N.  N.  Hill,  a 
local  preacher,  was  in  charge.  When  he  resigned  in  1865  and  was 
succeeded  by  P.  Newberg  the  membership  had  decreased  to  40.  Sub- 
sequently the  church  was  served  for  two  years,  1866-8,  by  two  local 
preachers,  August  Westergreen  and  Oscar  Sjogren,  each  for  one  year. 
Meanwhile  the  membership  grew  to  68.  The  last-named  year  the  con- 
gregation purchased  a  lot  in  a  good  location  on  First  avenue  to  which 
the  church  was  moved. 

Rev.  0.  Gunderson  \vas  in  charge  of  the  church  during  the  years 
1868-71,  when  there  was  an  increase  of  thirty  members.  After  Gunder- 
son there  was  the  following  succession  of  ministers:  John  Linn,  1871-2; 
A.  T.  Westergreen,  1872-3;  S.  B.  Newman,  1873-5,  and  John  Wigren, 
1875-7.  During  Rev.  Wigren 's  incumbency  the  old  church,  being  found 
inadequate,  was  replaced  in  1877  by  a  new  and  larger  one.  At  the 
conference  that  year  the  congregation  reported  a  total  of  165  members. 
In  1905  this  church,  which  at  certain  periods  has  been  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  denomination,  numbered  210  members. 

Tine  Swedona  and  Bishop  Hill  Churches 

A  Swedish  Methodist  society,  or  congregation,  was  founded  in 
Swedona  in  1857,  being  made  up  partly  of  members  of  the  Andover 
church.  An  edifice  was  erected  and  dedicated  in  the  period  of  1859-61, 
and  in  1864  a  parsonage  was  built,  this  being  moved  and  remodeled  in 
1874.  In  1863  the  Swedona  church  was  made  entirely  independent  of 
the  Andover  circuit,  its  membership  being  then  about  50.  This  church, 
which  embraces  also  the  Swedish  Methodists  of  New  Windsor,  in  1905 
had  36  members. 

The  Bishop  Hill  congregation  is  also  numbered  among  the  oldest 
of  the  Swedish  Methodist  churches.  It  had  its  inception  in  the  summer 


396 


THE    METHODISTS 


of  1860  when  A.  J.  Anderson  was  asked  by  Jonas  Olson  to  come  .and 
preach  in  the  old  colony  church.  While  in  Andover,  Anderson  made 
regular  visits  to  Bishop  Hill.  When  and  by  whom  the  church  was 
organized  is  not  known.  It  figures  in  the  list  of  assignments  for  the 
first  time  in  the  year  1863,  apparently  having  been  started  that  year 
by  Rev.  Peter  Challman.  In  1865  the  so-called  "Smedjevinden" 
(Blacksmith's  attic)  was  purchased  and  turned  into  a  meeting  hall. 
Three  years  afterward,  quite  a  large  church  was  erected,  as  also  a 
parsonage. 


The  Swedish  M.  E.  Church  in  Bishop  Hill 

Several  of  th'e  former  leaders  of  the  Erik  Janssonists  about  this 
time  joined  the  Methodists.  Galva  and  Kewanee,  both  belonging  to 
the  Bishop  Hill  circuit,  were  separated  in  1860  and  given  their  own 
pastors.  In  1905  the  Bishop  Hill  church  numbered  124  members. 

Eminent  WorKers  and   Leaders— Rev.  Anders  Johan  Anderson 

One  of  the  pioneers  of  Swedish  Methodism  was  Anders  Johan 
Anderson.  He  was  born  in  Quenneberga,  Smaland,  June  9,  1833,  the 
younger  of  two  brothers.  The  elder  was  Carl  Anderson,  who  became 
known  over  a  large  part  of  Sweden  as  a  prominent  lay  preacher. 
Having  obtained  an  elementary  education,  A.  J.  Anderson  emigrated 
to  America  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Landing  in  Quebec,  he 
came  on  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  employed  for  some  months  in  a  drug 
store.  Toward  winter  he  went  south,  remaining  in  New  Orleans  until 
spring,  when  he  returned  to  Chicago.  Here  he  obtained  lodging  with 


ANDERS   JOHAN    ANDERSON 


397 


a  family  of  Methodists  who  induced  him  to  attend  their  church  on 
Illinois  street.  There  he  made  the  acquaintance,  first  of  Rev.  S.  B. 
Newman,  and  later  of  Rev.  Erik  Shogren.  After  attending  services 
for  a  time,  Anderson,  in  the  spring  of  1856,  joined  the  church. 

He  possessed  natural  talents  of  a  high  order,  and  these,  coupled 
with  his  newly  awakened  interest  in  religious  matters,  soon  attracted 
the  attention  of  his  brethren  in  the  faith,  who  called  him  to  important 
positions  in  the  church.  Thus  he  became,  in  rapid  succession,  class 
leader,  local  preacher,  Sunday  school  teacher  and  leader  of  the  church 


Rev.  A.  J.  Anderson 

choir.  He  preached  his  first  sermon  in  July,  1856,  at  a  camp  meeting 
in  Forest  Glen.  In  1857,  on  the  advice  of  Rev.  Shogren  and  after  a 
lengthy  consultation  with  Jonas  Hedstrom,  the  Methodist  patriarch, 
Anderson  resolved  to  enter  the  ministry. 

His  first  pastoral  charge  was  at  Galesburg,  where  he  labored  for 
two  years,  till  1859,  his  subsequent  assignments  being  as  follows: 
Andover,  1859-61;  Chicago,  1861-4;  Galesburg,  1864-6;  Bishop  Hill, 


398  THE    METHODISTS 

1866-70;  Chicago,  1870-73;  presiding  elder  of  the  Swedish  district  of 
the  Central  Illinois  Conference,  1873-7 ;  Chicago,  1877-9 ;  Andover, 
1879-80;  Immanuel  Church  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1880-93;  Lake  View, 
Chicago,  1893-7;  presiding  elder  of  the  Chicago  district,  1897-1902. 
He  died  in  this  city  Dec.  19,  1902. 

Anderson  was  a  talented  preacher,  a  successful  pastor  and  a  man 
of  unusual  executive  ability.  This  latter  gift  was  especially  valuable 
to  him  during  his  first  and  second  term  of  service  in  Chicago.  He  was, 
furthermore,  a  clear-sighted  and  experienced  church  leader,  whom  his 
brethren  in  the  work  regarded  with  love  and  confidence.  Few  of  the 
Swedish  Methodist  clergymen  in  this  country  can  look  back  on  so  long 
and  so  successful  a  career  as  that  of  Rev.  Anderson.  His  memory  will 
long  be  cherished  among  the  people  whom  he  so  devotedly  served. 
When  he  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Lake  View,  Chicago,  he  was 
offered  the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.  from  a  German  Methodist  college 
at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  a  courtesy  which  he  politely  declined. 

Rev.  JoKn    Wig'ren 

John  Wigren,  another  prominent  Swedish  Methodist  pioneer 
preacher,  was  born  in  Grenna  parish,  Smaland,  Oct.  1,  1826.  He  left  his 
childhood  home  at  the  age  of  seventeen  to  serve  a  mason's  apprentice- 
ship. After  seven  years,  he  received  his  master  mason 's  certificate  from 
the  Grenna  council.  June  19,  1852,  he  emigrated  to  America  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  reaching  New  York  Aug.  27th.  On  the  day  of 
his  arrival  he  visited  the  Bethel  mission  ship  and  was  converted  then 
and  there.  From  New  York  he  went  to  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  to  rejoin  some 
acquaintances  from  his  youth.  After  a^short  stay  here  and  in  Pools- 
ville,  he  removed  to  Attica  in  the  spring  of  1853  and  joined  the  Swedish 
Methodist  church  that  was  organized  there  in  August  of  that  year  by 
Rev.  Newman. 

Wigren  at  once  became  a  zealous  church  worker,  doing  everything 
in  his  power  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  congregation.  In  1885  he  was 
appointed  class  leader,  in  1856  exhorter  and  in  1857  local  preacher. 
The  pastor  in  charge  being  unable  to  visit  the  place  more  than  every 
third  Sunday,  it  devolved  upon  Wigren  to  conduct  most  of  the  services. 
With  this  he  continued  for  five  years,  or  until  1863,  when  he  abandoned 
his  trade  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the  service  of  the  church.  He 
was  then  assigned  to  the  Beaver- Yorktown  circuit,  which  he  served  for 
two  years.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  set  to  work  to  have  a  parsonage 
built  at  Beaver. 

At  the  conference  in  1865,  he  was  ordained  deacon,  a  year  later  he 
was  received  on  probation  into  the  Central  Illinois  Conference,  and  in 
1868  he  was  ordained  elder.  His  subsequent  assignments  were  :  Swedona- 


JOHN    WIGREN 


399 


Moline,  1865-6;  Swedona  alone,  1866-7;  Andover-Swedona,  1867-9; 
Andover  alone,  1869-71 ;  Moline-Geneseo,  1871-3 ;  Swedona  1873-5 ;  May 
street  church  in  Chicago,  also  presiding  elder  of  the  Chicago  district, 
1878-81;  south  side  church  in  Chicago,  1881-2;  Bishop  Hill,  1882-5; 
presiding  elder  of  the  Biirlington  district  of  Iowa,  1885-7,  and  of  the 
Chicago  district,  1887-91;  Lake  View,  1891-3;  Forest  Glen,  1893-4; 
Aurora,  1894-7,  and  La  Grange,  1897-9,  after  which  he  retired  from 
active  work  in  the  ministry. 


Rev.  John  Wigren 


In  his  prime,  Wigren  was  a  very  practical  man,  whose  energies 
were  especially  directed  toward  the  building  of  churches  and  parson- 
ages and  soliciting  funds  for  various  purposes.  Under  his  direction  the 
church  in  Rockford  was  built  in  1877,  the  west  side  church  in  Chicago 
was  completed  in  1878-81,  and  the  basement  of  the  south  side  church 
was  built  in  1881-2.  While  he  was  stationed  at  Bishop  Hill  in  1882-5 
his  executive  talents  again  stood  him  in  good  stead  when  the  camp 


400 


THE    METHODISTS 


meeting  grounds  at  Hickory  Grove,  between  Bishop  Hill  and  Galva, 
were  purchased. 

Rev.  Wigren  is,  moreover,  a  successful  evangelist  and  has 
added  many  new  members  to  the  churches  he  served.  Being  a  man 
of  good  judgement  and  considerable  business  acumen,  he  was  often  put 
in  charge  of  important  undertakings  and  has  always  been  a  dominant 
figure  at  the  conference  meetings.  He  worked  energetically  from  the 
very  start  in  behalf  of  the  theological  seminary  at  Evanston  and  was 
for  nineteen  years  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees.  Rev.  Wigren  is 
living  in  retirement  in  Chicago.  Three  of  his  sons  have  followed  in  his 


Elim  Swedish  M.  E.  Church,  Lake  View 

footsteps   and   devoted   themselves   to   the   ministry    in    the    Swedish 
Methodist  Church. 

Rev.    N.    O.    Westerg'reen 

Another  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  preachers  to  be  numbered  with 
the  pioneers  is  N.  0.  Westergreen.  He  was  born  in  Bjararyd,  Blekinge. 
Sweden,  July  25,  1834.  Together  with  his  parents  and  four  brothers 
he  came  to  the  United  States  Sept.  29,  1852.  The  parents  and  two  of 
his  younger  brothers  proceeded  to  Chicago,  while  he  and  his  two  elder 
brothers  remained  in  the  East.  The  first  winter  he  lived  with  an 
American  family  named  Washburn,  at  Minot,  Me.,  where  he  attended 
district  school.  After  spending  the  spring  and  summer  in  Boston  he 
came  to  Chicago  in  November,  1853.  Here  he  met  Rev.  Newman, 
through  whose  influence  he  was  converted  about  Christmas  time  and 
embraced  the  Methodist  faith. 


N.  O.    WESTERGREEN 


401 


Not  long  afterward  Westergreen  together  with  his  parents  removed 
to  Rockford.  He  now  experienced  a  desire  to  enter  the  ministry,  and 
an  opportunity  to  preach  was  offered  when  Rev.  Newman,  who  had 


Rev.  N.  O.  Westergreen 


begun  the  work  in  Rockford,  appointed  him  leader  of  the  meetings.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  in  February,  1855,  in  his  parental  home.  In 
order  to  prepare  himself  for  his  calling  he  entered  the  Garrett  Biblical 


402  THE    METHODISTS 

Institute  at  Evanston  the  same  year  and  was  enrolled  at  Knox  College, 
Galesburg,  a  year  later.  In  1859  Westergreen  was  assigned  to  the  Vic- 
toria church.  Thence  he  was  sent  to  serve  the  Norwegian  congregations 
in  Leland  and  Norway,  and  in  1860  he  was  assigned  to  Beaver,  111.,  and 
Attica,  Ind.  After  two  years  he  went  back  to  Leland,  whence  he  was 
transferred  in  1863  to  the  Galesburg  church.  This  assignment  suited 
him  all  the  more  as  it  made  it  possible  for  him  again  to  take  up  studies 
at  Knox  College.  After  serving  a  year  at  Bishop  Hill,  Wataga  and 
Kewanee  he  was  in  charge  of  the  north  side  church  in  Chicago  during 
the  years  1865-8. 


The  Old  Swedish  M.  E.  Tabernacle  at  Desplaines  Camp  Grove 

In  1870,  when  the  projected  theological  school  was  ultimately  estab- 
lished, Westergreen  became  its  first  teacher,  meanwhile  having  charge 
of  the  church  at  Galesburg  for  four  years.  Having  subsequently  served 
as  editor  of  ' '  Sandebudet ' '  for  three  years,  Westergreen  became  pastor 
of  the  north  side  church  of  Chicago ;  he  was  next  stationed  at  Geneva 
and  Batavia  for  one  year,  and  at  Moline  for  a  like  term,  acting  at  the 
same  time  as  presiding  elder  of  the  Galesburg  district.  From  here  he 
was  sent  to  the  Fifth  avenue  church  in  Chicago,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years.  After  four  years '  service  as  presiding  elder  of  the  Chicago 
district,  he  was  pastor  of  the  Evanston  church  for  a  like  period,  of  the 
Fifth  avenue  church  one  year,  at  Humboldt  Park  two  years,  at  More- 
land,  Melrose  and  Oak  Park  one  year  and  at  Ravenswood  one  year.  In 
1895,  at  his  own  request,  Westergreen  was  declared  superannuated, 
but  still  continued  to  serve  the  small  congregations  at  Waukegan  and 
Lake  Forest,  and  acted  as  teacher  at  the  theological  seminary  during 
the  school  year  1896-7. 


ALBERT    KRICSON 


403 


Westergreen  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  a  profound  thinker 
and  a  good  speaker.  He  is  well  versed,  especially  in  the  subjects  of 
theology  and  church  history.  As  a  champion  of  Methodism  among  the 


Rev.  Albert  Ericson 

Swedish-Americans  he  has  exerted  a  powerful  influence.  His  ability 
as  scholar  and  preacher  has  been  recognized  by  a  Methodist  institution 
of  learning,  which  some  years  ago  gave  him  the  degree  of  D.  D. 


404  THE    METHODISTS 

Rev.    Albert    ILricson. 

The  fourth  of  this  group  of  eminent  Swedish  Methodist  workers 
is  Albert  Ericson,  a  distinguished  preached  and  educator,  a  biograph- 
ical sketch  of  whom  is  found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  began  preach- 
ing shortly  after  his  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1857.  After  having 
served  as  editor  of  "Sandebudet",  the  mouthpiece  of  the  denomination, 
for  two  years,  Ericson  was  called  in  1866  as  teacher  of  Swedish  in  the 
proposed  theological  seminary  and  went  abroad  to  prepare  himself  for 
this  work.  Finding  upon  his  return  that  the  school  was  not  yet  opened, 
he  again  assumed  the  editorship  of  the  official  church  paper.  After 
laboring  as  a  preacher  in  the  eastern  field  for  some  ten  years  he  was 
called  to  the  presidency  of  the  Swedish  Theological  Seminary  in  Evans- 
ton.  In  this  responsible  position,  held  by  him  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  he  continues  to  render  efficient  service  to  his  church  and  to 
wield  great  influence  in  the  training  of  its  teachers. 

The  Swedish  Theological  Seminary 

As  early  as  1865,  a  year  before  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
America  celebrated  its  one  hundredth  anniversary,  steps  wrere  taken 
toward  the  establishment  of  a  divinity  school  for  the  Scandinavian 
element  of  the  denomination.  The  initiative  was  taken  by  Eev.  Victor 
Witting.  In  October  of  that  year  a  general  convention  of  all  Scandi- 
navian Methodist  preachers  and  a  number  of  laymen  was  held  to  discuss 
the  matter.  The  meeting  resolved  that  a  Scandinavian  seminary  be 
founded  at  the  earliest  possible  time.  Rev.  Witting  and  other  pastors 
were  appointed  as  solicitors  of  funds,  and  teachers  were  designated. 
The  project  met  with  favor  everywhere  and  a  considerable  amount  was 
subscribed.  When  Witting,  who  was  the  soul  of  the  movement,  was 
sent  to  Sweden,  the  work  lagged,  and  more  than  half  of  the  amount 
promised  was  lost  through  negligence  in  making  collections. 

Ere  long  it  proved  impracticable  to  carry  out  the  original  plan 
of  a  common  institution  for  all  Scandinavian  Methodists.  A  separation 
between  the  Swedish  and  Norwegian  brethren  followed,  each  group 
continuing  to  carry  forward  its  plans,  after  an  equal  division  of  the 
existing  funds  had  been  made.  The  split  delayed  the  establishment  of 
a  Swedish  seminary  until  1870,  Avhen  it  was  finally  founded  at  Gales- 
burg.  On  Feb.  28th  of  that  year  it  opened  with  two  students  and  Eev. 
N.  0.  Westergreen  as  teacher.  During  the  entire  first  year  the  attend- 
ance stopped  at  a  total  of  four.  The  upper  story  of  a  private  house, 
belonging  to  one  Peter  Hillgren,  was  at  first  used  for  studies  and 
recitation  rooms.  From  there  the  school  moved  into  another  private 
house  and  then  occupied  rooms  on  the  second  floor  in  the  private 


INSTITUTIONS 


405 


cp 


406  THE    METHODISTS 

residence  of  Rev.  Westergreen.  Not  more  than  a  dozen  persons  availed 
themselves  of  the  instruction  given  while  the  school  was  in  Galesburg, 
but  this  number  includes  not  a  few  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
Swedish  Methodist  clergy.  From  that  time  the  school  has  had  a  per- 
manent existence,  although  the  location  has  varied.  In  1872  it  was 
removed  from  Galesburg  to  Galva,  and  Westergreen  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  C.  A.  Wiren.  Three  years  afterward,  in  1875,  the  institution  was 
located  in  Evanston,  in  organic  connection  with  the  Northwestern 
University.  At  this  time  Dr.  William  Henschen  was  placed  at  its  head, 
a  position  retained  by  him  until  the  close  of  the  school  year  in  the 
spring  of  1883.  Part  of  this  time  the  first  class  had  been  maintained 
and  taught  partly  at  Galva,  partly  in  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis, 
Fredrick  Ahlgren  acting  as  teacher  at  the  former  place  in  1877-9,  and 
J.  0.  Nelson  at  the  latter  in  1879-82.  After  that  the  institution  was 
consolidated  at  Evanston,  with  Prof.  Albert  Ericson  at  the  head.  He 
was  the  sole  teacher  up  to  1889,  when  C.  G.  Wallenius  was  elected 
assistant  professor.  He  resigned  in  1896,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Westergreen,  but  returned  to  the  position  after  an  interval  of  three 
years,  and  remained  with  the  institution  until  1906. 

Many  of  the  students  of  the  seminary  have  availed  themselves  of 
its  connection  with  the  university  to  take  special  courses  in  its  various 
departments,  a  number  graduating  from  the  college.  From  1886  a 
special  teacher  of  English  has  been  a  member  of  the  seminary  faculty. 

The  control  of  the  institution  is  vested  in  a  board  of  nine  directors, 
five  clergymen  and  four  laymen,  representing  the  Central,  the  Western, 
the  Northern  and  the  Eastern  Swedish  Methodist  Conferences. 

The  institution  was  started  on  a  fund  of  $4,000,  which  has  since 
grown  to  $45,000.  This  does  not  include  the  sum  of  about  $8,000 
expended  on  the  building  erected  in  1883  on  ground  owned  by  the 
university.  This  building  was  a  three  story  structure,  containing  recita- 
tion rooms,  dining  room,  kitchen  and  16  living-rooms  for  students.  The 
money  expended  on  the  building  was  raised  chiefly  through  the  efforts 
of  Rev.  Charles  G.  Nelson. 

Recently  a  more  commodious  building  has  been  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $35,000,  the  dedication  of  which  on  Sept.  21,  1907,  marked  a  great 
stride  in  the  progress  of  the  institution.  The  new  building  is  located  at 
Orrington  avenue  and  Lincoln  street;  on  a  campus,  246  feet  front  by 
211  deep,  costing  $12,000.  The  present  valuation  on  the  seminary 
property  is  $47,000,  on  which  rests  a  debt  of  about  $14,000. 

The  Bethany  Home 

The  question  of  establishing  a  Swedish  Methodist  home  for  the 
aged  in  Chicago  was  first  broached  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  minis- 
terial association  of  the  Chicago  district,  held  at  Donovan,  111.,  in  1889. 


INSTITUTIONS 


407 


A  committee  appointed  to  present  plans  for  such  an  institution  included 
Mr.  John  R.  Lindgren,  the  banker.  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  held  New 
Year's  Day,  1890,  he  gave  a  promise  of  $5,000  to  the  proposed  home, 
conditioned  on  the  raising  of  a  like  amount.  Rev.  Alfred  Anderson  set 
to  work  soliciting  donations,  and  when  through  his  efforts  the  con- 
dition had  been  fully  met,  Mr.  Lindgren  promised  another  substantial 
donation  on  the  same  terms. 

With  such  a  lift  at  the  start,  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  acquire 
the  funds  needed  for  the  early  realization  of  the  plan.  In  February, 
1891,  a  house  in  south  Evanston  was  rented  and  on  the  3rd  of  March 
following  the  home  was  formally  opened.  In  August  of  the  same  year 
ground  was  purchased  in  the  Ravenswood  district,  Chicago,  for  the  sum 


The  Bethany  Home,  Chicago 


of  $13,000.  A  building  was  erected  thereon,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $15,000. 
Upon  its  completion,  the  temporary  quarters  were  abandoned  and  the 
wards  transferred  to  the  new  building.  This  contained  mainly  living- 
rooms  for  the  aged,  but  two  rooms  were  set  aside  for  the  accommodation 
and  care  of  the  sick,  and  two  physicians  and  a  trained  nurse  were 
engaged.  In  this  way  charity  was  extended  in  the  form  of  medical 
attendance  free  of  cost,  wholly  or  in  part,  until  the  entire  building  was 


408  THE    METHODISTS 

needed  for  its  original  purpose,  when  the  hospital  department  was  dis- 
continued. 

In  the  year  1896  a  six-flat  building  was  erected  on  the  grounds,  the 
rental  of  which  goes  toward  the  maintenance  of  the  home.  This  was 
ready  for  occupancy  in  April,  1897,  and  has  since  yielded  the  institution 
a  handsome  steady  income,  supplemented  by  gifts  and  contributions 
from  churches,  societies  and  individuals,  and  an  annual  offering  in  the 
churches  on  Thanksgivings  Day.  Applicants  for  admission  have  paid  in 
various  sums,  varying  from  $50  to  $500  a  person,  no  specified  fee  being 
required. 

The  affairs  of  the  Bethany  Home  are  in  the  hands  of  a  board  of 
trustees,  with  Rev.  Alfred  Anderson  as  president  and  Rev.  John  Bendix 
as  financial  agent,  the  latter  having  filled  that  position  for  the  past 
eleven  years.  The  institution,  now  free  of  debt,  owns  property  valued 
at  $75,000. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1907  the  number  of  inmates  of  the  home 
was  thirty.  The  total  number  of  persons  cared  for  since  the  opening 
was  179,  of  whom  41  have  passed  away. 

GrowtH  of  Swedish  Methodism 

In  1875  Swedish  Methodism  in  the  West  had  grown  to  such  an 
extent  that  its  ministers,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  all  deemed  it 
not  only  desirable  but  absolutely  necessary  to  hold  a  Swedish  confer- 
ence comprising  all  the  Swedish  Methodist  congregations  in  the  states 
of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Minnesota,  Wisconsin 
and  Michigan,  and  to  this  end  a  petition  was  submitted  at  the  Gen'  ^al 
Conference  which  convened  at  Baltimore  in  May,  1876.  The  petition 
was  granted,  and  Sept.  6th  the  following  year  Bishop  Jesse  T.  Peck 
organized  in  Galesburg.  the  Swedish  Northwestern  Conference.  From 
its  inception  the  conference  embraced  three  districts,  those  of  Gales- 
burg,  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  with  a  total  of  36  ministers,  39  pastorates, 
4.105  members,  44  church  edifices,  valued  at  $121,750,  and  22  parson- 
ages, at  $19,225. 

In  1893,  after  16  years  of  progress,  there  were  five  districts  in  all, 
viz.,  Chicago,  Burlington,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  St.  Paul  and  Superior, 
with  85  ministers,  105  pastorates,  9,800  members,  131  church  edifices 
and  61  parsonages,  with  a  total  property  value  of  $564,880.  After 
three  years  of  preparation,  the  Northwestern  Conference  at  a  meeting 
in  G-alesburg  was  divided  into  three  conferences,  the  Central,  the 
Western  and  the  Northern  Swedish  conferences.  The  Central  Confer- 
ence included  Illinois,  Indiana.  Ohio,  western  New  York,  western 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  city  of  Racine,  Wis.  It  was  divided  into  three 


PROGRESS 


409 


OCpCz 

p  Q  .^  i_  O 
xaZ£s 


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a  2    5 


O^a 

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8SS8 


ns 


THE    METHODIvSTvS 


districts,  Chicago,  Galesburg  and  Jamestown,  numbering  altogether 
43  ministers,  43  pastorates,  5,321  members,  47  church  buildings  and 
22  parsonages. 

The  Western  Conference  embraced  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  and  was  divided  into  two  districts,  Iowa  and  Kansas- 
Nebraska,  with  a  total  of  27  pastors,  29  pastorates,  2,299  members,  with 
39  church  edifices  and  19  parsonages,  worth  altogether  $100,500. 

The  Northern  Conference  comprised  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin, 
with  the  exception  of  the  city  of  Racine,  and  the  northern  peninsula 
of  Michigan.  The  following  year,  this  conference  was  organized  into 
three  districts,  Lake  Superior,  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  and  had  at 
that  time  32  ministers,  39  pastorates,  2,634  members,  52  church  build- 


Swedish  Methodist  Tabernacle  at  Desplaines, 
Dedicated  1907 


ings  and  23  parsonages.  At  the  seventh  annual  meeting  of  the  con- 
ference in  Calumet,  Mich.,  in  1900,  it  was  reorganized  into  a  regular 
annual  conference  called  the  Northern  Swedish  Conference.  In  1903  it 
numbered  30  ministers,  43  pastorates,  2.906  members,  64  church  build- 
ings and  40  parsonages. 

The  Swedish  Methodist  work  in  the  East  is  of  a  more  recent  date 
than  that  in  the  West.  With  a  couple  of  exceptions,  the  eastern 
congregations  have  all  been  organized  later  than  1878.  Originally 
these  belonged  to  the  various  American  annual  conferences,  but  in  1900 
they  petitioned  for  permission  to  form  a  conference  of  their  own.  This 
being  granted,  the  Eastern  Swedish  Conference  was  organized  April 
24,  1901,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  Immanuel  Church  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
The  conference  was  divided  into  the  four  districts  of  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  Worcester  and  Boston,  these  embracing  a  membership  of  3,642, 
with  26  ministers,  28  pastorates,  28  churches  and  10  parsonages,  the 
property  being  valued  at  $343.200. 


PROGRESS 


411 


In  Texas  work  was  taken  up  among  the  Swedish  people  as  early 
as  1873.  At  first  this  was  carried  on  under  the  direction  of  the 
American  Texas  conference  of  the  Southern  M.  E.  Church,  but  in  1881 
a  Swedish  district  was  formed,  as  a  part  of  the  Austin  Conference  of 
the  Northern  M.  E.  Church.  In  1903  this  district  had  10  ministers, 

10  pastorates,  572  members,  13  churches  and  9  parsonages,  the  property 
being  valued  at  $51,400. 

The  Swedish  Methodist  work  in  California  dates  from  the  early 
seventies,  but  not  until  1892  was  a  Swedish  district  formed.  This 
numbered  in  1903  seven  congregations,  .with  342  members,  and  had  7 
churches  and  2  parsonages.  The  value  of  its  church  property  was 
$45,050. 

In  the  summer  of  1881  the  Swedish  Methodists  extended  their 
endeavors  to  the  states  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  and  in  1890  a 
Swedish  district  was  formed,  embracing  these  two  states  and  Idaho. 
Its  statistics  in  1903  were  as  follows :  12  congregations,  395  members, 

11  church  buildings  and  8  parsonages.     The  total  value  of  the  church 
property  was  $39,935. 

Eliminating  the  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  district  from  the  Central  Con- 
ference, its  statistics  will  practically  cover  only  the  state  of  Illinois. 
The  strength  of  the  Swedish  Methodists  in  the  state  will  then  appear 
from  the  following  figures,  compiled  in  1907,  covering  the  Chicago  and 
Galesburg  districts :  regularly  ordained  ministers,  47 ;  churches,  49 ; 
members,  on  probation,  383,  in  full  connection,  5,222 ;  church  buildings, 
49,  the  estimated  value  of  which  was  $372.200 ;  parsonages,  27 ;  estimated 
value.  $102,000,  making  a  total  church  property  value  of  $474,000. 


CHAPTER   VII 

The  Swedish,  Episcopal  Church 

The  First  Swedish  Episcopal  Clergyman  in  the  United  States 

HE  story  of  the  founding  of  the  Pine  Lake  settlement  in 
Wisconsin,  the  first  Swedish  colony  in  the  Northwest,  by 
Gustaf  Unonius,  has  been  recounted  in  previous  pages. 
In  the  history  of  the  Swedish- Americans  this  man  is  re- 
markable also  for  being  the  first  Swedish  Episcopal 
clergyman  in  this  country  and  the  organizer  of  the  first  Swedish  church 
of  that  denomination.  This  congregation  was  followed  in  later  years 
by  others,  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Although  these  do  not,  like 
those  of  the  other  Swedish  denominations,  have  an  organization  of  their 
own,  but  are  merely  part  of  the  respective  American  bishoprics,  yet 
they  are  not  without  influence  on  the  religious  development  of  the 
Swedish-Americans.  That  influence  increases  in  direct  ratio  to  the  in- 
creasing number  and  size  of  the  congregations,  most  of  which  up  to  the 
present  time  are  few  and  comparatively  small. 

Already  during  his  pioneer  days,  Unonius,  then  a  mere  layman, 
acted  as  pastor  for  the  surrounding  community.  Every  Sunday  he 
would  conduct  services  in  his  rude  dwelling,  the  order  of  service  con- 
sisting of  the  singing  of  hymns  and  reading  of  a  sermon  from  some 
postil  brought  over  from  the  old  country.  These  services  gradually 
attracted  the  neighbors  throughout  the  settlement,  even  those  living  at 
considerable  distance,  and  in  all  their  simplicity  these  hours  of  worship 
grew  to  be  spiritual  feasts  to  the  settlers.  In  the  meantime  the  Episco- 
pal Church  had  started  a  mission  in  the  vicinity  of  the  colony,  where 
its  ministers,  at  the  invitation  of  the  settlers,  would  administer  the 
sacraments  and  perform  other  official  acts.  But  since  the  English 
language  was  still  incomprehensible  to  most  of  the  settlers,  who  con- 
stantly required  the  services  of  Unonius  as  interpreter,  they  soon  rec- 
ognized the  demand  for  a  man  who  could  officiate  in  their  own  language 
and  requested  Unonius,  in  whom  they  had  implicit  confidence,  to  enter 
the  ministry.  He  hesitated  at  first,  but  finding  himself  gradually  drawn 
to  the  ministry  and  discovering  his  unfitness  for  the  farmer's  vocation, 


UNONIUS— SMITH 

he  finally  gave  way  to  their  gentle  persuasion  and  resolved  to  study  for 
the  priesthood. 

Of  all  the  religious  denominations  with  which  the  settlers  had  come 
in  contact  up  to  this  time,  they  considered  the  Epicopalian  the  nearest 
approach  to  their  own  faith,  both  in  the  matter  of  creed  and  of  polity. 
They  therefore  urged  Unonius  to  seek  ordination  in  that  church,  and 
he  acceded  to  their  wishes  the  more  readily  as  he  himself  was  convinced 
of  the  superiority  of  the  Episcopalian  over  other  churches.  Entering 
the  theological  seminary  just  established  by  the  Episcopalians  at  Nash- 
ota,  Wis.,  he  was  after  three  years  of  study  ordained  in  1845  by  Bishop 
Kemper  and  assigned  as  missionary  to  the  Swedish  and  Norwegian 
immigrants  in  Pine  Lake  and  vicinity.  According  to  his  own  state- 
ment, Unonius  was  the  first  Episcopal  clergyman  ordained  in  Wis- 
consin. He  soon  discovered  that  the  ministry  also  had  its  drawbacks. 
Things  went  fairly  well  so  long  as  he  was  in  the  pay  of  the  missionary 
board,  but  when  he  endeavored  to  form  an  organized  congregation 
and  asked  its  members  to  contribute  regularly  to  the  support  of  the 
minister,  he  was  met  with  the  reply  that  "in  this  country  the  gospel 
is  free." 

Under  such  circumstances  the  ministry  became  a  hard  and  dis- 
agreeable task,  but  undismayed  he  continued  the  work  under  great 
privations  until  he  became  pastor  of  a  newly  organized  American 
church  in  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  when  his  cares  were  somewhat  lightened. 

«  • 

The   First   Scandinavian   Church   in    Chicago 

In  the  meantime,  religious  needs  had  begun  to  be  felt  among  the 
few  Swedes  of  Chicago,  but  at  least  for  a  time,  these  needs  were  only 
imperfectly  supplied.  As  early  as  the  fall  of  1847,  there  appeared 
among  them  a  certain  Gustaf  Smith  who  claimed  to  be  a  Lutheran 
minister  but  who  seems  to  have  been  an  adventurer  and  a  mere  im- 
poster.  Nevertheless,  he  succeeded  in  gaining  the  confidence  both  of  his 
own  fellow  countrymen  and  of  the  Norwegians  of  the  city  so  as  to  be 
able  to  organize  a  congregation.  A  lot  was  purchased  at  Superior 
street,  near  La  Salle  avenue,  on  the  spot  where  the  Passavant  Hospital 
is  now  located,  and  a  small  church  building  was  begun,  whereupon 
Smith,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  church,  went 
to  St.  Louis  to  solicit  money  for  the  building  fund  among  the  German 
Lutherans  of  that  city.  They  succeeded  well,  bringing  back  no  less 
than  $600.  The  resultant  joy  soon  turned  to  sorrow  and  regret  when 
"Rev."  Smith  absconded  with  the  greater  part  of  the  funds.  About 
the  same  time  another  misfortune  befell  the  congregation  in  that  the 
still  unfinished  edifice  was  torn  from  its  foundations  by  a  storm  and 


414 


THE    EPISCOPALIANS 


badly  damaged.  Worst  of  all,  strife  and  dissension  arose,  which  tore 
the  congregation  itself  to  pieces. 

Among  the  Norwegians  of  Chicago  there  were  at  this  time  several 
intelligent  Christian  men  who  had  not  been  duped  by  Smith  and  his 
followers.  These  organized  in  the  winter  of  1848  the  first  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church  in  Chicago  and  called  a  student  of  their  own  nation- 
ality, named  Paul  Andersen,  as  their  pastor.  The  same  year  this  con- 
gregation purchased  the  half -ruined  church  belonging  to  Smith's  con- 
gregation and  restored  it  to  its  foundation.  The  same  church  was  sold 
in  1854  to  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Immanuel  Church  organized  the  year 
before  and  was  used  by  them  until  1869. 

The  aforesaid  Smith  afterward  joined  the  Swedish  Methodists  and 
operated  for  several  years  in  Iowa.  In  1852-53  he  was  in  charge  of 
their  church  in  New  Sweden  and  in  1854  organized  the  churches  of 
Dayton  and  Stratford.  Suspicious  actions  soon  caused  his  expulsion. 
He  then  joined  the  American  Free  Methodists  and  in  his  efforts  to  win 
his  former  brethren  of  the  Swedish  church  over  to  that  sect,  caused  a 
good  deal  of  disaffection  and  disorder  among  the  young  Swedish  Meth- 
odist congregations  of  Iowa.  He  met  with  little  success,  however,  and 
when  he  was  no  longer  able  to  support  himself  among  his  countrymen 
in  Iowa,  he  went  still  farther  west  where  the  tracks  of  the  ' '  evangelist ' ' 
are  lost. 

Unonius   and  the   EriK  Janssonists 

After  these  adversities,  the  Swedish  members  of  the  congregation 
founded  by  Smith  decided,  on  the  advice  of  P.  von  Schneidau,  to 
call  as  their  pastor  his  friend  Unonius,  whom  they  knew  from  his  former 
visits  to  Chicago.  In  the  summer  of  1848  he  had  visited  the  city  and 
conducted  the  first  religious  meeting  in  the  Swedish  language  ever  held 
in  Chicago.  That  meeting  took  place  in  a  hall  in  a  medical  institute 
on  the  north  side  and  was  attended  by  30  to  40  persons. 

On  this  occasion  an  episode  took  place  which  deserves  to  be  record- 
ed. A  party  of  Erik  Jassonists  which  had  just  arrived  from  Sweden 
was  stopping  in  Chicago  awaiting  the  arrival  of  one  of  the  apostles  to 
guide  them  on  their  way  to  Bishop  Hill.  In  a  few  days  the  expected 
apostle  arrived,  accompanied  by  five  or  six  other  men,  bringing  horses 
and  wagons.  It  was  Anders  Anderson  from  Thorstuna.  Upon  learn- 
ing that  Swedish  religious  meetings  were  held  in  the  city,  he  went  there 
with  some  of  his  men.  After  the  sermon,  Unonius,  knowing  that  there 
were  Erik  Janssonists  in  the  audience,  attempted  to  direct  a  few  words 
of  admonition  to  these  deluded  persons.  Had  he  been  aware  of  the 
trouble  the  Erik  Janssonists  had  made  for  the  Swedish  clergy  for  the 
past  four  years,  he  would  wisely  have  desisted  from  addressing  them, 


THE  FIRST  CHURCH 


415 


but  as  he  had  been  in  the  United  States  since  1841,  he  had  not  been  in 
a  position  to  follow  the  career  of  the  sect.  He  was  quickly  made  aware 
of  the  utter  uselessness  of  engaging  in  a  discussion  with  these  people, 
infallible  as  they  were  in  their  own  eyes.  Hardly  had  he  closed  his 
remarks  when  Anders  Anderson  arose  and  began  to  defend  the  doc- 
trines of  Erik  Jansson.  A  long  debate  on  the  subject  of  dead  and  living 
Christianity  ensued  between  the  two  men,  and  Unonius  was  igpomin- 
iously  defeated  in  the  tilt,  his  opponent  Anderson  being  almost  the  equal 
of  Erik  Jansson  himself  in  the  art  of  fencing  with  passages  of  Scripture 
as  weapons.  With  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  memorized  scriptural 
concordances  and  parallels,  literally  interpreted,  these  fanatics  were 
capable  of  proving  with  the  words  of  the  Bible  any  proposition  what- 
soever. As  against  this  volubility  and  mass  of  evidence  all  the  learning 
and  theological  armament  of  Unonius  availed  nothing.  Although  An- 
derson worsted  his  opponent  in  argument,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that 
he  made  a  single  proselyte  among  the  Swedes  of  Chicago,  who  were 
pretty  well  acquainted  with  the  Erik  Jansson  movement. 

Founding'   of  the   First   Swedish   Episcopal   ChurcK 

"Rev."  Smith's  congregation  seems  to  have  been  altogether  too 
loosely  organized  to  hang  together  for  any  length  of  time  without  re- 
organization. Besides,  it  appears  to  have  lacked  all  connection  with 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  general.  One  thing  and  another  tended  toward 
disintegration,  and  the  Swedish  members,  at  the  instance  of  Von 
Schneidau  and  with  the  advice  of  Unonius,  undertook  to  organize 
an  Episcopal  congregation.  The  original  purpose  was  to  make  it  all 
Swedish,  but  the  Swedes  being  few  and  the  Norwegian  members  of  the 
church  preferring  to  make  common  cause  with  them  in  church  matters, 
it  was  decided  to  make  it  Scandinavian.  A  committee,  known  as  the 
church  committee,  was  appointed  to  draw  up  a  constitution.  This  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Von  Schneidau,  Anders  Larsson.  Pehr  Ersson  and 
J.  Fr.  Bjorkman,  Swedes,  and  And.  B.  Jonsen,  Battolf  Markusen,  and 
Knut  Gundersen,  Norwegians,  met  at  the  home  of  Von  Schneidau  March 
5,  1849.  The  name  proposed  was  the  St.  Eric  and  St.  Olaf  Church,  to 
indicate  its  Scandinavian  character  and  to  do  honor  to  the  patron  saints 
of  the  countries  of  Sweden  and  Norway. 

The  congregation  at  first  held  its  services  in  the  basement  of  the 
American  Episcopal  Church  of  St.  James  where  the  organization  was 
completed  in  May,  1849.  For  reasons  unknown  the  proposed  name  was 
not  adopted,  the  church  being  named  St.  Ansgarius,  from  the  first 
Christian  missionary  in  Sweden.  The  constitution  was  now  adopted 
and  signed  by  34  voting  members,  the  Swedes  and  Norwegians  being 
about  equally  divided.  Rev.  Unonius  was  present  and  his  name  and 


416 


THE    EPISCOPALIANS 


that  of  his  wife  head  the  list  as  it  appears  in  the  earliest  church  records. 
The  first  trustees  were,  Polycarpus  von  Schneidau,  W.  Knudsen,  Battolf 
Markusen,  Anders  Jonsen,  Anders  Larsson,  John  Bjorkman,  A.  S. 
Sheldon  and  John  Andersson. 

Immediately  on  his  removal  to  Chicago,  Rev.  Unonius  undertook 
the  laborious  task  of  gathering  funds  for  a  church  building.  Accom- 
panied by  his  faithful  friend  Von  Schneidau,  he  made  a  trip  to 
Delaware  and  Pennsylvania  to  visit  the  descendants  of  the  Delaware 
Swedes  and  among  these  people  he  succeeded  in  soliciting  for  his  church 
fund  a  sum  amounting  to  between  $4,000  and  $5,000.  Early  in  the 


Rev.  Gustaf  Unonius 


spring  of  1850  two  building  lots,  located  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  and 
Indiana  streets,  were  purchased  for  the  sum  of  $400.  The  work  of 
building  was  at  once  begun  and  progressed  nicely  so  long  as  the  funds 
lasted.  These,  however,  soon  were  exhausted  and  again  Unonius  and 
Von  Schneidau  were  obliged  to  begin  soliciting.  At  this  juncture  Jenny 
Lind,  the  great  Swedish  singer,  visited  New  York  city,  and  Unonius 
succeeded  in  persuading  the  prima  donna  to  donate  the  sum  of  $1,500 
to  his  church  building  fund.  After  her  departure  in  1851,  she  added  to 
her  munificence  by  donating,  through  one  Max  Hjortsberg  of  Chicago, 
an  altar  service  consisting  of  a  beautifully  worked  communion  cup  and 
plate,  valued  at  $1,000.  For  the  funds  now  available  a  handsome  and 


THE    FIRST    CHURCH  4! 7 

commodious  church  and  a  comfortable  parsonage  were  built.  The 
church  was  a  frame  edifice,  provided  with  a  semi-circular  gallery,  and 
had  a  total  seating  capacity  of  300.  Its  dimensions  were  33x50  feet. 
The  parsonage  was  a  two  story  frame  house. 

Unonius    as    a    Pastor 

For  nine  years  Rev.  Unonius  carried  on  an  energetic  and  richly 
blessed  pastoral  work  combined  with  tireless  endeavor  in  behalf  of  the 
needy.  At  this  time  the  Swedish  people  of  Chicago  lived  under  con- 
ditions entirely  different  from  those  of  today.  They  were  few  in  number 
and  generally  poor,  unable  to  give  any  material  aid  to  other  poor  im- 
migrants who  followed.  The  latter,  therefore,  in  the  first  place  turned 
to  the  Swedish  minister  for  assistance,  demanding  not  only  that  he  act 
as  their  spiritual  adviser  and  teacher  but  also  as  their  commissioner, 
assistant  and  adviser  in  all  worldly  matters.  Unonius,  who  warmly 
sympathized  with  the  poor,  and  mostly  sick,  Swedish  immigrants,  never 
spared  himself,  but  was  at  their  service  at  all  times,  so  far  as  his 
strength  and  ability  would  permit.  The  cholera,  which  broke  out 
epidemically  almost  every  year,  caused  him  much  work  and  anxiety. 
The  hardest  part  of  his  task  was  how  to  procure  homes  and  foster- 
parents  for  all  the  children  of  immigrants  who  lost  one  or  both  parents 
in  the  epidemic. 

After  only  four  years  of  labor  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  his  countrymen,  this  warm-hearted  philanthropist  was  so  broken 
down  by  over-exertion  that  he  was  compelled  in  1853  to  seek  rest  and 
recreation  in  a  trip  to  Sweden.  He  returned  just  in  time  to  resume  with 
renewed  strength  the  arduous  and  self-sacrificing  duties  imposed  by  the 
terrible  cholera  outbreak  of  1854  among  the  Swedish  newcomers. 

The  membership  of  his  church  continually  changed.  In  1850,  his 
second  year,  the  congregation  numbered  163,  the  following  year  it  grew 
to  195,  in  1855  it  dropped  down  to  117,  but  in  1857  it  had  again  in- 
creased to  142.  In  1856  the  little  church  was  so  prosperous  as  to  be  able 
to  purchase  an  organ  costing  $700. 

Notwithstanding  his  many  duties  at  home,  Unonius  found  time  to 
pay  occasional  visits  to  neighboring  places  to  serve  his  fellow  country- 
men by  preaching  and  officiating  at  various  religious  acts.  During  his 
very  first  year  in  Chicago,  he  made  an  official  trip  westward,  visiting 
almost  every  point  where  Swedes  had  settled.  The  main  reasons  why 
he  did  not  afterward  attempt  to  organize  Swedish  Episcopal  congrega- 
tions at  these  various  places  are  the  following :  In  the  first  place  there 
was  not  sufficient  material  at  hand  at  these  points  to  found  churches,  in 
the  second,  he  was  the  only  Swedish  Episcopal  pastor  in  the  whole 
country  and  had  his  hands  more  than  full  of  work  right  in  his  home 


Communion  Chalice  and  Paten  of  solid  silver,  presented  by  Jenny  Lind  to 

the  St.  Ansgarius  Church,  bearing  the  inscription,  "Gifvet  till  den 

Skandinaviska  Kyrkan  St.  Ansgarius  i  Chicago  af  en 

Landsmaninna  A.  D.  1851." 


THE   FIRST    CHURCH 


419 


field,  and  in  the  third  place,  after  a  few  years  the  religious  needs  of  the 
immigrants  began  to  be  provided  for  by  the  Swedish  Lutheran  clergy- 
men who  organized  congregations  wherever  an  opportunity  offered. 
Had  the  American  Episcopal  Church,  from  the  very  encouraging  be- 
ginning made  by  Unonius,  displayed  a  warmer  interest  in  mission  work 
among  the  Swedish  settlers  it  might  then  have  obtained  that  foothold 
among  them  which  it  has,  with  partial  success,  sought  to  gain  in  later 
years.  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  Unonius  did  his  part  in  serv- 


St.  Ansgarius  Episcopal  Church  and  Rectory 

ing  his  fellow  countrymen  who  at  that  time,  if  ever,  were  in  need  of 
spiritual  advice  and  comfort  as  well  as  material  help.  The  exceptional 
zeal  and  unselfish  efforts  of  Unonius  in  behalf  of  the  early  settlers 
entitle  him  to  an  honored  place  in  the  history  of  the  Swedes  of  America. 
At  the  time  of  his  visit  to  Sweden  in  1853,  Unonius  harbored  the 
desire  to  remain  in  the  old  country  and  enter  the  service  of  the  state 
church,  but  his  duties  called  him  back  to  Chicago.  For  several  years 
more  he  labored  here  with  his  customary  energy.  His  work  was  still 
further  increased  by  his  appointment  to  the  office  of  vice  consul  for 
Sweden  and  Norway  to  succeed  Von  Schneidau  who,  after  a  few  years 
of  service,  was  compelled  to  retire  on  account  of  an  incurable  disease. 
Finally,  in  the  year  1858,  Unonius  was  able  to  realize  his  desire  to 
return  to  Sweden. 


420 


THE    EPISCOPALIANS 


He  there  sought  admission  as  minister  to  the  state  church,  but 
encountering  various  obstacles,  he  was  forced  to  choose  another  calling 
in  order  to  earn  a  living  for  himself  and  family.  He  entered  the  cus- 
toms service  and  in  1863  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  collector  of 
the  port  of  Grisslehamn,  an  office  which  he  held  until  1888.  Both  before 
and  after  his  retirement  from  the  customs  service  Unonius  would  en- 
gage in  pastoral  work  whenever  called  upon,  and  he  retained  to  his  old 
age  the  ecclesiastical  office  in  the  Anglican  Church. 

In  1859,  the  year  after  his  return  to  Sweden,  the  riksdag  voted  him 
a  gift  of  three  thousand  crowns  in  recognition  of  his  long  and  useful 
service  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  countrymen  in  the  United  States. 


Rev.  Jacob  Bredberg 

During  his  last  years  Unonius  was  living  at  Hacksta,  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Upland,  a  country  seat  placed  at  his  disposal  by  his  son-in-law, 
Hugo  Tamm,  a  landed  proprietor  and  member  of  the  riksdag.  There  he 
died  October  14,  1902,  at  the  high  age  of  92  years. 

Alongside  of  his  official  duties,  Unonius  devoted  himself  quite  ex- 
tensively to  literary  pursuits.  His  best  known  works,  both  in  Swedish, 
are:  "Mormonism,  its  Origin,  Development  and  Creed,"  published  in 
1883,  and  "Reminiscences  of  Seventeen  Years  in  the  American  North- 
west," published  in  1861-2.  At  the  age  of  86,  he  added  a  supplement 
to  the  latter  volume. 


ST.    ANSGARIUS    CHURCH 


421 


The    St.    Ansg'arius    Church 

After  the  return  of  Unonius  to  Sweden  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church 
for  several  years  had  to  pass  through  many  hard  struggles.  No  Swedish 
pastor  was  to  be  had,  and  it  was  for  a  time  served  by  American  Episco- 
pal clergymen.  During  this  period  it  was  known  as  the  St.  Barnabe's 
Mission,  and  its  membership  seems  to  have  been  very  small. 

This  stagnation  period  lasted  until  1862  when  Rev.  Jacob  Bredberg, 
a  former  curate  from  Sweden,  who  for  several  years  had  been  in  the 
service  of  the  Methodist  Church,  assumed  the  pastorate.  Its  member- 
ship was  very  materially  reduced  that  same  year  by  the  withdrawal  of 
the  Norwegian  members,  but  it  rallied  from  the  stroke  and  added  quite 


Rev.  John  Hedman 


Rev.  Herman  Lindskog 


a  number  of  new  members  during  the  many  years  that  Rev.  Bredberg 
was  in  charge.  In  1868  the  church  was  extensively  remodeled  and  en- 
larged at  an  outlay  almost  equal  to  the  original  cost  of  the  edifice.  The 
renovated  temple  had  not  been  long  in  use  when  it  was  destroyed  in  the 
great  fire  of  1871.  Three  of  the  trustees,  Schonbeck,  Norstrom  and 
Lind,  succeeded  in  saving  the  altar-piece,  painted  in  1868  by  the  Nor- 
wegian artist  Clason,  and  also  the  church  records,  which  were  taken  to 
the  cathedral  of  the  Episcopal  bishopric  of  Illinois,  located  on  the  west 
side,  and  there  placed  in  safe  keeping.  The  communion  service  donated 
by  Jenny  Lind  was  kept  in  the  safe  of  one  of  the  church  members  who 
saved  it  from  destruction,  and  it  is  used  at  the  communion  services  of 
the  church  to  this  day. 

Before  the  end  of  the  disastrous  year  of  1871  the  congregation  had 
begun  to  erect  a  new  church  which  was  ready  for  occupancy  on  Christ- 


422 


THE    EPISCOPALIANS 


mas  morning,  1872.  This  was  the  same  church  that  is  still  used  by  the 
St.  Ansgarius  congregation.  It  is  situated  on  Sedgwick  street  and  is  built 
in  the  Gothic  style,  its  cost  being  approximately  $30,000.  To  that  sum 
the  Illinois  bishopric  of  the  American  Episcopal  Church  contributed 
$20,000.  Adjacent  to  the  church  a  spacious  parsonage  was  erected. 

Old  age  and  resultant  illness  in  1877  compelled  Rev.  Bredberg  to 
resign.  His  successor  was  Nils  Nordeen  who  was  replaced  by  P.  Arvid- 
son  the  following  year.  Arvidson  was  succeeded  by  John  Hedman  in 
the  fall  of  1879.  Rev.  Hedman  was  a  native  of  Krokstad  parish,  in 
Bohuslan,  where  he  was  born  June  25,  1848.  He  studied  in  Sweden  and 
Germany  before  coming  to  America  in  1873,  and  in  1877  he  entered  the 
Episcopal  institution  of  Seabury  Hall,  at  Faribault,  Minn.,  where  he 
finished  his  theological  course  in  June,  1879.  The  following  September 
he  was  ordained  in  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church  to  which  he  was  assigned 
as  assistant  pastor.  In  May,  1880,  Hedman  was  unanimously  elected 
rector  and  served  in  this  capacity  until  1887. 

From  that  year  the  rectorate  of  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church  has  been 
entrusted  to  Rev.  Herman  Lindskog  whose  biography  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

There  are  three  other  Swedish  Episcopal  congregations  in  this 
state,  but  these  are  of  quite  recent  date.  The  largest  doubtless  is  that 
of  Galesburg;  next  in  point  of  size  comes  the  Immanuel  Church  of 
Englewood.  The  third  in  order  is  the  Woodhull  church  which  during 
the  last  few  years  has  shown  but  faint  signs  of  life. 

The  Swedish  Episcopal  churches  in  the  eastern  states  are  not  the 
fruits  of  the  fundamental  work  accomplished  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin 
and  therefore  cannot  properly  be  mentioned  under  this  head. 


CHAPTER   VIII 


The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church 

Lars    Paul    Esbjorn,   Founder   and   Pioneer 

HE  Swedish  Methodists  had  already  organized  two  con- 
gregations and  the  Swedish  Episcopalians  one,  when  the 
first  Swedish  Lutheran  clergyman  began  religious  work 
in  Illinois  in  a  modest  and  unassuming  way.  It  did 
not  take  many  years,  however,  until  the  Lutherans 
had  outdistanced  both  the  Methodists  and  the  Baptists,  who  soon  ap- 
peared in  the  field.  Born  and  raised  as  members  of  the  state  church  of 
Sweden,  a  large  part  of  the  Swedish  immigrants  eagerly  embraced  the 
opportunity  to  group  themselves  into  congregations  around  former 
ministers  of  that  same  church  who,  out  of  interest  in  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  their  fellow  countrymen  in  the  West,  had  sought  them  out  to 
preach  to  them  the  word  of  God  and  administer  the  sacraments.  Its 
many  faults  notwithstanding,  the  Swedish  state  church  was  still  dear 
to  the  hearts  of  serious-minded  persons  among  them,  and  they  were 
all  the  more  willing  to  adhere  to  the  faith  defended  by  the  blood  of 
their  fathers  since  they  could  here  organize  their  congregations  in- 
dependently of  the  government  and  without  any  form  of  state  super- 
vision. The  innate  force  of  the  Lutheran  Church  here,  as  earlier  among 
the  German  Lutherans  in  the  East,  got  an  opportunity  to  develop  under 
the  benign  influence  of  untrammeled  religious  freedom,  and  the  result 
has  been  wonderful  indeed.  In  a  very  short  time  Swedish  Lutheran 
churches  were  organized  not  only  in  various  parts  of  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois but  also  in  the  adjoining  states  of  Iowa  and  Indiana.  This  was 
the  comparatively  small  beginning  of  the  large  and  powerful  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church  of  America,  known  as  the  Augustana  Synod,  which, 
in  little  more  than  half  a  century,  has  extended  its  work  and  influence 
over  a  large  part  of  the  United  States,  over  parts  of  Canada  and  to 
Alaska  and  Porto  Rico. 

The  first  Swedish  Lutheran  minister  in  Illinois  was  Lars  Paul 
Esbjorn.     With  the  exception  of  Peter  Wilhelm  Bockman,  in  Wiscon- 


424  THE  LUTHERANS 

sin,  and  Carl  Peter  Agrelius,  in  New  York,  both  of  whom  were  failures 
as  such,  Esbjorn  was  also  the  first  Swedish  Lutheran  preacher  in 
America  in  modern  times.  He  may  properly  be  styled  the  father  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  this  country.  He  not  only  founded  the 
Augustana  Synod,  but  also  began  the  Swedish  educational  work  in  the 
United  States.  As  a  pioneer  and  founder,  Esbjorn  'for  all  time  will 
hold  first  place  in  the  annals  of  Swedish- American  Lutheranism. 

Lars  Paul  Esbjorn  was  born  in  Delsbo  parish,  in  Helsingland,  Oct. 
16,  1808.  His  parents  were  Esbjorn  Paulson,  a  country  tailor,  and 
Karin  Lindstrom,  his  wife.  When  the  boy  was  five  years  old  his  mother 
died,  and  two  years  afterward  he  lost  his  father.  An  old  maid-servant 
named  Stina  took  the  motherless  boy  in  charge  before  the  death  of  his 
father  and  was  a  tender  foster-mother  to  him  until  he  reached  his 
twelfth  year.  It  was  she  who  taught  him  to  read,  and  after  she  dis- 
covered the  boy's  aptness  in  his  studies,  she  did  not  rest  until  she  had 
him  entered,  in  the  fall  of  1820,  in  a  school  in  the  city  of  Hudiksvall. 
Like  all  other  poor  boys,  he  suffered  great  privations  in  trying  to  get 
an  education.  Being  a  boy  of  weak  constitution,  want  had  a  telling 
effect  on  him,  yet  he  proved  a  diligent  and  hard-working  pupil,  who 
stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  his  teachers.  With  good  scholarship 
marks  he  entered  the  gymnasium  at  Gefle  in  1825,  and  there  took  up 
astronomy,  higher  mathematics  and  navigation  alongside  of  his  pre- 
scribed studies.  Having  taken  notice  of  his  predilection  for  mathe- 
matics, his  guardian  advised  him  to  join  the  topographical  engineering 
corps  of  the  army  in  order  to  raise  funds  for  continued  study,  but  Lars 
Paul  was  fixed  in  his  resolve  to  become  a  minister,  and  nothing  could 
swerve  him.  He  had  inherited  three  hundred  crowns  from  his  parents, 
but  that  sum  did  not  go  far.  His  noble-hearted  foster-mother,  however, 
exerted  herself  to  the  utmost  to  provide  the  necessary  means  and  his 
home  parish  gave  him  assistance  in  the  same  way  that  Luther  was 
helped  when  a  boy.  He  was  accustomed  at  Christmas  time  to  make  a 
round  of  the  well-to-do  farmers,  singing  a  stanza  or  two  of  some  hymn 
at  every  house,  and  received  in  compensation  various  gifts,  according 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  giver,  ranging  from  money  and  grain  down 
to  dried  meat  and  tallow  candles. 

At  midsummer,  1828,  aged  nineteen,  Esbjorn  passed  examination 
for  admission  to  the  University  of  Upsala  and  was  enrolled  as  a  theolog- 
ical student  of  the  university.  After  completing  a  four-year  course 
in  theology,  he  was  ordained  minister  June  11,  1832,  probably  in  the 
Upsala  Cathedral  by  Archbishop  Carl  von  Rosenstein,  and  became 
assistant  pastor  in  Oster-Vahla  parish,  in  Upland,  where  he  served  for 
three  years.  Subsequently  he  was  chosen  pastor  for  the  Oslattfors 


L.    P.    ESBJORN  425 

factory  and  also  school-teacher  in  Hille,  Gestrikland,  filling  both  posi- 
tions for  fourteen  years. 

During  this  time  he  was  perceptibly  influenced  by  Rev.  George 
Scott,  the  English  Methodist  preacher  at  Stockholm,  not,  however,  in  a 
sectarian  sense,  but  in  the  direction  of  deepening  his  religious  convic- 
tions. From  this  time  on  Esbjorn  was  a  strict  and  earnest  pietist  of  the 
old  school,  and  he  became  known  as  a  zealous  " lasareprest "  (revival-- 
ist  preacher),  while  still  a  strict  conformist  to  the  church.  The  earnest 


Rev.  Lars  Paul  Esbjorn 

and  gifted  young  pastor  early  devoted  himself  to  literary  work,  partly 
original,  partly  translations  and  revisions  of  older  religious  books  and 
tracts.  In  the  early  forties,  when  the  great  temperance  agitation 
stirred  the  country,  Esbjorn  became  one  of  the  foremost  temperance 
advocates  in  northern  Sweden,  contributing  by  speaking,  writing  and 
forming  temperance  societies  toward  that  change  of  public  sentiment 
which  ultimately  made  it  possible  for  the  lawmaking  power  to  stop  the 


426  THE    LITHERANvS 

private  distillery  system  and  thereby  stem  the  flood-tide  of  drunK 
enness. 

Actuated  by  his  great  enthusiasm  in  behalf  of  temperance,  Esbjorn 
at  times  probably  went  too  far,  for  instance  in  forcibly  depriving  far- 
mers whom  he  met  in  the  road  of  the  whiskey  kegs  they  were  bringing 
home.  But  even  where  he  acted  with  the  utmost  caution  he  did  not 
escape  bitter  persecution,  for  the  dram  was  dear  to  the  hearts  of  the 
people  and  whiskey  was  a  power  in  the  land.  His  enemies  sought  in 
every  way  to  make  trouble  for  him,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  threaten 
his  life.  One  night  when  Esbjorn  attended  a  religious  meeting,  sev- 
eral men  lay  in  ambush  for  him  under  a  bridge  he  was  expected  to 
cross,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  beating  or  killing  him.  Luckily  for 
him,  the  meeting  lasted  so  long  that  the  ruffians  got  tired  of  waiting 
and  went  home,  thinking  that  their  man  had  been  forewarned  and  had 
taken  another  route. 

As  a  consequence  of  his  stern  piety  and  strict  ideas  on  temperance, 
Esbjorn  aroused  much  opposition  among  the  clergy  of  the  archbishop- 
ric, who  did  everything  to  prevent  his  obtaining  a  rectorate.  Having 
passed  the  pastoral  examination  in  1839,  he  was  nominated  for  that 
office  in  several  places,  such  as  Regnsjo,  Soderhamn  and  Loos,  but  in 
every  instance  he  was  bitterly  opposed  by  the  whiskey  interests.  In 
the  last-named  place  it  is  claimed  he  received  a  majority  of  the  votes, 
but  was  deprived  of  the  position  by  trickery. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  this  energetic  and  profoundly  earnest  min- 
ister of  the  gospel  wearied  of  the  ungrateful  treatment  accorded  him 
at  home  and  began  to  look  about  for  another  field.  He  had  no  difficul- 
ty in  finding  one.  The  emigration  of  the  first  party  of  Erik  Jansson's 
followers  to  America  in  1846  had  directed  the  attention  of  all 
Sweden  to  the  great  western  land  of  promise.  In  the  years  next  follow- 
ing one  large  party  of  emigrants  after  another  had  embarked  for 
America.  Esbjorn  could  not  have  failed  to  notice  this  movement,  for 
it  was  in  his  own  native  district  that  Erik  Jansson  obtained  his  prin- 
cipal following  and  whence  the  sect  gradually  emigrated  in  larger  or 
smaller  parties,  which  were  soon  followed  by  others  of  their  country- 
men who  longed  for  America  for  economic  reasons  equally  as  urgent 
as  were  the  religious  considerations  of  the  Erik  Janssonists.  The  latter 
class  of  emigrants,  who  were  still  devoted  to  the  creed  and  doctrine  of 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  in  letters  to  their  friends  and  relatives 
at  home  complained  bitterly  of  their  religious  needs,  their  situation 
being  all  the  graver  as  they  were  surrounded  on  all  sides,  not  only  by 
the  Erik  Janssonists  and  the  Swedish  Methodists  but  by  all  sorts  of 
American  religious  sects  with  which  they  did  not  wish  to  affiliate,  and 


L.  P.  ESBJORN  427 

in  this  predicament  they  did  not  have  one  single  Lutheran  pastor  to 
minister  to  their  spiritual  wants. 

Realizing  the  pressing  needs  of  these  people,  Rev.  Esbjorn  decided 
to  emigrate  and  become  their  pastor.  The  question  of  earning  a  liveli- 
hood from  the  start  caused  him  a  great  deal  of  worry.  His  knowledge 
of  Methodism,  gained  from  Rev.  Scott  of  Stockholm,  had  given  him  a 
high  opinion  of  the  unselfish  motives  of  that  church,  and  he  seems  to 
have  had  assurance  that  the  same  church  in  America  would  be  found 
equally  unselfish,  relying  on  it  to  render  some  aid  in  his  work  as  a 
Lutheran  pastor.  A  correspondence  appears  to  have  been  carried  on 
between  him  and  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom  of  Victoria  on  this  subj-ect, 
Hedstrom  being  known  to  him  through  letters  from  emigrants.  But 
this  did  not  lead  to  any  direct  results,  wherefore  Esbjorn  turned  to  the 
Swedish  Mission  Society  with  a  petition  for  official  recognition  and 
financial  aid  from  that  source.  He  received  both,  the  financial  aid, 
however,  being  quite  insufficient. 

After  having  received  leave  of  absence  to  engage  in  clerical  work 
in  foreign  territory,  Esbjorn,  accompanied  by  140  emigrants  from  the 
provinces  of  Gestrikland  and  Helsin gland,  embarked  June  29,  1849,  on 
the  sailing  vessel  "Cobden,"  bound  from  Gefle  for  New  York.  The 
voyage,  besides  being  fraught  with  difficulty  and  peril,  craved  the  life 
of  one  of  Esbjorn 's  children,  and  the  body  was  interred  in  Helsingborg, 
where  the  vessel  touched.  This  was  but  the  first  of  a  series  of  sorrows 
and  reverses  that  were  to  follow.  The  party  arrived  at  New  York  in 
the  latter  part  of  August  or  early  in  September,  with  the  intention  of 
proceeding  to  Victoria,  111.  Their  plan  was  frustrated,  however,  for 
when  Esbjorn  met  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom  in  New  York  he  was  informed 
that  the  American  Methodists  would  give  him  no  aid  as  a  Lutheran 
minister,  but  only  on  condition  that  he  join  the  Methodist  Church. 
This  Esbjorn  would  by  no  means  consent  to  do.  In  his  predicament  he 
turned  to  the  headquarters  of  the  American  Board  of  Home  Missions 
in  New  York  with  an  inquiry  whether  they  would  for  a  time  support 
him  in  his  work  among  the  Lutherans.  Having  apparently  received  a 
favorable  reply,  he  had  no  further  reason  to  look  up  Rev.  Jonas  Hed- 
strom in  Victoria,  but  began  to  make  inquiries  for  some  other  western 
settlement  where  he  might  take  up  missionary  work.  He  did  not  have 
to  look  long  for  just  such  an  opportunity.  While  in  New  York,  he  had 
the  fortune  to  meet  the  aforementioned  Captain  P.  W.  Wirstrom,  who 
for  a  short  time  had  been  living  in  the  new  Swedish  settlement  at 
Andover,  in  Henry  county.  Wirstrom  seems  to  have  been  the  agent  of 
the  land  company  in  New  York  that  founded  Andover,  and  it  was  no 
doubt  through  his  influence  that  this  company  promised  Esbjorn  ten 
acres  of  land  for  a  church  on  condition  that  he  and  his  party  would 


428  THE    LUTHERANS 

settle  there.  After  careful  consideration,  Esbjorn  resolved  to  go  to 
Andover  to  stay. 

With  Captain  Wirstrom  as  guide  and  adviser,  the  party  now 
started  on  their  tedious  journey  westward.  They  traveled  by  canal- 
boat  to  Buffalo  and  thence  by  steamer  to  Chicago.  Shortly  after 
having  passed  Detroit,  another  of  Esbjorn's  children  died  and  was 
buried  in  a  very  primitive  coffin  in  a  sandbank  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
St.  Clair.  Rev.  Esbjorn  himself  took  sick  with  the  cholera  and  was 
compelled  to  stop  in  Chicago  with  his  family,  only  two  of  his  sons  going 
with  the  rest  of  the  party  to  Andover.  Three  weeks  later,  when 
Esbjorn  arrived  there  he  discovered  to  his  great  sorrow  that  the  alert 
Jonas  Hedstrom  had  already  been  there  and  succeeded  in  persuading 
most  of  the  newcomers  to  leave  Andover  and  come  with  him  to  Victoria. 
Before,  this  same  Hedstrom  had  recommended  Andover  as  a  suitable 
place  of  settlement  for  the  Swedes,  but  now  that  he  had  learned  of 
Esbjorn's  unwillingness  to  become  a  Methodist  he  changed  his  tone, 
disparaging  the  place  and  doing  everything  to  induce  his  countrymen 
to  move  away. 

In  Andover  Esbjorn  had  to  contend  with  all  the  customary  trials 
and  reverses  of  pioneer  life,  such  as  sickness,  poor  shelter  and  lack  of 
suitable  food.  He  succeeded  in  renting  for  himself  and  family  a  couple 
of  small,  stuffy  rooms  in  the  attic  of  Captain  Mix's  place,  a  farmhouse 
situated  just  outside  of  the  little  village,  and  now  owned  by  the  widow 
Anna  Lovisa  Gustafsson  from  Ostergotland.  The  first  Sunday  Esbjorn 
preached  in  Andover,  the  Francis  schoolhouse  serving  as  the  meeting- 
place,  he  was  still  so  weak  that  he  had  to  speak  seated  in  a  chair.  He 
spoke  with  intense  feeling,  taking  the  words,  "In  my  weakness  I  am 
strong,"  as  the  text  for  his  introductory  remarks.  During  the  ensuing 
winter,  Esbjorn  occupied  the  crowded  and  uncomfortable  quarters 
aforesaid,  but  in  the  meantime  he  purchased  a  little  farm  of  ten  acres, 
with  primitive  buildings,  situated  south  of  the  timber,  down  toward 
Edwards  Creek,  and  moved  there  in  the  Spring  of  1850. 

The   Swedish    Lutheran   Church   at    Andover 

In  his  work  as  Swedish  Lutheran  pastor  at  Andover,  Esbjorn  from 
the  very  start  met  with  bitter  opposition  from  Jonas  Hedstrom,  the 
Swedish  Methodist  pastor,  who  naturally  was  desirous  of  retaining  the 
advantage  he  enjoyed  on  account  of  his  long  term  of  service  in  this 
vicinity.  Nor  did  he  miss  a  single  opportunity  to  poison  the  minds  of 
the  settlers  against  Esbjorn  and  his  work.  In  conversations  held  with 
individual  members  of  his  flock  he  would  make  the  assertion  that  the 
Lutheran  Church  was  spiritually  dead;  that  it  was  the  Babylonian 
harlot,  which  every  one  must  shun  who  would  be  saved;  that  the  new 


THE   ANDOVER    CHURCH  429 

Swedish  pastor  had  come  to  put  the  free  settlers  under  the  bonds  of  the 
Swedish  state  church;  that  there  were  no  Lutheran  congregations  in 
America;  that  the  Methodists  were  the  true  Lutherans,  etc.  Clearly, 
these  and  similar  utterances  from  a  man  who  had  gained  the  confi- 
dence of  the  settlers  in  both  wordly  and  spiritual  matters  would  gain 
credence  among  them  to  a  certain  extent  and  hurt  Esbjorn  in  his  work. 
Hedstrom  had  the  advantage  of  being  backed  by  the  American  Meth- 
dist  Church,  from  which  he  received  a  salary,  small  as  it  was,  while 
there  was  no  Lutheran  congregation,  conference  or  synod  of  any  kind 
in  this  part  of  the  country  from  which  Esbjorn  could  get  aid  and  ad- 
vice. He  stood  entirely  alone,  and  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources 
both  as  to  the  methods  and  the  means  by  which  to  prosecute  the  work. 
In  this  isolated  and  difficult  position,  Esbjorn  was  obliged  to  turn 
to  the  Illinois  branch  of  the  Congregational  American  Board  of  Home 
Missions,  at  Galesburg,  with  a  request  to  be  taken  care  of  and  to  get  the 
recommendation  of  the  mission  board  for  aid  from  its  funds.  This  was 
in  December,  1849.  His  request  was  given  favorable  consideration,  and 
after  Esbjorn  had  personally  met  with  the  board,  explaining  his  relig- 
ious tenets  and  showing  his  credentials,  the  Central  Association  for  its 
part  granted  the  petition  on  the  following  conditions :  that  Esbjorn,  as 
a  member  of  the  association,  was  to  be  responsible  to  that  body ;  that  he 
was  to  work  as  a  Lutheran  pastor,  preaching  and  administering  the 
sacraments,  and  that  his  assigned  field  was  Andover  and  Galesburg, 
where  respectively  180  and  100  Swedes  already  had  settled.  It  is  es- 
pecially worthy  of  notice  that  the  association  did  not  impose  the  con- 
dition that  Esbjorn  should  join  the  Congregational  Church,  but  that  he 
was  permitted  to  continue  a  Lutheran  pastor.  An  appropriation  of 
$300  was  recommended  by  the  association  and  referred  to  the  mission 
board  in  New  York  which  in  turn  granted  the  request  of  Esbjorn.  In 
its  letter,  dated  Jan.  14,  1850,  the  board  stipulates  that  Esbjorn  be 
appointed  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Swedish  people  in  Galesburg, 
Andover  and  surrounding  country  for  a  term  of  twelve  months,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Mission  Board  of  the  Central  Association.  The 
Swedish  people  in  this  district  were  expected  to  contribute  $100  to  his 
support,  making  a  total  salary  of  $400  for  the  year.  He  was-  directed  to 
make  a  report  of  his  work  at  the  end  of  each  quarter.  This  appoint- 
ment was  accompanied  by  a  personal  letter  from  Dr.  Milton  Badger, 
corresponding  secretary  of  the  board  of  missions,  with  instructions  id 
Rev.  Esbjorn  not  to  admit  as  members  of  any  congregation  persons 
unable  to  give  evidence  of  the  new  birth  nor  permit  such  to  participate 
in  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  his  communication  Dr.  Badger  criticises  the 
German  Lutherans  for  admitting  members  to  their  congregations  by 
confirmation. 


430  THE    LUTHERANS 

On  the  ocean  voyage  and  on  the  journey  inland  Rev.  Esbjorn  had 
preached  twice  every  Sunday  to  his  fellow  passengers  and  daily  con- 
ducted morning  and  evening  prayers  accompanied  by  brief  biblical 
expositions.  This  practice  he  continued  after  the  arrival  at  Andover, 
and  soon  extended  his  ministerial  work  to  Galesburg,  Berlin  (Swedona) 
and  Rock  Island.  At  the  end  of  February,  1850,  he  reported  to  the 
aforesaid  mission  board  in  New  York  that  he  had  preached  every  other 
Sunday  at  Andover  and  Galesburg,  respectively,  usually  twice  at  each 
place,  conducted  evening  prayers  and  Bible  exegeses  in  the  private 
homes,  visited  the  families  and  the  sick,  held  monthly  mission  meetings 
and  temperance  lectures  and  circulated  religious  tracts.  From  this  it 
appears  that  from  the  very  outset  Esbjorn  entered  upon  his  duties  with 
great  zeal.  In  this  same  report  he  says  that  the  people  in  Galesburg 
had  begun  to  build  a  Swedish  Lutheran  meeting-house,  toward  which 
$550  already  had  been  subscribed.  He  expressed  the  hope  that  a  similar 
edifice  would  soon  be  erected  in  Andover.  He  complained,  however, 
about  the  poverty  which  was  general  among  his  countrymen,  causing 
them  so  great  worry  over  the  question  of  earning  a  living  that  their 
minds  were  not  sufficiently  open  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel ;  also  of  the 
general  exodus  to  California  of  goldseekers,  a  movement  creating  such 
a  stir  among  the  people  that  they  found  no  time  to  think  about  the 
salvation  of  their  souls.  Another  cause  for  complaint  was  the  open 
avowal  of  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom  of  his  purpose  to  convert  all  the 
Swedes  to  Methodism  and  bring  them  into  his  congregation.  Further- 
more, former  Erik  Janssonists  living  in  Galesburg  were  giving  him 
much  trouble  by  their  self-righteousness  and  spiritual  pride. 

In  the  first  part  of  March  of  the  same  year  Esbjorn  could  report 
that  the  number  of  persons  attending  the  public  services  were,  at  An- 
dover about  70,  at  Galesburg  80,  at  Rock  Island  30,  at  Berlin  12,  of 
whom  12  to  15  could  be  regarded  as  true  Christians ;  that  a  temperance 
society  with  43  members  had  been  organized  in  Andover,  and  that  the 
proposed  Swedish  church  in  Galesburg  was  in  course  of  erection. 

These  reports  show  the  actual  condition  among  the  people  about 
the  time  that  Esbjorn,  on  the  18th  of  March,  1850,  in  the  house  of 
Widow  Anna  Lovisa  Gustafsson,  organized  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Andover,  the  first  of  its  kind  since  the  time  of  the  Delaware 
Swedes.  The  first  members  were  only  ten  in  number,  viz..  Rev.  Esbjorn 
and  his  wife,  Jan  Andersson,  Mats  Ersson,  O.  Nordin,  Sam.  Jans- 
son,  And.  Pet.  Larsson,  Mrs.  Jansson,  "Christina  at  Knapp's"  and 
Stina  Hellgren.  The  small  number  shows  how  anxious  Esbjorn  was  to 
follow  out  his  instructions  with  respect  to  church  membership.  But  on 
the  23rd  of  the  same  month  there  was  an  addition  of  30  to  40  members. 
Among  these  were  Captain  Wirstrom  and  his  wife,  also  Eric  Ulric 


THE    ANDOVER    CHURCH 


431 


Norberg,  known  for  his  prominence  in  the  schisms  of  the  Bishop  Hill 
Colony.  In  the  beginning  of  December  the  church  numbered  46  mem- 
bers and  its  meetings  were  attended  by  an  average  of  50  to  60  persons. 
Sunday  schools  were  organized  both  in  Andover  and  Galesburg 
simultaneously  with  the  churches. 

At  first  the  meetings  were  held  in  Esbjorn 's  home,  south  of  the 
timber,  where  the  audiences  were  accommodated  in  two  or  three  rooms 
provided  with  chairs  and  improvised  benches,  or  else  in  the  Francis 
schoolhouse.  Occasionally,  prayer  meetings  were  conducted  at  the 
house  of  Mrs.  Gustafsson,  known  as  Captain  Mix's  place.  These  peo- 
ple were  actuated  by  a  certain  degree  of  religious  zeal,  a  kind  of  imita- 
tion of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  Methodists.  The  order  of  service  con- 
formed in  the  main  to  that  of  the  Swedish  state  church,  and  Kev.  Es- 
bjorn retained  the  ministerial  garb  of  that  church.  The  prayer  meetings 
were  frequently  attended  by  Methodists,  but  the  spiritual  arrogance 
displayed  by  them  made  their  appearance  rather  disagreeable  to 
Esbjorn.  His  dependence  on  the  American  Congregationalists  as  well  as 
the  fact  that  he  was  surrounded  by  Methodists  who  lost  no  opportunity 
to  decry  everything  that  savored  of  the  Swedish  state  church,  caused 
Esbjorn  gradually  to  accommodate  himself  to  the  Reformed  order  of 
service  to  the  extent  of  discarding  for  a  time  certain  portions  of  the 
Swedish  church  ritual  as  well  .as  the  use  of  the  Pericopes.  Not  until 
the  e"arly  sixties,  after  the  Swedish  Lutherans  had  become  an  independ- 
ent church,  did  Esbjorn  resume  the  position  he  held  at  the  time  of 
his  arrival,  that  of  a  strict  conformist  to  the  practices  as  well  as  the 
doctrines  of  the  Swedish  church.  His  departure  from  those  practices 
under  the  circumstances  should  not  be  too  severely  judged.  It  was  the 
result  more  of  necessity  than  of  inclination.  He  was  never  a  noisy 
revivalist,  his  religious  convictions  and  Christian  experiences  being 
deeper  and  more  temperate  than  those  of  his  puritanical  American 
associates. 

Despite  opposition,  the  little  congregation  at  Andover  steadily 
grew  and  soon  the  question  of  a  church  building  arose.  The  members 
were  all  poor  settlers,  unable  to  defray  the  cost  without  outside  aid. 
Consequently,  Rev.  Esbjorn,  according  to  the  common"  custom,  was 
obliged  to  start  out  on  a  soliciting  tour.  In  April,  1851,  he  left  on  a 
trip  through  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New  York  and  Massachusetts.  Dur- 
ing the  eleven  weeks  he  was  out  he  succeeded  in  raising  not  less  than 
$2.200,  of  which  sum  Jenny  Lind,  the  renowned  Swedish  singer,  con- 
tributed $1,500.  Upon  his  return  home  in  July,  he  at  once  began  pre- 
parations for  building.  All  the  members  of  the  church,  men  and 
women,  were  set  to  work  making  brick,  and  the  foundation  was  laid 
for  a  structure  45  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide,  with  basement  designed 


432 


THE    LUTHERANS 


for  school  room  and  sacristy.  It  was  hoped  to  get  the  basement  ready 
by  Christmas,  but  rainy  weather  prevailing  during  the  summer  and 
fall  interfered  with  this  plan.  The  brick  was  spoiled  by  the  rain  and 
the  sawmills  in  Andover  were  damaged  by  floods,  whereby  the  con- 
gregation was  compelled  to  go  elsewhere  for  its  building  material,  pay- 


ing a  high  price  for  it,  besides  having  to  haul  it  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles.  Cold  weather  soon  put  a  stop  to  the  work,  but  not  until  the 
basement  had  been  so  nearly  finished  that  services  could  be  held  there 
during  the  ensuing  winter.  The  basement  was  still  unplastered  and 
only  partly  under  roof,  no  floor  having  been  laid  above  and  a  large 
opening  having  been  left  for  the  tower. 

The  next  summer  work  was  resumed  but  under  still  more  unfavor- 


THE    ANDOVER    CHURCH 


433 


able  conditions.  The  corn  crop  failed,  no  work  was  to  be  had,  and,  to 
add  to  the  misery  of  the  settlers,  a  terrible  cholera  epidemic  broke  out 
in  the  community,  making  such  inroads  among  the  settlers  that  much  of 
the  lumber  bought  for  the  church  had  to  be  used  for  coffins  for  the 
victims  of  the  scourge. 

On  Advent  Sunday,  Dec.  3,  1854,  after  more  than  three  years  of 
work  and  sacrifice,  the  congregation  finally  dedicated  its  church  edi- 
fice, now  almost  finished.  This  was  a  day  of  great  rejoicing,  praise 
and  thanksgiving  being  offered  by  grateful  hearts  to  the  Highest.  The 
church,  which  seated  300  persons  and  could  accommodate  a  larger  num- 
ber in  an  emergency,  was  considered  a  great  structure  for  the  times, 
although  quite  insignificant  as  compared  with  the  large,  handsome 
Swedish- American  churches  of  our  day.  It  was  not  built  according  to 
any  particular  style  of  church  architecture,  the  congregation  being 
contented  just  so  they  had  a  house  of  worship  of  some  kind.  The 
church  was  in  the  form  of  a  long  rectangle.  The  basement  was  like  a 
dark  cave;  but  was  nevertheless  used  to  house  newcomers,  many  of 
whom  died  there  of  the  cholera.  The  pulpit,  placed  at  the  middle 
of  one  end  of  the  building,  and  surrounded  by  a  semi-circular  altar 
railing,  resembled  an  old-fashioned  Swedish  scullery.  The  upper  part 
of  the  pulpit,  not  much  larger  than  a  salt  barrel  cut  in  half  lengthwise, 
stood  crowded  back  against  the  wall. 

This  old  church  still  stands,  and,  having  been  recently  remodeled, 
now  serves  as  schoolhouse  and  meeting  hall  for  the  young  people's 
society.  When  it  was  proposed  several  years  ago  to  tear  down  the  old 
landmark  the  women  pioneers  still  living  arose  in  protest,  calling  atten- 
tion to  the  part  played  by  them  in  its  construction,  and  thus  the  old 
relic  was  spared.  In  front  of  the  church  lies  the  old  churchyard  where 
rest  so  many  of  the  Swedes  of  Andover. 

Up  to  the  autumn  of  1852,  Esbjorn  was  the  only  Swedish  Lutheran 
minister  in  Illinois.  He  was  then  in  charge  of  a  pastorate  extending 
about  fifty  miles  from  end  to  end,  including  Andover,  Galesburg,  Knox- 
ville,  Henderson,  Moline  and  Rock  Island.  He  spent  a  great  deal  of 
time  traveling  between  these  points.  Roads  were  bad  and  bridges  few, 
and  traveling  in  all  kinds  of  weather  and  under  contingent  difficulties 
had  a  bad  effect  on  his  health.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  received  well- 
needed  assistance  in  the  work  when  T.  N.  Hasselquist  arrived  from 
Sweden  and  took  charge  of  the  Galesburg  field  and  a  lay  preacher 
named  C.  J.  Valentin  was  stationed  in  Moline  and  Rock  Island.  There- 
by Esbjorn 's  field  was  practically  limited  to  Andover  and  vicinity.  But 
the  Andover  congregation  even  then  was  scattered  far  and  wide  over 
the  prairies,  including,  as  it  did,  Berlin  (Swedona),  La  Grange  (Orion), 
and  Hickory  Grove  (Ophiem),  or,  in  short,  all  the  Swedish  Lutheran 


434 


THE    LUTHERANS 


settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Andover.  Berlin  and  La  Grange  soon 
were  made  separate  charges  and  subsequently  independent  congrega- 
tions. In  the  fall  of  1853  the  church  numbered  210  communicant  mem- 
bers, who  contributed  a  total  of  $80  to  the  salary  of  the  pastor. 

Rev.  Esbjorn  and  his  parishioners  at  the  outset  had  many  bitter 
feuds  with  the  Methodists  led  by  Rev.  Hedstrom,  and  several  other 
religious  groups.  Ere  long,  however,  the  Lutherans  and  Methodists 
had  to  stop  fighting  between  themselves  and  turn  toward  their  com- 
mon opponents  and  competitors,  the  Baptists,  who  in  the  summer  of 
1852  commenced  operations,  led  by  Gustaf  Palmquist,  a  former  school- 
master, who  had  come  over  the  year  before  and  at  first  served  as 
Lutheran  preacher  in  Galesburg.  Palmquist  made  a  few  converts  among 
the  Lutherans,  but  the  principal  harvest  was  reaped  among  the  Meth- 
odists. Although  the  hotbed  of  the  Baptist  movement  was  at  first 
Galesburg  and  afterward  Rock  Island,  the  Andover  congregation  did 
not  entirely  escape  being  influenced.  But  Rev.  Esbjorn  proved  to  be 
a  wide-awake  shepherd  who  successfully  thwarted  the  efforts  made  to 
scatter  his  little  flock. 

After  a  series  of  hot  encounters  with  Methodists  and  Baptists, 
from  which  the  Lutheran  pastor  and  his  flock  seem  to  have  emerged 
with  a  deepened  sense  of  the  worth  of  the  evangelical  Lutheran  con- 
fession, the  congregation  grew  both  in  numbers  and  in  inward  stability. 
The  order  of  service  and  ecclesiastical  practices  of  the  old  country  were 
more  fully  adhered  to,  while  greater  importance  was  attached  to  sound- 
ness in  spiritual  life.  Peace  having  eventually  been  restored  in  the 
church,  renewed  disturbances  occurred  when  one  B.  G.  P.  Bergenlund, 
in  the  summer  of  1855,  after  having  been  appointed  assistant  pastor 
and  school  teacher,  began  to  cast  aspersions  on  Rev.  Esbjorn  and  his 
work,  at  the  same  time  giving  offense  and  scandalizing  the  church  by 
conduct  unbecoming  a  pastor  and  a  Christian.  Bergenlund,  apparently 
a  native  of  Ignaberga,  in  the  province  of  Skane,  and  a  man  of  educa- 
tion, had  come  to  this  country  in  January,  1853,  stopping  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.  There  and  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  he  began  preaching  to  his  fellow 
countrymen  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  came  to  Illinois  at  the 
suggestion  of  Rev.  Hasselquist.  Having  passed  examination,  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  as  a  regular  preacher,  where- 
upon he  returned  to  Jamestown  and  Sugar  Grove.  By  his  unseemly 
behavior  he  spoiled  his  reputation  in  less  than  a  year  and  was  forced  to 
leave.  In  May,  1855,  he  appeared  in  Moline,  where  he  took  ministerial 
charge  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  without  notifying 
Esbjorn.  When  the  congregation  showed  a  disinclination  to  receive  him, 
he  left  for  Andover  where  he  insinuated  himself  into  the  confidence  and 
friendship  of  the  people  by  going  from  house  to  house.  In  this  manner 


THE    ANDOVER    CHURCH 


435 


Esbjorn  had  forced  upon  him  an  assistant  whom  he  had  not  asked  for 
and  did  not  want,  but  whose  functions  he  endeavored  to  restrict  by 
means  of  written  instructions.     Bergenlund,  who  had  so  little  regard 
for  the  proprieties  that  he  would  preach  high  mass  in  highly  inappro- 
priate dress,  including  heavy  gloves,  nevertheless  gained  a  firm  foot- 
hold in  the  community  and  soon  began  to  act  in  total  disregard  of  his 
written  instructions.    At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Northern 
Illinois  in  1855,  Esbjorn  was  appointed  traveling  solicitor  of  funds  for 
a  Scandinavian  professorship  at  the  Illinois  University  at  Springfield, 
the  theological  school  of  that  synod.    From  the  "early  part  of  the  year 
1856,  when  Esbjorn  engaged  in  that  work,  Bergenlund  had  free  hands. 
Tiring  of  the  arrogant  and  arbitrary  actions  of  this  man,  Esbjorn  after 
a  couple  of  months  resigned  his  pastorate.    In  March  he  was  seriously 
considering  a  removal  to  the  new  Swedish  settlement  of  Stockholm, 
now  Lake  Pepin,  Wis.,  but  later  in  the  spring  he  received  a  call  from 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Princeton,  111.,  which  he  accepted,  re- 
moving there  in  August.    Bergenlund  continued  operations  in  Andover, 
but  before  the  end  of  the  year  the  parishioners  had  their  eyes  opened 
to  the  eccentricities  of  their  pastor  and  resolved  to  call  Rev.  M.  F. 
Hokanson,  of  New  Sweden,  Iowa.    Bergenlund  still  had  a  small  party 
back  of  him,  which  made  it  possible  for  him  to  hold  on  for  a  short  time, 
but  he  had  lost  confidence  generally.    In  the  summer  of  1857,  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  Andover  and  the  next  fall  the  Synod  of  Northern 
Illinois  refused  to  renew  his  preacher's  license.     After  drifting  about 
from  place  to  place,  mostly  in  Minnesota,  he  came  back  in  1860,  after 
the  Scandinavian  Lutherans  had  separated  from  the  Synod  of  Northern 
Illinois  and  formed  the  Augustana  Synod.    He  was  then  re-admitted 
into  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  and  ordained  minister.     He  now 
began  to  make  vehement  attacks  on  the  Augustana  Synod,  but  more 
particularly  on  Esbjorn.     After  a  few  years  he  returned  to  Sweden 
where  he  succeeded  in  gaining  admittance  to  the  state  church  and 
obtain  a  charge  in  the  bishopric  of  Goteborg,  where  still  perserving 
in  his  erratic  ways  he  gave  old  Bishop  Bjork  a  great  deal  of  annoyance. 
The  Andover  church,  having  been  disappointed  in  Bergenlund, 
called  as  its  pastor  Rev.  P.  Petersson  of  the  bishopric  of  Vexio,  Sweden, 
who  promised  to  accept,  but  was  unable  to  keep  his  promise.     After 
having  been  served  temporarily  by  Rev.  0.  C.  T.  Andren  of  Moline, 
the  church  in  the  spring  of  1858  issued  a  call  to  Rev.  Jonas  Swensson 
of  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  who  had  arrived  from  Sweden  two  years  before. 
After  due  consideration,  he  accepted  the  call  and  removed  to  his  new 
field  in  September  of  that  year.    His  arrival  marked  the  beginning  of 
a  new  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Andover  church.    But  before  enter- 
ing on  that  period  we  will  briefly  review  the  further  career  of  his 
predecessor. 


436  THE     LUTHERANS 

Rev.    Esbjorn's    Later    Career 

From  Andover  Esbjorn  removed  to  Princeton.  Here  he  remained 
only  two  years.  During  this  short  period  he  accomplished  much,  in- 
cluding the  work  in  connection  with  the  erection  of  a  church.  In  spite 
of  illness,  he  worked  strenuously  and  with  marked  success  for  the  spirit- 
ual development  of  bis  congregation.  The  people  became  more  interested 
in  churchly  affairs  and  listened  more  attentively  to  the  sermons;  fur- 
thermore, the  services  were  made  still  more  attractive  by  means  of 
better  singing,  resulting  from  earnest  practice,  encouraged  by  the 
pastor  himself,  not  to  mention  other  improvements. 

At  the  task  of  collecting  funds  for  the  Scandinavian  professorship 
of  the  seminary,  Esbjorn,  who  was  an  experienced  solicitor, 
succeeded  admirably.  When  the  time  arrived  to  appoint  the  incumbent 
of  that  chair,  Esbjorn  was  chosen  as  the  most  suitable  man  available 
and  assumed  the  position  in  the  fall  of  1858.  After  two  years  a  com- 
bination of  circumstances  compelled  him  to  resign.  He  then  went  to 
Chicago  in  April,  1860,  accompanied  by  all  but  two  of  the  Scandinavian 
students,  and  there  continued  teaching.  Dissatisfied  with  their  re- 
lations with  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  the  Scandinavian  Lutherans 
in  June  of  that  year  met  near  Clinton,  Wis.,  and  organized  an  independ- 
end  synod,  called  the  Augustana  Synod,  and  resolved  to  establish  a 
theological  school  of  their  own  in  Chicago,  the  Augustana  Theological 
Seminary,  virtually  a  continuation  of  the  school  conducted  for  the 
past  few  weeks  by  Esbjorn.  Rev.  Esbjorn  was  formally  chosen  head 
of  the  institution,  continuing  his  work  as  teacher  with  good  results  for 
three  years. 

With  all  his  soul  Rev.  Esbjorn  had  thrown  himself  into  the  work 
of  raising  his  fellow  countrymen  in  America  to  a  higher  level,  and 
in  his  tireless  endeavor  in  various  fields  he  scarcely  took  notice  of 
the  rapid  flight  of  time.  At  first  he  had  felt  no  symptoms  of  home- 
sickness, being  too  busy  to  think  of  that,  but  with  advancing  years — 
he  was  now  past  fifty — he  began  to  long  back  to  the  country  of  which 
he  was  part  and  parcel  through  birth  and  early  training.  There  were 
also  economic  reasons  for  his  home-sickness.  For  all  these  reasons  Es- 
bjorn in  1863  returned  to  his  native  land  after  fourteen  years  of  fruit- 
ful work  among  his  countrymen  in  America.  During  this  period  great 
changes  had  taken  place  in  Sweden.  That  temperance  legislation  for 
which  Wieselgren,  Fjellstedt  and,  last  but  not  least,  Esbjorn  had  fought 
was  now  an  accomplished  fact,  the  private  distillery  system  having 
been  abolished  by  the  riksdag  of  1854,  and  the  work  for  spiritual 
enlightenment  no  longer  meeting  with  the  same  stubborn  resistance  as 
before.  Thoroughly  tried  in  life's  battle,  the  stern  reformer,  who 
before  his  departure  from  Sweden  failed  to  obtain  a  certain  pastorate 


ESBJORN'S   LATER    CAREER  437 

on  account  of  his  temperance  views  and  other  "newfangled  notions," 
was  now  met  with  open  arms  and  was  given  the  very  lucrative  rectorate 
of  Oster-Vahla  parish,  in  Upland,  thus  being  recompensed  even  in  a 
pecuniary  way  for  all  his  privations  in  a  foreign  land.  In  this  quiet 
spot  he  labored  for  seven  years,  dividing  his  time  between  his  pastoral 
duties  and  private  study  and  research,  which  had  been  his  hobby  from 
early  youth,  such  as  mathematics,  chemistry  and  astronomy,  besides 
theology.  In  the  meantime  he  closely  followed  the  rapid  progress  made 
by  the  church  he  had  founded  in  America,  and  nothing  gave  him 
greater  pleasure  than  a  visit  by  some  one  of  his  former  co-workers 
in  this  country. 

Esbjb'rn  was  the  author  of  ten  published  books  and  pamphlets  on 
various  topics. 

The  burden  of  years  grew  steadily  heavier,  health  and  bodily  vigor 
gave  way,  and  soon  the  eve  of  rest  for  this  indefatigable  laborer  had 
arrived.  After  only  a  month  of  actual  illness  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn 
passed  away  in  the  Oster-Vahla  parsonage,  July  2,  1870,  in  the  sixty- 
second  year  of  his  life,  and  was  buried  in  the  parish  churchyard.  A 
few  years  ago  a  handsome  monument  was  erected  on  his  grave  to  mark 
the  last  resting-place  of  this  eminent  Swedish- American  pioneer. 

The  sermons  of  Rev.  Esbjorn  were  highly  edifying,  but  he  was  by 
no  means  an  orator  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term.  His  voice  was 
ruined  in  the  early  part  of  his  career  through  sickness  and  over-exertion, 
and  he  never  affected  eloquence.  His  discourses  were  nevertheless  very 
captivating  by  dint  of  his  lucid  logic,  his  clear  and  profound  ideas  and 
the  simplicity  of  his  diction.  He  was  a  man  of  clear  and  well-balanced 
mind,  pre-eminently  fitting  him  for  the  profession  both  of  preacher 
and  educator.  As  a  man  Esbjorn  was  devout  and  warm-hearted,  un- 
selfish almost  to  a  fault,  righteous,  unaffected  and  without  pride  or 
vainglory.  He  was  translucent,  so  to  speak,  and  in  his  character  there 
was  nothing  to  hide.  Although  not  really  credulous,  and  being  a  good 
judge  of  men,  he  would  sometimes  be  imposed  upon,  owing  to  his  sheer 
goodness  of  heart. 

Before  emigrating  to  America,  Esbjorn  was  married  to  Miss  Amalia 
Maria  Lovisa  Planting-Gyllenbaga,  a  devout  and  refined  lady,  who 
held  the  same  religious  views  as  he.  Poverty,  illness  and  numerous 
reverses  had  given  her  a  despondent  and  melancholy  disposition.  Their 
children  were:  Paul,  who  died  in  the  Civil  War  in  1861,  while  on  duty 
in  Missouri:  Johannes,  who  returned  to  Sweden  in  1863,  entered  the 
railway  service  and  is  now  living  in  Karlskrona;  Joseph,  who  also 
served  in  the  Civil  War,  was  retired  as  captain,  and  is  now  living 
in  Minneapolis,  Minn. ;  Maria,  who  married  a  German  Lutheran  clergy- 
man named  Schnur,  and  died  many  years  ago,  and  two  sons,  twins, 
who  died  on  the  voyage  to  America.  July  11,  1852,  Mrs.  Esbjorn  died 


438  THE     LUTHERANS 

in  Andover  and  lies  buried  in  the  old  churchyard.  Subsequently,  Es- 
bjorn was  twice  remarried,  first  to  Helena  Catharina  Magnusson,  who 
was  born  at  Sund,  Ostergotland,  June  29,  1827,  and  died  in  Andover, 
Sept.  15,  1853;  afterward  to  her  sister  Gustafva  Albertina  Magnusson, 
born  at  Sund  in  1833.  The  children  of  the  latter  union  still  living 
are:  Rev.  C.  M.  Esbjorn,  Ph.  D.,  minister  of  the  Augustana  Synod; 
Prof.  C.  L.  E.  Esbjorn,  of  Augustana  College,  at  Rock  Island,  111.; 
and  two  daughters,  Maria  and  Hanna.  Another  son,  Paul  Oscar 
Esbjorn,  a  physician  of  Stanton,  la.,  died  in  1908. 

Rev.   Jonas  Swensson 

Jonas  Swensson,  wiio  supplanted  the  erratic  Rev.  Bergenlund  as 
pastor  of  the  Andover  church,  where  he  labored  for  a  long  term  of 
years,   is  another  pioneer  and  early  leader  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  in  America.    He  was  born  at  Snollebo,  parish  of  Vathult,  Sma- 
land,  Aug.   16,  1828.     His  parents  were  Sven  Mansson  and  his  wife 
Catharina  Jonasson.     In  the  parental  home  he  received  a  careful  Chris- 
tian training,  the  foundation  for  his  subsequent  career.     In  his  early 
youth  he  had  a  desire  to  study  for  the  ministry,  but  such  a  course 
seemed  to  have  been  closed  to  him  by  his  father's  death  when  he 
was  but  nine  years  old,  together  with  the   fact  that  there  were  six 
other  children  in  the  home  to  be  provided  for.    But  later  on  the  outlook 
cleared.     After  his  confirmation  he  became  a  blacksmith's  apprentice, 
but  abandoned  that  occupation  to  enter  the  teachers'  seminary  at  Vexio 
in  1846.   While  there,  his  early  plan  was  revived  and  that  summer  he 
took  up  private  studies  in  theology  with  his  teacher.  Rev.  Josef  Bexell, 
and  in  1847  continued  these  studies  for  the  curate  of  Bredaryd  parish. 
At  the  end  of  August  he  went  to  Jonkoping,  entering  the  rector's  class 
at  the  school  in  that  city,  and  was  very  favorably  received  by  the 
rector,  Rev.  Fileen.     In  two  terms  he  finished  his  courses  and  entered 
the  gymnasium  at  Vexio  in  the  fall  of  1848.     Here  he  studied  for  two 
years,  until  September,  1850,  when  he  passed  his  final  examinations. 
July  29,  1849,  in  the  Hemmesjo  church,  Swensson  preached  his  first 
sermon,  and  after  that  he  frequently,  while  still  a  student,  filled  the 
pulpits  of  other  churches  in  Smaland. 

Sept.  24.  1850,  he  was  graduated  into  the  university  of  Upsala 
with  high  standing.  He  at  once  took  up  the  theological  course  at  the 
university  and  passed  final  examination  in  June,  1851.  The  following 
October  he  was  examined  for  entry  into  the  ministry  before  the  Vexio 
chapter  and,  on  the  8th  of  the  month,  was  ordained  minister  and 
assigned  as  curate  to  Rector  Andren  at  Unnaryd.  Swensson 's  excep- 
tional capacity  for  study  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  finished  both 
elementary  and  theological  studies  in  about  five  years.  Many  who 


JONAS   SWENSSON 

had  known  the  tall  and  sturdy  youth  as  a  blacksmith's  apprentice  or 
as  a  pupil  at  the  elementary  school  at  Vexio  were  greatly  surprised  to 
find  him  in  the  ministry  in  so  short  a  time.  At  Unnaryd  and  Jallun- 
tofta  Swensson  now  labored  for  four  and  one-half  years,  till  the  spring 
of  1856. 

Himself  an  earnest  Christian  from  his  school  days,  Swensson 
strove  zealously  to  awaken  and  maintain  the  new  life  among  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church.  His  own  Christianity  being  most  profound,  he  had 
little  sympathy  for  the  superficial  new  evangelism  that  was  gaining 
ground  in  Sweden  about  this  time.  From  the  very  beginning  of  his 
pastoral  career  he  carefully  prepared  his  sermons  and  committed  them 
to  writing,  thereby  laying  the  foundation  for  that  system  and  order 
which  characterized  his  work  throughout  life.  From  many  neighboring 
parishes  people  flocked  to  hear  him,  and,  young  as  he  was,  he  became 
the  spiritual  father  and  counselor  of  many.  In  spite  of  a  severe  affec- 
tion of  the  lungs,  he  continued  his  work  with  undiminished  vigor  and 
was  eventually  restored  to  health,  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  him- 
self and  his  friends. 

His  reputation  as  an  earnest  and  devout  preacher  had  crossed  the 
ocean  with  the  emigrants,  and  on  the  24th  of  June,  1855,  he  received 
a  letter  from  Dr.  Peter  Fjellstedt  containing  a  call  for  him  to  become 
pastor  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  at  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.  His 
first  thought  was  to  decline  positively,  but  the  more  he  considered  the 
matter,  the  more  clearly  he  discerned  it  as  his  duty  to  accept.  In  August 
the  same  year  he  had  a  personal  meeting  with  Dr.  Fjellstedt,  when  that 
devout  and  warm-hearted  divine  urged  him  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  his 
countrymen  in  the  West.  Dr.  Fjellstedt  promised  to  help  him  procure 
the  needed  funds  and  to  render  every  assistance.  Finally  Swensson, 
after  much  trepidation,  decided  to  accept  the  call,  although  still  very 
much  worried  over  the  pecuniary  phase  of  the  situation,  which  seemed 
all  the  more  grave  as  he  was  about  to  marry  his  betrothed,  Miss  Maria 
Blixt  of  Unnaryd. 

The  marriage  took  place  March  29,  1856,  and  on  April  6th  he 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  in  the  Unnaryd  church,  followed  by 
similar  sermons  in  various  churches  in  the  vicinity.  Everywhere  his 
many  friends  contributed  more  or  less  freely  toward  his  traveling  ex- 
penses, so  that  on  reaching  Goteborg  with  his  bride  he  had  no  less  than 
800  crowns  at  his  disposal,  without  having  borrowed  a  penny.  Here 
the  young  couple  were  detained  from  April  22nd  to  May  20th,  before 
embarking  on  the  ship  "Minorca"  for  America.  With  prayers  and 
bjessings  for  friends  left  behind,  he  sailed  away  from  his  native  land 
which  he  was  never  to  see  again.  After  a  voyage  of  six  weeks'  dura- 
tion, they  reached  New  York  on  the  very  birthday  of  the  republic,  July 
4th.  The  llth  of  the  same  month  he  arrived  at  Sugar  Grove,  and  preach- 


440 


THE    LUTHERANS 


ed  his  first  sermon  there  two  days  later.  His  first  impression  of  the  peo- 
ple was  not  entirely  favorable.  Even  those  who  confessed  themselves 
Christians  seemed  strange  to  him.  On  every  hand  liberty  seemed  to 
have  been  turned  into  license.  All  this  set  him  wondering  whether, 
after  all,  his  field  of  greatest  usefulness  did  not  lie  in  the  old  country. 
His  doubts  as  to  his  calling  and  the  resultant  melancholy  were 
somewhat  relieved  when  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  visited  Illinois 


Rev.   Jonas   Swensson 

and  here  met  elder  brethren  whose  acquaintance  and  fellowship  gave 
him  new  courage.  During  the  conference  and  synod  meetings  he  at- 
tended he  sat  quietly  listening  to  the  proceedings,  never  uttering  a 
word.  But  no  one  followed  the  transactions  more  attentively  than  he. 
After  having  preached  in  several  of  the  Swedish  churches  here,  he  re- 
turned to  the  East  and  took  up  his  work  with  renewed  energy. 

In  Sugar  Grove  a  little  frame  church  had  been  built  before  Rev. 
Swensson's  arrival,  but  it  was  not  yet  finished,  and  the  parsonage  was 
still  in  course  of  erection.  In  Jamestown,  where  Swensson  was  also  to 
preach,  there  was  no  church  edifice.  Strife  and  differences  existing 
with  respect  to  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  churches  were  a  constant 


JONAS    SWENSSON  44: 

source  of  worry  and  sorrow  to  a  man  of  his  sensitive  nature,  but  what 
affected  him  still  more  was  the  spiritual  indifference  and  the  bitter 
partisanship  stirred  up  by  the  aforesaid  Bergenlund  and  by  the  Meth- 
odists. Such  a  condition  naturally  revolted  against  Swensson's  strict 
sense  of  propriety  and  his  devotion  to  good  order  in  the  church.  His 
concern  for  the  welfare  of  the  congregations,  however,  kept  him  at  his 
post.  Not  even  the  flattering  call  to  become  assistant  to  Rev.  Erland 
Carlsson  of  the  Immanuel  Church  in  Chicago  could  induce  him  to  leave. 
But  there  came  a  time  when  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  leave  his 
first  field  of  labor  in  this  country.  The  church  at  Andover  was  about 
to  be  torn  asunder  by  internal  dissensions  fomented  by  the  intrigues 
of  Bergenlund,  and  stood  in  great  need  of  an  able  and  energetic  pastor. 
Such  a  man  was  found  in  Rev.  Swensson,  to  whom  a  call  was  extended 
in  June,  1858.  At  the  earnest  solicitations  of  his  brethren,  who  were 
familiar  with  the  sad  state  of  affairs,  he  accepted  the  call  and  re- 
moved to  his  new  charge  the  following  September.  Here,  as  in  Sugar 
Grove  and  Jamestown,  he  had  to  reap  the  bitter  fruits  of  Bergenlund 's 
operations.  With  his  installation  as  pastor  of  the  Andover  church 
Sept.  19th,  Swensson's  main  life  work  began.  For  fifteen  years  he 
remained  here,  doing  a  great  work  not  only  for  the  local  church  but 
also  in  behalf  of  the  entire  Augustana  Synod.  For  this  reason  the 
Synod  classes  Rev.  Jonas  Swensson  as  one  of  its  founders  and  pioneers. 
The  Andover  congregation  which  had  a  membership  of  356  when 
Rev.  Esbjorn  left,  had  increased  to  400  when  Swensson  arrived.  The 
settlement  developed  rapidly  in  every  direction.  As  early  as  1858  a 
church  was  built  in  that  part  of  the  locality  known  as  Berlin,  situated 
eight  miles  away,  and  on  the  17th  of  February,  1859,  a  congregation  was 
organized  at  that  place.  Next  in  order  the  Woodhull  congregation  was 
organized  in  1868,  followed  by  the  New  Windsor  church  in  1869,  that 
of  Orion  in  1870,  and  finally  the  Cambridge  congregation  in  1875.  At 
all  these  places  Rev.  Swensson  alone  preached  for  many  years.  At 
Berlin  he  held  services  regularly  every  other  Saturday  until  1866  when 
the  church  obtained  a  pastor  of  its  own.  Considering  that  Swensson 
usually  preached  two  or  three  times  each  Sunday,  held  catechetical 
meetings  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  in  the  various  districts  of  the  set- 
tlement, made  numerous  visits  to  the  sick,  attended  synods,  conferences 
and  other  church  conventions,  often  visited  and  preached  in  vacant 
congregations,  and  also  looked  out  for  the  financial  interests  of  his  own 
church,  meanwhile  being  almost  constantly  hampered  by  sickness  in  his 
own  family,  it  appears  that  Swensson  was  a  very  busy  man.  The  wonder 
is  that  he  found  time  for  it  all.  During  the  last  three  years  of  his  life, 
he  was  also  president  of  the  synod,  an  office  which  alone  would  give 

' 


442 


THE   LUTHERANS 


the  average  clergyman  all  that  he  could  do.     For  several  years  prior, 
Swensson  held  the  position  of  synodical  secretary. 

Although  in  good  health,  it  seems  a  miracle  that  Swensson,  stren- 
uously as  he  worked,  did  not  give  out  much  earlier  than  he  did.  It 
never  occurred  to  him  to  husband  his  strength.  He  considered  it  his 


The  Present  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  Andover 

duty  to  sacrifice  himself  in  the  service  of  the  church  and  at  no  time 
could  he  be  persuaded  to  take  a  few  months'  rest.  Often,  after  spending 
eight  or  nine  hours  in  church,  preaching,  catechising  and  administer- 
ing the  sacraments,  as  on  confirmation  days,  he  would  sit  up  till  twelve 
o'clock  with  a  few  intimate  friends,  talking,  singing  and  playing:  yet 
the  next  morning  would  find  him  up  at  four  and  busy  currying)  the 


JONAS    SWENSSON  443 

horses  in  order  to  be  ready  to  start  out  on  his  official  rounds  immedi- 
ately after  breakfast. 

The  little  church  which  had  been  erected  during  Rev.  Esbjorn's 
term  of  service  at  Andover,  shortly  after  Rev.  Swensson's  coming  was 
found  too  small,  and  in  1864  it  was  decided  to  erect  a  new  one.  The 
work  on  the  new  building,  which  was  not  begun  until  1867,  gave  Rev. 
Swensson,  as  well  as  the  church  council  and  the  building  committee,  a 
great  deal  of  additional  work  and  worry.  On  Nov.  15,  1868,  the  con- 
gregation moved  into  the  new  edifice,  this  being  made  the  occasion  of 
an  impressive  jubilee  celebration.  The  new  church,  however,  was  not 
finished  until  1874,  the  year  after  Rev.  Swensson's  death,  when  it  was 
dedicated  with  solemn  ceremonies  on  the  23rd  day  of  August.  The 
church  completed  represented  an  outlay  of  $30,985,  not  counting  the 
work  performed  gratuitously  by  members  of  the  congregation.  This 
church  still  stands  as  a  fitting  monument  to  Rev.  Swensson  and  his 
noble  endeavors,  in  the  same  sense  that  the  old  one  was  a  testimonial  to 
the  energy  of  his  predecessor,  Esbjorn.  During  the  last  year  of  Swens- 
son's life,  the  congregation  attained  to  a  membership  of  1,855,  of  whom 
951  were  communicants. 

As  a  preacher,  Swensson  was  always  popular.  When  he  got 
thoroughly  warmed  up  on  a  certain  text,  he  would  preach  for  two  or 
three  hours  without  a  sign  of  physical  exhaustion  or  waning  interest  in 
his  topic.  He  never  affected  oratory  or  poetic  nights  of  imagination, 
his  sermons,  simple  and  logical,  addressing  themselves  to  the  reason  and 
not  to  the  feelings  of  his  audience.  His  preaching  was  principally  of 
the  didactic  order,  bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  of  the  famous 
Swedish  preacher  Anders  Xohrborg.  Swensson  had  an  aversion  to 
preaching  or  speaking  at  public  celebrations  and  festive  occasions.  He 
was  a  model  shepherd  of  his  flock.  The  sick  he  visited  with  a  regularity 
prompted  by  large-hearted  sympathy  rather  than  a  sense  of  official 
duty,  and  he  was  never  known  to  neglect  a  sickbed  on  account  of  incle- 
ment weather,  bad  roads  or  unseasonable  hours,  day  or  night.  In  his 
frequent  travels  between  the  distant  points  under  his  spiritual  charge, 
he  became  an  expert  driver,  with  few  rivals  in  the  art  of  handling 
horses.  He  was  generally  in  a  hurry,  this  good  parson,  and  when  he 
whizzed  by  on  his  regular  tours  between  Andover  and  B-erlin,  puffing 
great  clouds  of  smoke  from  his  pipe,  he  bore  more  than  a  remote  resem- 
blance to  a  railway  locomotive  going  with  a  full  head  of  steam.  He  was 
equally  conscientious  and  businesslike  in  his  attention  to  his  duties  as 
president  of  the  synod.  Its  sessions  were  conducted  in  an  orderly, 
parliamentary  manner  and  with  scrupulous  fairness  to  all  sides.  He 
had  a  tender  heart  and,  although  a  man  of  meager  income,  he  would 
invariably  give  a  helping  hand  to  those  in  need.  Swensson  was  of  tall 


444 


THE    LUTHERANS 


stature  and  fine  build,  and  possessed  a  powerful,  though  rather  in- 
flexible and  unmusical  voice,  which  carried  well  even  in  as  large  an 
auditorium  as  that  of  the  new  Andover  church.  In  his  personality  he 
combined  dignity  with  artlessness  and  simplicity.  He  abhorred  hypoc- 
risy and  affectation.  While  reticent  in  a  crowd,  he  was  a  good  talker 
and  an  entertaining  companion  among  his  intimate  friends. 

During  his  later  years,  Swensson  was  subject  to  attacks  of  gout 
accompanied  by  spasms,  followed  by  fainting  spells.  This  affection 
caused  his  death.  He  passed  away  in  his  home  at  Andover  Dec.  20, 
1873,  at  the  early  age  of  forty-five.  His  wife  survived  him  by  only  one 
year.  A  monument  erected  by  the  congregation  marks  the  spot  in  the 
old  church-yard  where  reposes  this  energetic  and  faithful  pastor  of  the 
Andover  church.  He  left  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter, 
viz.,  Rev.  Carl  Aron  Swensson,  Ph.  D.,  renowned  as  the  founder  and 
president  of  Bethany  College,  at  Lindsborg,  Kans.,  who  died  in  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  Feb.  16,  1904;  John  Swensson,  manager  of  the  Gustaf 
Adolf  orphanage  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ;  Luther  Swensson,  former  post- 
master at  Lindsborg,  Kans.,  and  Mrs.  Anna  Carlsson  of  Lindsborg. 

Rev.  Swensson 's  duties  as  preacher  and  pastor  left  him  no  time 
for  literary  work.  A  modest  little  pamphlet  on  a  religious  topic,  pub- 
lished by  him  while  still  in  Sweden,  is  the  only  published  product  of 
his  pen. 

Omitting  details,  the  further  story  of  the  Andover  church  may 
be  briefly  told.  After  a  vacancy  of  one  and  one-half  years,  Rev.  Swens- 
son's  place  was  filled  in  the  spring  of  1875  by  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson,  of 
Chicago,  another  of  the  venerable  pioneers  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  America.  He  had  charge  until  1884,  when  ill  health  com- 
pelled him  to  resign.  In  1875  a  parsonage  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $3,600. 

Rev.  Carlsson  devoted  himself  to  the  watering  of  the  spiritual  seed 
sown  by  Swensson  in  this  field,  and  in  this  as  well  as  in  his  efforts  to 
educate  the  children  and  keep  the  young  people  in  the  church  he  suc- 
ceeded remarkably  well.  After  being  three  years  without  a  permanent 
pastor,  the  church  in  1887  called  Rev.  Victor  Setterdahl  who  labored 
here  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  or  until  the  spring  of  1905.  In 
March,  1900,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Andover  church  was 
celebrated  with  festivities  befitting  the  occasion.  The  successor  of 
Setterdahl  is  Rev.  Carl  P.  Edblom.  In  1906,  the  church  had  a  total 
membership  of  1,120.  of  whom  684  were  communicants. 

The  Andover  church  is  not  only  the  oldest  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
churches  in  this  country  but  also  one  of  the  richest,  most  stable  and 
most  conservative.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  church  anywhere  whose 
members  are  so  generally  well-to-do  and  financially  independent  as  are 
the  parishioners  of  Andover.  A  visitor  today  does  not  easily  realize 


T.  N.  HASSELQUIST  445 

that  little  more  than  half  a  century  ago  the  first  Swedish  settlers  began 
to  build  homes  in  this  locality,  organize  themselves  into  a  congregation 
and  erect  a  church,  all  this  under  the  most  discouraging  conditions. 

Rev.   Tuve   Nilsson    Hasselquist 

The  second  in  order  of  the  ministers  of  the  Swedish  state  church 
who  came  over  during  the  pioneer  days  in  order  to  minister  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  their  poor  and  widely  scattered  fellow  countrymen 
in  Illinois  was  Rev.  T.  N.  Hasselquist  from  Skane.  He  came  here  in  the 
autumn  of  1852  and  for  almost  forty  years  aided  in  framing  and  up- 
building the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  America  in  various  capacities, 
as  pastor,  as  editor  of  the  church  paper  and  for  a  period  of  thirty  years 
as  president  of  its  college  and  theological  seminary.  Esbjorn  and 
Hasselquist  are  the  central  figures  around  which  are  grouped  all  the 
principal  events  of  the  early  days  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of 
this  country.  While  the  work  of  Esbjorn,  the  founder,  is  of  primary 
importance  to  Swedish  Lutherans  in  Illinois  and  all  America,  that  of 
Hasselquist  was  no  less  significant,  including,  as  it  did,  both  the  task 
of  developing  and  establishing  the  church  on  the  foundations  already 
laid  and  of  taking  up  new  lines  of  work,  for  instance,  the  founding  of 
the  first  Swedish  newspaper  in  the  United  States  as  the  organ  of  that 
church. 

Tuve  Nilsson  Hasselquist  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Ousby,  in  north- 
ern Skane,  March  2,  1816.  His  parents  were  country  folk  of  the  sub- 
stantial sort.  Their  sons  were  given  a  fairly  thorough  education  at 
home.  Rev.  Collin,  the  rector  of  the  parish,  having  noticed  that  the 
boy  Tuve  had  a  good  head  for  study,  urged  his  father  to  send  him  to 
school  to  fit  him  for  a  learned  career.  Consequently,  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  he  entered  a  school  at  Kristianstad  and  there  adopted  the 
name  of  Hasselquist,  from  that  of  his  native  place  Hasslarod. 

After  only  five  years,  young  Hasselquist  passed  the  examination 
for  admission  to  the  university  of  Lund,  where  he  began  his  theological 
studies  after  being  engaged  for  some  time  as  a  private  tutor.  He  was 
examined  for  the  ministry  by  the  Lund  chapter  and  ordained  by  Bishop 
Faxe  the  day  before  midsummer,  in  1839,  being  at  once  appointed 
curate  of  the  parishes  of  Everlof  and  Slimminge.  Here  he  remained 
for  one  year,  and  was  subsequently  assigned  to  Kristianstad.  After 
another  year,  he  was  transferred  in  1842  to  the  parishes  of  Glimakra 
and  Orkened  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  province. 

Young  as  he  was,  Rev.  Hasselquist  was  already  widely  known  for 
his  true  Christian  character  and  his  devotion  to  his  pastoral  calling. 
His  sermons  were  full  of  spirit  and  power.  Not  confining  himself  to 
the  Sunday  morning  sermon,  he  held  Bible  study  meetings  on  Sunday 


446  THE    LUTHERANS 

afternoons  and  other  religious  meetings  here  and  there  in  the  parish 
during  the  week.  He  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  earnest 
" revivalist  preacher,"  and  was  a  zealous  temperance  advocate,  often 
appearing  on  the  same  platform  with  that  warm-hearted  temperance 
agitator  Pehr  Wieselgren. 

In  1845,  after  serving  there  for  three  years,  he  became  curate  under 
old  Rector  Nordstrom  of  Onnestad,  after  whose  death  he  became  tem- 
porary rector  of  the  church.  The  arrival  of  Hasselquist  to  Onnestad 
marked  the  beginning  of  a  period  of  spiritual  revival  for  that  locality. 
He  labored  assiduously,  sowing  the  seed  of  truth,  and  was  gratified  to 
notice  that  it  bore  rich  fruit.  Toward  the  end  of  the  forties,  Hassel- 
quist was  assigned  as  curate  to  Akarp  and  Wittsjo,  in  northern  Skane, 
where  he  labored  for  several  years.  His  time  of  service  as  assistant 
pastor  was  thirteen  years  in  all.  His  frequent  transfers  from  place  to 
place  gave  him  the  advantage  of  an  extensive  personal  acquaintance 
throughout  a  large  part  of  northern  Skane.  He  thus  became  widely 
known  for  his  Christian  zeal  and  sincerity,  his  ability  as  a  preacher  and 
his  earnest  efforts  to  substitute  good  morals  for  the  prevalent  license 
of  the  times. 

Had  he  remained  in  Sweden.  Hasselquist  would  doubtless  very 
soon  have  occupied  a  prominent  place  among  the  clergy.  But  provi- 
dence had  decreed  that  he  was  to  serve,  not  the  state  church  of  Sweden, 
but  the  Lutheran  Church  at  large  by  becoming  a  pioneer  of  Lutheranism 
and  of  general  culture  in  a  foreign  land.  It  was  a  trifling  circumstance 
that  primarily  brought  about  Hasselquist 's  emigration.  Rev.  Esbjorn 
greatly  needed  an  assistant  in  his  work  among  the  Swedes  of  Illinois, 
and  was  casting  about  for  a  suitable  man.  The  outlook  was  not  en- 
couraging, and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  these  people  were  to  be 
left  to  the  choice  between  joining  American  churches  and  living  with- 
out any  church  connections  whatever.  At  this  juncture,  a  settler  named 
Ola  Nilsson,  hailing  from  Onnestad,  came  to  the  assistance  of  Rev. 
Esbjorn.  He  knew  Hasselquist  well  and  suggested  that  he  would  un- 
doubtedly come,  provided  he  were  fully  convinced  of  the  urgent  need 
of  spiritual  workers  among  his  fellow  countrymen  here. 

Rev.  Esbjorn  promptly  followed  his  friend's  advice.  He  arranged 
to  have  the  newly  organized  congregation  in  Galesburg  call  Hassel- 
quist as  pastor,  with  the  promise  of  a  small  salary.  In  addition,  Esbjorn 
obtained  a  small  appropriation  from  the  American  Board  of  Home 
Missions.  Rev.  Hasselquist  received  the  call  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1852.  Looking  upon  it  as  a  call  not  only  from  the  Swedes  of 
Galesburg,  but  directly  from  God,  he  accepted  it  without  hesitation, 
although  his  chances  for  promotion  in  the  state  church  were  the  best. 
Before  starting  on  his  long  and  significant  voyage,  he  was  united 


T.  N.  HASSELQUIST  44y 

in  marriage  to  his  heart's  choice,  Miss  Eva  Helena  Cervin  of  Kristian- 
stad,  a  woman  of  exceptional  strength  of  character,  who  was  to  be  of 
inestimable  assistance  to  him  in  the  great  work  he  was  about  to  under- 
take in  the  new  country. 

Accompanied  by  his  bride  and  a  party  of  sixty  emigrants  from 
northern  Skane,  Hasselquist  left  for  America  late  in  the  summer  of 
1852.  The  party  arrived  in  New  York  Sept.  28th,  thence  taking  the 
usual  route  to  Chicago.  The  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  was  just  in 
session  in  the  latter  city,  and  there  Hasselquist  and  Esbjorn  now  met 
for  the  first  time.  We  can  readily  imagine  the  cordiality  of  this  meet- 
ing. Hasselquist  was  at  once  admitted  to  the  synod  and  soon  thereafter 
preached  his  first  sermon  in  this  country.  After  adjournment  of  the 
synod,  he  left  for  Andover,  whence  Esbjorn  took  him  and  his  wife 
across  country  to  Galesburg,  a  twenty-five  mile  ride  over  the  worst 
kind  of  country  roads. 

The  reception  accorded  the  new  pastor  by  his  church  was  rather 
discouraging.  It  was  a  raw  and  drizzly  autumn  day.  Everything 
about  the  place  had  a  poverty-stricken  appearance.  There  was  no 
delegation  of  church  members  to  bid  him  welcome,  and  no  home  in 
readiness  to  receive  him.  Just  outside  the  town,  Esbjorn  with  his 
guests  met  a  Swedish  settler,  and,  thinking  to  please  the  man,  intro- 
duced Hasselquist  as  the  new  Swedish  pastor.  Instead  of  politely 
bidding  him  welcome,  the  Swede  rudely  inquired,  "What  business  has 
he  got  to  come  here?" 

The  congregation  in  Galesburg  was  a  very  small  one.  Organized 
in  1851,  just  a  year  before,  it  had  only  a  few  members,  all  poor,  and 
neither  a  church  nor  a  parsonage.  All  this  might  have  been  ignored, 
however,  had  it  only  been  what  it  purported  to  be,  a  Lutheran  church, 
but  such  was  not  the  case.  It  was  more  Congregationalist  than  any- 
thing else,  being  under  the  influence  of  the  American  Congrega- 
tionalists,  with  students  from  Knox  College,  a  Congregationalist  in- 
stitution, conducting  its  Sunday  school. 

Eev.  Hasselquist  and  his  bride  were  assigned  quarters  in  a  little 
shanty,  half  of  which  was  occupied  by  a  former  Erik  Janssonist, 
addicted  to  drink.  The  man  was  comparatively  peaceable,  but  his  wife 
was  a  veritable  virago  who  kept  lecturing  and  cursing  her  liege  lord 
from  morning  till  night.  Here,  indeed,  extremes  met  under  one  roof: 
on  one  side  of  the  partition  there  was  quarreling  and  cursing,  on  the 
other,  praying  and  singing.  The  Hasselquists  occupied  two  rooms,  the 
one  fair-sized,  the  other  a  mere  closet.  The  first  was  made  to  serve  as 
sitting-room,  study,  parlor,  kitchen  and  bedchamber  combined.  The 
furniture  was  in  keeping  with  some  of  these  functions,  while  most  of 
the  things  making  for  home  comfort  were  lacking.  At  first  they  had 


448 


THE   LUTHERANS 


no  bed,  but  slept  on  the  floor;  the  trunk  in  which  Hasselquist  had 
brought  his  books  had  to  do  duty  as  a  dining  table,  ""he  roof  of  this 
primitive  dwelling  leaked  so  badly  that  the  floor  was  flooded  every 
time  it  rained. 


Thus  Rev.  Hasselquist  began  his  labors  in  Galesburg  under  any- 
thing but  favorable  auspices.  Not  only  was  the  congregation  a  small 
and  poor  one,  and  split  up  by  divergences  in  religious  beliefs,  but  worse 
still,  there  was  a  general  opinion  decidedly  antagonistic  to  Swedish 


T.  N.  HASSELQUIST  449 

Lutheran  church  work  in  this  locality.  From  the  neighboring  Bishop 
Hill  colony  many  persons  who  had  tired  of  the  Prophet  Erik  Jansson 
and  now  were  indifferent  to  religion  in  any  form  had  moved  into 
Galesburg.  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  the  Swedish  Methodist  strong- 
hold at  Victoria  which  had  extended  its  operations  to  Galesburg  and 
there  made  many  converts.  And  after  the  year  1852  the  Baptists 
added  a  third  element  of  opposition.  To  all  these  people  a  Swedish 
Lutheran  clergyman,  in  the  garb  of  the  state  church  and  following  its 
prescribed  ritual,  was  not  much  better  than  a  Catholic.  The  Methodists, 
in  particular,  made  Esbjorn  and  Hasselquist  out  to  be  spiritually  dead, 
although  in  the  old  country  these  same  men  had  been  looked  upon  as 
altogether  too  zealous  and  devout  in  their  Christianity  to  suit  the  free 
and  easy  church  members. 

By  his  preaching  and  his  living,  Hasselquist,  however,  soon  dis- 
proved the  statements  of  his  antagonists.  But  he  found  greater 
difficulty  in  overcoming  the  prejudices  entertained  against  him  by  the 
professors  at  Knox  College.  These  men  evidently  held  a  poor  opinion 
of  the  Swedish  clergy  to  whom  they  considered  themselves  far  superior 
in  every  respect.  Eventually,  they  learned  to  know  him  as  a  man  of 
erudition,  zeal  and  earnestness  in  his  calling,  qualities  which  compelled 
their  respect. 

Among  the  very  first  cares  that  fell  upon  Hasselquist 's  shoulders 
was  the  task  of  raising  funds  for  a  church  building.  With  much 
difficulty  the  means  were  procured  and  a  church  erected,  which  not 
long  after  was  found  inadequate  and  had  to  be  enlarged.  The  field 
was  constantly  being  extended,  so  that  at  the  synodical  meeting  of 
1853  Hasselquist  could  report  that  his  pastorate  consisted  of  no  less 
than  four  congregations,  with  a  total  of  191  communicants.  The  four 
congregations  referred  to  were  those  of  Galesburg  and  Knoxville  and, 
supposedly.  Wataga  and  Altona.  The  Sunday  school  of  the  Galesburg 
congregation,  which  up  to  that  time  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the 
Congregationalists,  was  reorganized  in  August,  1853,  and  at  that  time 
consisted  of  five  teachers  and  27  pupils. 

Rev.  Hasselquist  remained  at  Galesburg  for  eleven  years.  During 
this  period,  besides  his  pastoral  work  in  the  local  field,  he  carried  on  an 
extensive  missionary  work  both  in  Illinois  and  in  adjacent  states. 
Numberless  were  his  journeys  during  these  eleven  years,  and  beset 
with  the  hardships  that  attended  travel  in  those  days,  when  railroads 
were  still  unknown  in  this  territory.  A  number  of  new  congregations 
were  founded  by  him,  among  which  the  Immanuel  Church  of  Chicago. 
His  missionary  field  extended  eastward  all  the  way  to  New  York  and 
to  the  north  as  far  as  Minnesota.  In  the  new  country  Hasselquist 
evinced  the  same  qualities  that  distinguished  him  in  Sweden,  only  in 


450 


THE    LUTHERANS 


a  more  potent  degree.  His  zeal  was  increased  and  his  love  of  his 
fellow  countrymen  grew  in  warmth  when  he  saw  Avhat  was  their  con- 
dition, spiritually  and  materially. 


Rev.  Tuve  Nilsson  Hasselquist 


In  the  intense  opposition  he  encountered,  even  within  his  own 
church,  he  had  ample  cause  for  not  strictly  adhering  to  the  ritualism 
of  the  state  church  of  Sweden.  Within  and  without  his  congregation 
there  were  many  who  cherished  not  the  slightest  respect  for  the  re- 


T.  N.  HASSELQUIST  45I 

ligious  usages  of  their  forefathers,  but  had  the  greatest  admiration 
for  everything  that  they  knew  or  supposed  to  be  American. 

Among  the  growing  number  of  Swedish  Lutheran  churches  of 
America  Hasselquist  early  came  to  be  recognized  as  a  very  efficient 
man.  And  when  the  Augustana  Synod  was  organized  he  was  chosen 
its  first  president.  To  this  responsible  position  he  was  subsequently 
re-elected  each  year  for  a  decade.  This  was  the  patriarchal  period  in 
the  history  of  the  synod.  Hasselquist  was  no  stickler  on  parliamentary 
law,  the  main  thing  with  him  being  to  get  a  clear  and  many-sided  view 
of  the  subject  in  hand  for  the  purpose  of  arriving  at  a  good,  sensible 
decision.  "Whether  or  not  such  decision  was  in  accord  with  the  intricate 
rules  of  debate  caused  him  no  worry.  Nevertheless,  he  could  not  be 
accused  of  despotism  or  arbitrariness.  He  was  simply  a  father  among 
the  brethren.  Though  not  in  name,  yet  in  fact  he  was  the  bishop  of  the 
widely  scattered  congregations  of  the  synod,  among  which  he  made 
frequent  official  visits,  learning  to  know  his  people  and  becoming 
known  by  them. 

The  life  work  of  Hasselquist,  however,  was  neither  that  of  a  pastor 
nor  of  a  synodical  president ;  it  was  to  be  performed  in  the  capacity  of 
president  of  the  Augustana  Theological  Seminary,  to  which  was  sub- 
sequently added  a  complete  college.  In  1863  Hasselquist  was  elected 
the  successor  of  Rev.  Esbjorn  as  president  of  that  institution,  a  position 
in  which  he  was  destined  to  exert  a  far-reaching  influence. 

Previous  reference  has  been  made  to  Hasselquist  as  the  founder  of 
the  Swedish  press  of  the  United  States.  He  earned  that  title  in  the 
autumn  of  1854  when  he  began  preparations  for  publishing  from  Gales- 
burg  "Garnla  och  Nya  Hemlandet, "  the  first  Swedish- American  news- 
paper, whose  first  issue  appeared  on  Jan. 3,  the  following  year.  Hassel- 
quist held  the  position  of  editor  for  four  years,  until  1858.  In  1856  he 
also  founded  a  religious  paper,  "Det  Ratta  Hemlandet,"  from  which 
sprung  "Augustana,"  the  present  organ  of  the  Augustana  Synod. 
From  1868  to  1889  this  paper  was  published  under  the  name  of 
"Augustana  och  Mission  aren,"  Hasselquist  continuing  these  twenty- 
one  years  as  its  editor.  He  is  also  author  of  several  books  of  a 
religious  character. 

In  1881  Rev.  Hasselquist  lost  his  wife  through  death,  their 
daughter  Hanna  having  died  four  years  before;  and  ten  years  after 
his  wife's  death  the  venerable  patriarch  himself  passed  away.  He  died 
Feb.  4,  1891,  and  at  his  funeral  both  the  speakers  and  the  great  silent 
assemblage  bore  testimony  to  the  great  loss  sustained  by  the  Swedish- 
American  nationality.  Hasselquist  left  two  sons,  Nathanael  and 
Joshua,  and  a  daughter.  Esther. 

Among  the  marks  of  distinction  conferred  upon  Hasselquist  may 


452 


THE    LUTHERANS 


mentioned  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  by  Muhlenberg  College  and 
the  order  of  the  Polar  Star  by  King  Oscar  of  Sweden. 

Lutheran   WorH.  in   Galesburg' 

The  foundation  for  Swedish  Lutheran  church  work  in  Galesburg 
was  laid  in  November,  1849,  by  Eev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn.  In  the  early  part 
of  1850,  the  building  of  a  small  meeting-house  was  begun  at  his  sugges- 
tion and  with  his  cooperation.  The  sum  of  $550  was  subscribed  as 
early  as  Feb.  28th.  Although  many  Americans  interested  themselves 
in  the  undertaking,  the  work  was  delayed,  and  not  until  the  latter  part 
of  May  the  foundation,  outer  walls  and  steeple  were  constructed.  The 
foundation  was  of  brick,  the  superstructure  of  frame  and  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  building  were,  length,  40  feet,  width,  30  feet,  and  height, 
18  feet.  As  yet,  the  congregation  had  not  been  organized,  owing  to  the 
opposition  of  the  Methodists. 

Aug.  24,  1851,  Rev.  Esbjorn,  on  request,  held  communion  services 
at  Galesburg  and  after  services  the  names  of  those  wishing  to  become 
members  of  a  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  were  asked  to  give  their 
names.  Forty  persons  responded  and  these  constituted  the  first 
Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  of  that  city.  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  Rev.  Esbjorn  designated  Gustaf  Palmquist,  a  former  school-teach- 
er from  Sweden,  as  pastor  of  the  church.  He  gained  the  confidence 
of  the  people,  but  being  a  Baptist  at  heart,  although  not  a  confessed 
one,  his  work  was  not  calculated  to  strengthen,  but  rather  to  disrupt 
and  weaken  the  church,  whose  members  were  already  wavering  between 
the  Methodist  and  the  Congregational  faith.  In  June,  1852,  Palmquist 
joined  the  Baptists  and  celebrated  the  event  by  calling  a  jubilee  meet- 
ing in  the  Lutheran  meeting-house,  at  which  he  declared  that  not  until 
now  had  he  obeyed  the  will  of  God  in  receiving  the  Christian  baptism. 
To  show  the  nature  of  the  Methodist  opposition  to  Lutheran  work  in 
Galesburg  it  may  be  stated  that  Rev.  Jonas  Hedstrom,  by  spreading  the 
report  that  the  Swedish  Lutherans  in  the  place  were  a  mere  handful, 
that  they  differed  very  little  from  the  Catholics,  succeeded  in  dampen- 
ing the  interest  of  the  Americans  in  the  Lutheran  meeting-house  to  the 
extent  that  many  of  them  repudiated  their  subscriptions  toward  its 
erection.  By  intrigue,  the  building,  before  completion,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  American  Methodists,  the  Lutherans,  however,  being 
privileged  to  use  it.  After  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Hasselquist,  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  congregation  purchased  the  building  for  the  sum  of  $1,600, 
and  shortly  afterward  had  it  enlarged.  This  first  church  edifice  stood 
on  the  same  spot  where  the  present  church  is  located.  Having  now  a 
house  of  worship  of  their  own,  the  Swedish  Lutherans  were  in  a  better 
position  to  avoid  undue  influence  from  the  other  denominations.  The 


WORK    IN    GALESBURG 


453 


church  was  neither  lighted  nor  provided  with  seats,  making  it  .neces- 
sary for  the  churchgoers  to  bring  their  own  chairs  and  tallow  candles. 
In  spite  of  the  latter,  the  gloom  that  pervaded  the  edifice  of  a  Sunday 
night  was  so  dense  that  the  preacher  was  scarcely  able  to  distinguish 
his  hearers. 

In  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1854,  the  church  suffered  the  loss  of  a 
number  of  members.  The  scourge,  however,  had  the  effect  of  causing  a 
spiritual  revival  among  the  survivors,  and  Hasselquist  seized  this  favor- 
able opportunity  to  work  upon  the  hearts  of  his  flock  by  holding  meet- 
ings every  evening  for  one  week  during  the  month  of  August.  He  was 


The  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg,  Erected  in  1852 

assisted  by  Rev.  M.  F.  Hokanson  of  New  Sweden,  la.  The  result  of 
the  week's  work  was  that  about  one  hundred  persons  applied  for  mem- 
bership in  the  churches  at  Galesburg  and  Knoxville.  In  the  latter 
place  the  ravages  of  the  pest  were  greater  than  at  Galesburg,  craving 
no  less  than  forty  victims  among  the  Swedes. 

In  the  fall  of  1855,  Rev.  Hasselquist  obtained  an  assistant  in  the 
person  of  P.  A.  Cederstam,  a  theological  student  from  Chicago  who  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  following  March.  Owing  to  the  great  lack  of 
ministers,  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  remain  here,  but  was  sent  to 
Minnesota  the  following  May.  A  year  later  Hasselquist  received  a  new 
assistant  in  his  brother-in-law,  A.  R.  Cervin,  a  teacher  from  the  old 
country,  who  aided  him  in  the  work  for  more  than  a  year. 


454  THE    LUTHERANS 

There  was  much  ungodliness  to  contend  with  during  this  period, 
necessitating  a  very  strict  application  of  church  discipline.  The  warn- 
ings and  admonitions  of  these  men  being  left  unheeded,  excommunica- 
tion was  resorted  to.  Drunkenness  and  licentiousness  were  the  vices 
most  prevalent.  Dancing,  improper  conduct  in  church  and  negligence  in 
attending  divine  services  were  also  causes  for  disciplinary  measures. 

Surrounded  on  all  sides  by  those  who  hated  everything  savoring 
of  the  cult  and  practices  of  the  Swedish  state  church,  Eev.  Hasselquist 
was  driven  too  far  in  his  concessions  to  the  customs  and  usages  of  the 
American  Reformed  churches.  Thus,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for 
him  to  make  his  appearance  in  church  of  a  Sunday  morning  dressed  in 
a  white  linen  duster  in  place  of  the  black  clerical  coat,  and  walk  down 
the  aisle  singing  one  of  Ahnfelt's  songs  in  which  the  congregation 
would  join.  He  would  then  go  directly  to  the  pulpit,  read  a  text,  offer 
a  prayer  and  then  commence  preaching.  Suddenly  he  would  interrupt 
himself  by  singing  another  familiar  song,  subsequently  picking  up  the 
thread  of  his  discourse  where  he  had  dropped  it.  The  services  would 
end  as  unceremoniously  as  they  began.  These  concessions  to  arbitrary 
usage  were  not  without  effect  on  the  congregation.  A  faction  was 
formed  that  held  it  to  be  wrong  for  the  minister  to  wear  a  coat  of 
clerical  cut,  read  the  confession  or  follow  the  ritual.  These  persons 
also  considered  it  wrong  to  remain  standing  during  the  reading  of  the 
gospel  and  epistle  text  before  the  altar,  and  consequently  remained 
seated  when  the  congregation  arose.  They  demanded  that  the  pastor 
should  sitr  and  not  stand,  before  the  altar,  and  insisted  that  he  discard 
the  clerical  neck-band.  They  made  so  much  of  this  that  when  Hakan 
Olsson,  one  of  Hasselquist 's  pupils,  after  ordination  appeared  with 
that  mark  of  the  ecclesiastical  office,  one  of  the  deacons  stepped  up  to 
him  with  the  evident  intention  of  tearing  that  innocent  little  article  of 
apparel  from  his  neck.  This  movement,  which  at  first  seemed  insignifi- 
cant, developed  to  such  an  extent  that  even  before  Hasselquist  left 
Galesburg  lists  were  circulated  for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  members 
for  a  free  church.  Such  a  one  was  established  in  1869  under  the  name 
of  the  Second  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg.  Such  was  the  result  of 
Hasselquist 's  thoughtless  departure  from  a  strict  conformity  to  or- 
thodox usage  in  the  church  of  his  native  land. 

When  Rev.  Esbjo'rn  returned  to  Sweden,  Rev.  Hasselquist  became 
his  successor  as  president  of  the  Augustana  Theological  Seminary,  tak- 
ing his  new  position  in  1863.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Rev. 
A.  W.  Dahlsten  assumed  charge  of  the  Galesburg  church,  preaching 
there  once  a  month  until  New  Year's,  1864,  when  he  removed  to  Gales- 
burg. The  influence  of  the  saloons  and  the  dance  halls  at  this  time  was 
a  great  source  of  worry  to  the  pastor  and  the  church  council.  The 


WORK    IN    GALESBt'RG 


455 


disturbing  element  from  the  time  of  Hasselquist  was  still  active  and 
had  acquired  added  strength.  Certain  persons  worked  with  might  and 
main  against  the  pastor  and  to  have  the  existing  order  of  services 
abolished,  demanding  that  any  clergyman,  no  matter  of  what  denomina- 
tion, should  have  the  right  to  preach  in  their  church.  When  this  was 
refused,  they  sent  a  petition  to  the  synod,  setting  forth  these  demands, 
adding  the  request  that  part  of  the  liturgical  service  be  abolished. 

The  synod  positively  refused  to  grant  the  petition,  whereupon  the 
petitioners  set  to  work  on  a  plan  to  secede  from  the  synod.  They  failed 
again.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  church,  a  large  majority  of  the 
congregation  resolved  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  synod. 


The  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg,  Erected  in  1870 

In  1868  the  old  church,  which  had  been  enlarged  by  an  addition 
during  Hasselquist 's  time,  was  found  to  be  too  small  and  a  new  edifice 
was  planned.  At  first  it  was  decided  to  build  a  second  addition  at  one 
end  of  the  old  structure,  but  as  this  would  involve  a  considerable  ex- 
pense without  affording  the  space  needed  either  for  the  present  or  for 
the  future,  this  plan  was  given  up.  Next  it  was  resolved  to  widen  the 
church  by  moving  the  side  walls,  but  this  plan  also  fell  through. 
Finally,  the  congregation  resolved  to  erect  an  entire  new  edifice,  to  be 
100x60  feet,  but  only  $400  being  subscribed,  the  whole  enterprise  was 
abandoned  for  the  time  being.  The  following  year  the  matter  was 
again  taken  up  and  on  the  4th  of  April  a  resolution  was  passed  to  begin 
building  as  soon  as  $2,000  had  been  subscribed. 

Rev.  Dahlsten  having  resigned  after  serving  the  church  for  six 
years,  the  congregation,  a  few  days  after  deciding  to  build  a  new 
church,  extended  a  call  to  Rev.  A.  Andreen  to  succeed  Dahlsten.  Fif- 


456  THE    LUTHERANS 

teen  members  left  the  church  and,  together  with  a  few  others,  organized 
the  proposed  free  church.  During  the  ensuing  vacancy,  several  others 
deserted.  This  had  the  effect  of  cleansing  the  church  from  that  un- 
wholesome and  pernicious  element  which  for  some  time  past  had 
created  disturbances  and  stunted  the  growth  of  the  congregation.  Rev. 
Andreen  declined  the  call,  and  the  church  again  called  Rev.  Hassel- 
quist  only  to  receive  a  negative  answer.  Next  a  call  was  extended  to 
Rev.  N.  Th.  Winquist  of  DeKalb,  who  accepted  and  remained  in  charge 
for  somewhat  over  three  years.  During  his  term,  the  new  church  was 
finished  and  the  final  report  of  the  work  was  rendered  March  4,  1870. 
The  edifice  was  found  to  have  cost  $13,371.75,  of  which  amount  $6,784 
had  been  raised  by  subscription,  the  balance  representing  debt.  This 
church,  which  for  many  years  was  the  largest  in  the  city,  is  still  used 
as  a  house  of  worship.  Its  dimensions  are :  length,  100  feet ;  width,  60 
feet ;  height  of  side  walls,  22  feet ;  height  of  steeple,  165  feet.  The  task 
of  reducing  the  church  debt  was  next  taken  up,  and  much  was  accom- 
plished, partly  by  subscription,  partly  by  the  collection  of  pew  rents. 
At  this  juncture,  the  members  living  at  Henderson  left  and  organized  a 
congregation  of  their  own.  The  schoolhouse  was  moved  and  provided 
with  new  seats,  and  new  life  was  injected  into  the  work  of  construc- 
tion; a  church  bell  was  purchased;  the  parsonage  was  renovated,  and 
about  this  time  the  new  constitution  for  the  churches,  revised  by  the 
synod,  was  adopted. 

Rev.  Winquist  left  in  1873  and  was  succeeded  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  by  Rev.  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl.  The  peace  and  harmony  that  had 
prevailed  during  the  time  of  Rev.  Winquist  was  disturbed  by  one  F. 
Lagerman,  who  filled  the  pulpit  in  the  interval,  sharply  criticising  in 
his  sermons  everything  that  fell  below  his  exalted  standard  of  Luther- 
anism.  By  coolheadedness  and  a  conciliatory  policy,  the  new  pastor 
succeeded  in  restoring  peace,  the  work  progressing  smoothly  there- 
after. In  1878  the  church  purchased  an  organ  at  a  cost  of  $2,350  and 
built  a  new  parsonage.  A  house  and  lot  was  bought,  the  old  house  was 
sold  and  a  new  one  erected,  the  total  outlay  for  the  new  property  stop- 
ping at  $3,000.  During  Rev.  Lindahl's  time  in  Galesburg,  the  church 
carried  on  a  vigorous  campaign  against  the  secret  societies,  but  in 
spite  of  this  and  other  disturbing  influences  the  church,  on  the  whole, 
made  steady  progress. 

In  November,  1884,  Rev.  Lindahl  resigned  his  .charge.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  C.  A.  Backman  of  Ishpeming,  Mich.,  who  moved  to 
his  new  field  July  1st,  the  following  year.  In  the  summer  of  1885  a 
large  and  commodious  schoolhouse  was  erected.  A  year  later,  the 
church  was  renovated  at  an  outlay  of  $1,300,  and  in  1887  a  hall  was 
provided  for  the  young  people  by  raising  the  schoolhouse,  the  total 


WORK    IN    GALESBURG 


457 


expense  amounting  to  $1,300.  Societies  were  organized  and  several 
new  lines  of  endeavor  were  taken  up. 

Rev.  Backman,  however,  was  not  permitted  long  to  labor  in  this 
field,  death  cutting  short  his  promising  career  on  March  6,  1888,  before 
he  had  completed  his  thirty-fifth  year.  The  vacancy  was  temporarily 
supplied  by  a  student  who  by  his  personal  conduct  created  the  most 
serious  disruption  in  the  stormy  history  of  the  congregation,  resulting 
a  couple  of  years  later  in  the  expulsion  of  no  less  than  236  com- 
municant members.  The  effects  of  this  schism  were  felt  for  years 
afterward. 

This  movement  was  headed  by  C.  A.  Nybladh,  who  subsequently 
became  a  minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  From  his  following  the 
Swedish  Episcopal  Church  of  Galesburg  was  organized. 

The  permanent  successor  of  Rev.  Backman  was  Rev.  C.  J.  E. 
Haterius  whose  installation  took  place  April  11,  1889.  His  first  years 
at  Galesburg  were  made  disagreeable  by  the  effects  of  the  foregoing 
dissension.  In  1891,  an  addition  was  built  to  the  church  affording 
space  for  the  organ  and  the  choir,  besides  a  pastor's  study.  The  cost 
of  these  improvements  amounted  to  $1,276. 

The  question  of  starting  English  work  within  the  church  now 
began  to  be  much  ventilated,  resulting  in  the  calling  of  an  English 
assistant  April  18,  1896.  Having  received  a  negative  answer,  the  con- 
gregation, at  a  second  business  meeting,  called  for  the  same  purpose 
June  19th,  was  advised  to  permit  those  especially  interested  in  the 
English  work  to  take  up  such  work  under  the  auspices  of  the  church 
council  with  a  view  to  organizing  an  independent  English  Lutheran 
church.  The  young  people's  hall  was  set  aside  for  the  English  services. 
This  plan  was  not  carried  out,  but  the  English  question  in  this  instance 
was  solved  by  arranging  for  the  holding  of  divine  services  in  the 
English  language  at  certain  intervals  during  the  year. 

In  the  summer  of  1898,  Rev.  Haterius  resigned  and  was  succeeded 
Nov.  1st  by  Rev.  Peter  Peterson  of  Essex,  la.  The  next  summer,  the 
church  edifice  underwent  a  thorough  renovation  at  a  cost  of  $1,894, 
and  besides  a  number  of  old  debts  were  paid.  From  this  time  on  the 
work  has  progressed  without  friction. 

Rev.  Peterson  left  the  charge  in  1905,  removing  to  St.  Paul.  His 
successor  is  Rev.  F.  A.  Johnsson,  one  of  the  abler  young  pastors  of  the 
Illinois  Conference.  At  New  Year's,  1907,  the  church  had  a  membership 
of  1,672,  including  1,198  communicants.  The  church  property  was 
valued  at  $36,450. 


458  THE    LUTHERANS 

The    Lutheran   Congregation  in  Moline 

As  previous  pages  will  show,  Rev.  Esbjorn  at  an  early  day  took 
up  mission  work  at  Moline  and  Rock  Island.  When  visiting  Moline, 
he  generally  stopped  at  the  home  of  Carl  Johansson,  a  tailor,  the  second 
Swedish  settler  in  the  place.  Johansson  occupied  a  14  by  16  room  in 
a  brick  house  belonging  to  one  Mrs.  Bell,  and  here  the  first  Swedish 
Lutheran  services  were  held.  Johansson  later  became  a  very  zealous 
Baptist  and  a  bitter  antagonist  of  the  Lutherans. 

At  first  the  Swedish  Lutherans  of  Moline  were  enrolled  in  the 
Andover  church.  This  arrangement  being  found  impracticable,  a 
separate  congregation  was  organized  in  Moline  Dec.  1,  1850,  with 
fifty  charter  members.  This  number  soon  increased.  There  being 
as  yet  no  book  of  record  for  the  church,  the  names  of  applicants  were 
recorded  on  loose  slips  of  paper. 

The  first  question  arising  after  the  organization  of  the  congre- 
gation was  how  to  get  a  church  edifice.  A  lot  was  purchased  for  the 
sum  of  $100,  and  the  next  summer  they  began  to  build,  having  received 
for  this  purpose  $340  out  of  the  $2,200  solicited  by  Esbjorn  in  the 
East.  The  balance  was  raised  among  the  Americans  and  the  Swedish 
settlers  of  Moline.  This  little  church,  a  frame  structure  36  by  24  and 
15  feet  high,  was  situated  on  the  same  spot  where  stands  the  present 
one,  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $646.  The  building  was  not  finished 
for  many  years,  yet  served  its  purpose.  On  Sunday,  Jan.  11,  1857,  it 
was  ultimately  dedicated  as  a  house  of  worship,  the  steeple  having 
been  finished  just  the  day  before  and  provided  with  a  bell  purchased 
at  a  cost  of  $50.  This  was  the  first  church  bell  of  any  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  in  America  since  the  days  of  the  Delaware  Swedes. 
It  is  now  the  property  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  of  Port  Byron, 
111.  The  year  after  the  dedication,  a  fourteen  foot  addition  to  the 
church  wTas  built,  and  in  1866  a  12  by  14  addition  was  made.  The 
structure  was  finally  sold  to  the  plow  manufacturing  firm  of  Deere 
and  Company  and  moved  across  the  street,  where  it  is  used  as  a 
storehouse  for  agricultural  implements. 

The  first  parsonage  owned  by  the  congregation  consisted  of  a 
small  house  and  lot,  donated  in  1854  by  a  bachelor,  Abraham  Andersson 
from  Gnarp,  Helsingland,  on  condition  that  it  be  used  as  the  home  of 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  pastor.  This  property  was  located  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  block  lying  just  north  of  the  block  in  which  the 
church  is  situated.  This  modest  little  parsonage  was  rebuilt  in  1856. 
In  1858  the  church  property  was  valued  as  follows,  church,  $14,000; 
parsonage,  $850. 

Rev.  Esbjorn  was  himself  in  charge  of  this  field  for  the  first 
five  years,  but  was  obliged  to  leave  part  of  the  work  to  others.  In  the 


THE  MOLINE  CONGREGATION 


459 


summer  of  1852,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  C.  J.  Valentin,  from  Stockholm,  a  former  salesman,  possessing 
very  little  schooling  but  much  religious  fervor  and  great  zeal  in  behalf 
of  the  Lutheran  Church.  In  October,  1852,  at  a  time  of  great  lack 
of  ministerial  timber,  Valentin  was  examined  before  the  Synod  of 
Northern  Illinois  and  given  a  license  to  preach  and  administer  the 
sacraments  in  Moline  and  Rock  Island.  Valentin  almost  immediately 
clashed  with  the  Baptists  in  Rock  Island,  the  conflict  growing  so 
bitter  during  the  early  part  of  1853  that  Valentin  had  to  leave  the 
community. 

From  Moline  Valentin  went  to  Princeton,  where  he  served  the 
Swedish  Lutherans  for  a  short  time.     At  the  synodical  convention  in 


The  First  Swedish  Lutheran  House  of  Worship  in  Moline 

Galesburg  in  the  fall  he  was  absent  but  appears  nevertheless  to  have 
had  his  license  renewed.  At  the  subsequent  synod  in  Peru,  his  license 
was  again  renewed,  on  condition  that  he  take  up  studies  under  the 
direction  of  Esbjorn.  Instead  of  so  doing,  he  returned  to  Sweden 
without  leave  of  absence,  remaining  there  for  a  few  years.  At  the 
synod  of  1855  he  was  suspended  and  deprived  of  his  license  until  he 
should  return  to  the  synod,  provided,  however,  that  the  license  would 
be  renewed,  should  he  be  found  worthy  of  reinstatement  into  the 
ministerial  office.  Nothing  was  now  heard  of  him  for  several  years. 
During  the  Civil  War,  he  reappeared  in  this  country  and  enlisted  as 
a  volunteer  in  Company  D,  of  the  57th  Illinois  Infantry.  He  proved, 
however,  no  better  a  soldier  in  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army  than  in 
those  of  the  church.  As  he  had  deserted  his  little  flock  in  Princeton, 
so  he  now  deserted  his  regiment,  fleeing  to  Sweden,  whence  he  sent 
a  written  statement  declaring  that  his  conscience  would  not  permit 


460  THE    LUTHERANS 

him  to  fight  for  the  Union  cause,  his  sympathies  being  on  the  side  of 
the  confederates.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  is  believed  to  have 
again  returned  to  this  country. 

After  Valentin  left  Moline,  the  services  were  conducted  by  one 
of  the  deacons,  named  Carl  Lindman,  a  native  of  Jersnas  parish,  in 
Smaland.  This  man,  who  was  a  mason  by  trade,  was  exceptionally 
gifted  mentally  and  spiritually,  was  well  informed  and  ready  of  speech, 
and  was  uncompromising  in  matters  of  right  and  wrong.  In  his 
capacity  of  deacon  he  did  a  greac  aeai  of  good  for  the  church. 

The  congregation,  nevertheless,  was  greatly  in  need  of  a  pastor, 
surrounded  as  it  was  by  Methodists  and  Baptists,  who  made  every 
effort  to  gain  proselytes  among  its  members.  In  1854,  Rev.  P.  A.  Ahl- 
berg  of  Sweden  was  called  and  promised  to  come,  but  subsequently  de- 
clined. Through  the  medium  of  Dr.  Peter  Fjellstedt  a  call  was  then 
extended  in  1855  to  0.  C.  T.  Andren,  curate  'of  Carlshamn,  who  ac- 
cepted and  came  over  on  July  3¥,  1856,  to  take  charge. 

Rev.  Andren  remained  in  Moline  only  four  years,  but  in  that  short 
time  accomplished  much  for  the  good  of  the  church,  the  fruits  of  his 
efforts  being  apparent  for  a  long  time  to  follow.  When  he  came  there, 
the  congregation  was  small  and  its  members  poor,  giving  him  much  to 
do  and  meager  recompense  for  his  work.  Moline  and  Rock  Island  at 
that  time,  and  for  many  years  after,  were  included  in  one  pastorate ; 
besides,  he  was  in  charge  of  churches  at  Geneseo  and  other  places.  One 
year  after  his  arrival,  the  church  had  172  members.  Rev.  Andren  was 
more  strict  than  his  predecessors  in  the  exercise  of  church  discipline 
and  was  no  respecter  of  persons.  He  fostered  a  greater  interest  in  the 
common  affairs  of  the  church  body.  "When  the  question  was  put  to 
each  of  the  congregations  whether  they  would  be  willing  to  contribute 
$25  each  toward  the  salary  of  a  Scandinavian  professor  at  the  seminary 
in  Springfield,  provided  such  professorship  were  established,  and 
the  matter  was  presented  by  Rev.  Andren  to  his  church,  the  request  was 
at  once  granted,  the  amount  to  be  raised  by  collection.  This  resolution 
was  passed  Sept.  18,  1857.  On  the  15th  of  April,  1860,  the  congrega- 
tion resolved  to  withdraw  from  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  and 
declared  in  favor  of  organizing  an  independent  Scandinavian  synod. 
The  revenues  of  the  church  at  this  time  were  quite  modest.  At  the 
annual  meeting  in  May,  1858,  the  income  was  reported  at  $114.14,  while 
the  outlay  footed  up  to  $124.75,  not  including  the  salary  of  -the 
pastor.  The  next  year  the  resources  had  grown  to  $284.49  and  the 
expenditures  to  $277.70,  but  in  1860  the  figures  dropped  to  $109.29  and 
$129.45,  respectively,  while  the  church  had  a  debt  of  $70.15. 

Having  been  chosen  by  the  newly  organized  Augustana  Synod  as 
its  representative  to  solicit  funds  in  Sweden  and  Norway  for  the  sem- 


THE    MOLINE    CONGREGATION  46 1 

inary  to  be  established,  Rev.  Andren  with  his  family  left  Moline  early 
in  September,  1860,  with  the  intention  of  returning  after  accomplish- 
ing his  mission.  This  plan  was  later  given  up,  and  on  Aug.  11,  1861,  he 
sent  in  his  resignation.  Rev.  Peters,  who  had  been  called  to  fill  the 
temporary  vacancy,  was  called  as  regular  pastor  on  the  21st  of  the 
same  month.  Rev.  Peters  was  also  in  charge  of  the  missions  in  Rock 
Island,  Geneseo  and  Fulton.  He  removed  from  Moline  to  Rockford 
Dec.  29,  1863,  leaving  the  place  vacant  for  two  years,  during  which 
time  the  parsonage  was  rented  out  and  the  neighboring  pastors,  Jonas 
Swensson,  John  Johnson  and  A.  W.  Dahlsten,  took  turns  in  preaching 
and  officiating  at  ecclesiastical  acts.  Elections  were  held  time  and 
again,  but  no  call  was  accepted.  Finally,  J.  S.  Benson,  a  student  of 
the  theological  seminary  at  Paxton,  was  called  as  preacher  and  school 
teacher  in  1865.  On  petition  by  the  church,  Benson  was  ordained  the 
following  year  and  then  became  its  regular  pastor.  He  inspired  his 
congregation  to  renewed  efforts;  the  church  was  enlarged  and  in  1868 
a  schoolhouse  was  erected  on  the  vacant  portion  of  the  church  lot.  The 
members  living  in  Rock  Island  in  1870  were  authorized  to  organize 
their  own  congregation  which  up  to  May  1,  1873,  remained  a  part  of 
the  same  pastorate.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  Rev.  Benson  resigned  his 
charge,  remaining,  however,  until  August  of  the  following  year.  He 
passed  away  in  Marathon,  la.,  March  13,  1889. 

After  several  fruitless  attempts,  the  church  finally,  in  the  spring 
of  1874,  obtained  a  new  pastor,  Rev.  A.  G.  Setterdahl.  With  him  came 
a  period  of  renewed  activity  and  extensive  external  improvements  were 
made  at  considerable  cost.  All  the  old  buildings  were  razed  to  give 
room  for  new  ones.  The  old  parsonage  was  sold  for  $210  and  moved  to 
the  other  side  of  the  street  and  in  its  place  a  more  commodious  house 
was  erected.  On  Dec.  8,  1875,  the  congregation  resolved  to  build  a  new 
church,  and  now,  more  than  ever  before,  harmony  and  unity  of  action 
was  needed.  But  quite  the  contrary  occurred.  That  very  decision 
caused  a  dissension,  and  a  number  of  dissatisfied  ones  withdrew  to 
form  a  new  congregation,  named  the  Gustaf  Adolf  Church,  and  built 
their  own  house  of  worship  in  the  western  part  of  the  village.  This 
congregation  later  joined  the  Mission  Friends.  The  old  church  build- 
ing was  sold  and  moved  off  the  lot.  The  cornerstone  for  the  new  edifice 
was  laid  June  15,  1876.  The  new  building,  a  brick  structure,  was  116 
feet  in  length  and  62  feet  in  width,  and  was  provided  with  a  tall,  im- 
posing steeple.  The  building,  costing  $19,551,  was  enclosed  before  Dec. 
1st  of  that  year.  The  following  summer  Rev.  Setterdahl  visited  Sweden 
on  a  leave  of  absence,  with  Prof.  0.  Olsson  in  charge.  The  first  high 
mass  in  the  new  edifice  was  preached  by  him  Oct.  13,  1878.  In  1879 


462 


THE  LUTHERANS 


Rev.  Setterdahl  resigned  and  removed  to  Sweden,  where  he  has  been 
rector  of  a  parish  in  the  province  of  Ostergotland  for  many  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1879,  Rev.  H.  0.  Lindeblad  assumed  charge.  His  was 
the  onerous  task  of  getting  the  church  building  completed  and  fur- 
nished. Being  a  man  of  business  acumen,  he  proved  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion, successfully  piloting  the  church  through  its  financial  straits. 
Weary  of  the  burden,  he  resigned  in  the  fall  of  1887,  but  was  prevailed 
upon  to  stay,  and  subsequently  completed  the  work,  making  it  possible 


The  Present  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Moline 

to  dedicate  the  edifice  free  of  debt  June  9,  1889.  Besides  the  financial 
ones,  Rev.  Lindeblad  had  numerous  other  problems  to  solve.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  church  in  1887,  the  faculty  of  Augustana  College 
in  the  adjacent  city  of  Rock  Island  petitioned  for  permission  to  organ- 
ize an  English  Lutheran  congregation  at  the  institution.  The  petition 
being  denied,  the  church  was  nevertheless  established  and  is  known  as 
the  Grace  Lutheran  Church,  with  its  house  of  worship  situated  in  the 
east  end  of  the  city  of  Rock  Island.  In  1890  members  of  the  Moline 
church  who  resided  at  or  near  the  college  and  in  the  neighborhood 
lying  between  the  institution  and  the  church  in  Moline  petitioned  the 
annual  meeting  for  permission  to  organize  a  new  Swedish  Lutheran 
congregation  in  that  same  territory.  This  plan  also  was  realized,  the 
new  congregation,  named  the  Zion  Church,  building  a  small  church 
near  the  boundarv  line  between  the  cities  of  Rock  Island  and  Moline. 


O.  C.  T.  ANDREN 

In  the  spring  of  1892,  two  lots  were  purchased,  one  in  the  east,  another 
in  the  south  part  of  Moline  and  chapels  were  erected  where  regular 
weekly  services  were  conducted  for  the  benefit  of  members  residing 
in  those  localities. 

Rev.  Lindeblad  again  resigned  in  the  spring  of  1892  and  left  the 
charge  Oct.  16th,  following.  Just  one  week  later,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  C.  A.  Hemborg.  The  enlarged  field  and  consequent  increase  of 
work  necessitated  the  engagement  of  theological  students  from  the 
nearby  seminary  to  assist  the  pastor.  The  new  minister  also  had  his 
share  of  extra  work.  Both  the  church  and  the  parsonage  were  ren- 
ovated and  an  addition  was  built  to  one  of  the  chapels.  A  new  par- 
sonage was  purchased  July  1,  1895,  at  a  cost  of  $5.000,  and  in  1899  the 
old  one  was  sold  for  $4,000.  During  Rev.  Hemborg 's  term  of  service 
the  church  records  were  collected  and  properly  arranged  in  an  archive 
by  Mr.  G-.  Lindahl.  The  church  celebrated  its  fiftieth  anniversary  Dec. 
1,  1900,  with  appropriate  festivities  and  in  connection  therewith  pub- 
lished an  attractive  and  interesting  historical  memorial. 

In  1904  Rev.  Hemborg  gave  place  to  Dr.  L.  A.  Johnston  of  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  who  still  remains  in  charge.  At  New  Year's,  1907,  this  church 
had  a  total  of  1,529  members,  1,110  being  communicants.  The  value  of 
the  church  property  is  estimated  at  $55,000. 

Olof  Christian  TelemaH.   Andren 

Rev.  0.  C.  T.  Andren,  although  remaining  only  a  few  years  in  this 
country,  by  his  successful  achievements  earned  an  honorable  place 
among  the  Swedish  Lutheran  pioneers  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  Olof 
Christian  Telemak  Andren  was  born  in  Malmo  Sept.  21,  1824,  the  son 
of  a  merchant  named  Christian  Andersson  and  his  wife  Johanna,  nee 
Malmquist.  After  his  father's  death  in  1828,  his  mother  endeavored 
to  make  a  living  for  herself  and  her  two  children  by  teaching  school, 
By  hard  work  and  great  privations  she  incurred  consumption  and  died 
in  1830,  two  years  after  the  death  of  her  husband. 

A  near  relative  who  had  taken  the  widow  and  her  children  into 
his  home  sent  Olof  to  the  Latin  school  of  Malmo  three  years  later, 
providing  meals  for  him  in  a  number  of  families  in  rotation.  He  con- 
tinued his  studies  under  the  same  arrangement  until  1841  when  he 
entered  the  university  of  Lund.  During  these  eight  years,  he  had  been 
the  laughing-stock  of  the  rich  men's  sons  at  the  school  on  account  of 
his  poverty  and  wretched  appearance.  Mortified  by  their  taunts,  the 
poor  orphan  repeatedly  laid  plans  for  flight,  which  circumstances,  how- 
ever, prevented  him  from  carrying  out. 

Leaving  the  school  in  his  home  city  about  midsummer,  he  went  to 
Lund  and  there  passed  the  collegiate  examination  the  following  spring. 


464 


THE    LUTHERANS 


Not  having  the  means  to  continue  his  studies  at  the  university,  he 
gladly  accepted  a  proffered  position  as  private  tutor  in  the  province  of 
Smaland,  where  he  remained  for  three  years,  meanwhile  preaching  his 
first  sermon  in  the  Hestra  parish  church.  In  the  autumn  of  1845,  he 
returned  to  Lund  entering  upon  his  theological  studies.  Again  he 
faced  a  financial  struggle  during  which  he  often  had  to  go  without  the 
common  necessaries  of  life.  But  his  strenuous  industry  and  unflinching 
energy  carried  him  through,  enabling  him  in  the  short  time  of  two 
years  to  complete  his  courses  and  passing  his  examinations  both  in 
theoretical  and  practical  theology  in  1847,  the  former  in  the  spring, 


Rev.  Olof  Christian  Telemak  Andren 

the  latter  on  Dec.  17th  of  that  year.  On  the  19th  of  the  same  month  he 
was  ordained  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-three,  by  the  venerable 
Bishop  Faxe. 

During  the  first  three  or  four  years  in  the  ministry,  Andren 
served  as  assistant  pastor  under  four  elderly  clergymen.  The  last  was 
Rector  C.  M.  Westdahl  of  Carlshamn,  where  Andren  remained  from 
February,  1851,  to  the  summer  of  1856,  when  he  left  for  America.  At 
Carlshamn  his  spiritual  life  and  experience  attained  to  greater  fullness, 
the  home  of  Rector  Westdahl,  pervaded  as  it  was  by  taste,  tact  and 
refinement,  ennobled  by  Christian  culture,  furnishing  a  splendid  school 
for  a  young  clergyman.  Andren  also  had  an  extensive  field  for  his 
pastoral  labors,  the  charge  comprising,  besides  the  city  of  Carlshamn, 
the  large  parish  of  Asarum. 


THE    MOLINE    CONGREGATION  465 

Oct.  3,  1855,  Andren  through  Dr.  Peter  Fjellstedt  received  a  call 
to  become  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Moline.  After 
much  reflection  and  hesitation,  he  finally  accepted  and  left  for 
America  the  following  summer  with  leave  of  absence  for  six  years. 
On  May  26,  1856,  just  before  emigrating,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mathilda  Pihl,  daughter  of  Henrik  Pihl,  adjunct  pastor  of  Ousby  parish. 
The  couple  traveled  by  way  of  Liibeck  and  Hamburg,  landing  in  New 
York  July  18th  and  reaching  Moline  the  31st.  An  account  of  his  four 
years'  service  there  having  been  given  in  previous  pages,  it  may  be  add- 
ed that  Andren  also  gathered  the  Swedes  of  Geneseo  into  a  small  con- 
gregation of  32  members  who  built  a  church  at  a  cost  of  $1,300. 

On  Aug.  21,  1860,  Rev.  Andren  left  his  charge  in  Moline  never 
to  return.  He  went  back  to  the  old  country,  arriving  in  the  middle  of 
September.  There  he  immediately  set  to  work  soliciting  funds  for  the 
theological  seminary  just  founded  by  the  Swedish  Lutherans  of 
America.  He  made  stirring  appeals  in  Lund,  Stockholm,  Upsala  and 
other  cities,  setting  forth  the  need  of  an  educational  institution  in  so 
convincing  a  manner  that  the  response  came  in  the  form  of  a  fund  of  no 
less  than  36,000  riksdaler.  In  order  to  present  the  matter  to  the  king  in 
person,  he  was  granted  an  audience  before  Charles  XV.  who  listened 
with  favor  to  his  request  and  tendered  as  a  personal  gift  to  the  new 
institution  5,000  volumes  out  of  his  own  private  library,  leaving  the 
choice  of  books  to  Rev.  Andren  himself.  This  liberal  contribution  of 
money  and  books  from  Sweden  was  of  the  greatest  value  to  the  young 
Swedish- American  institution. 

Andren  worked  constantly  in  behalf  of  Augustana  Theological 
Seminary  till  the  fall  of  1861  when  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  Billinge 
and  Rostanga  parishes  in  Skane  to  fill  a  vacancy.  While  there,  Rev. 
Andren  became  involved  in  a  long  and  disagreeable  feud  with  the 
organist,  Nils  Lilja,  doctor  of  philosophy  and  an  author  of  note,  who 
was  finally  discharged  on  the  ground  of  immorality.  Lilja  appealed 
from  the  parish  to  the  Lund  chapter  which  rescinded  the  action  of  the 
congregation  and  reinstated  Dr.  Lilja  in  his  former  position  where  he 
remained  until  his  death. 

After  having  taken  the  pastoral  examination  at  Lund  Jan.  31,  1863, 
Andren  was  elected  minister  of  Asarum,  now  separated  from  Carlshamn 
and  made  a  distinct  pastorate,  taking  charge  in  the  fall  of  1866  and 
laboring  with  signal  success  for  nearly  four  years.  "While  visiting 
typhus  patients  in  several  families  in  May,  1870,  Rev.  Andren  was 
smitten  with  the  disease  and  died  on  the  llth  of  the  following  month. 
His  demise  was  deeply  felt  both  in  Sweden  and  in  this  country,  Rev. 
Andren  having  everywhere  left  the  impression  of  a  faithful,  pious  and 
self-sacrificing  pastor. 


466  THE    LUTHERANS 

The    Immanuel   Church   of  Chicago 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Immanuel  Church  of  Chicago 
had  a  peculiar  origin.  A  small  party  of  emigrants  from  Vestergotland 
arrived  in  Chicago  in  the  summer  of  1852,  and  from  here  they  left  by 
boat  for  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  where  they  were  left  helpless,  finding  no 
one  who  was  able  to  understand  them  and  willing  to  help  them.  Men, 
women  and  children  were  in  hopeless  distress.  They  spent  a  couple  of 
days  among  their  bags  and  baggage  on  the  boat  landing,  and  when  the 
boat  returned  from  Chicago,  they  piled  on  board  again  bound  for  the 
city  whence  they  had  just  come.  Here  they  succeeded  in  obtaining 
lodging  with  certain  Norwegian  families  belonging  to  the  Lutheran 
church  organized  as  early  as  1848,  and  served  by  Eev.  Paul  Andersen. 
Cholera  was  raging  at  this  time,  reaping  its  greatest  harvest  among  the 
newly  arrived  immigrants.  One  night  when  several  members  of  the 
party  were  attacked  by  the  pest,  one  of  the  victims  expressed  a  desire 
to  see  a  Lutheran  minister.  Rev.  Paul  Andersen  was  sent  for  at  once 
and  did  what  he  could  to  cheer  and  comfort  the  sick  and  dying,  as  well 
as  to  speak  words  of  encouragement  to  those  in  good  health  and  giving 
them  advice  and  aid. 

A  firm  and  fast  friendship  was  thus  established  between  these 
strangers  and  the  benevolent  divine,  resulting  in  most  of  them,  includ- 
ing a  few  earnest  Christians,  joining  the  Norwegian  church.  Rev.  An- 
dersen, however,  at  once  began  to  lay  plans  for  the  organizing  of  a 
Swedish  Lutheran  church,  whose  first  members  were  to  be  the  Swedish 
members  of  the  Norwegian  church. 

When  T.  N.  Hasselquist  came  to  this  country  in  October,  1852,  he 
passed  through  Chicago  and  was  the  guest  of  Rev.  Andersen  for  a  few 
days.  When  he  left,  his  host  exacted  a  promise  that  Hasselquist  should 
return  at  his  first  opportunity  to  preach  to  his  fellow  countrymen  here 
and  to  organize  a  church  among  them.  After  having  attended  a  con- 
ference meeting  at  Moline  early  in  January,  1853,  Hasselquist  started 
on  his  way  to  Chicago,  crowded  into  a  stage  coach  packed  with  travel- 
ers. He  now  preached  several  times  to  the  Swedes  in  Rev.  Andersen's 
church,  and  on  Sunday,  Jan.  16th,  he  organized  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Immanuel  Church. 

Eighty  persons  applied  for  membership  at  the  time.  The  plan  was 
to  call  as  pastor  Rev.  J.  P.  Dahlstedt,  of  Hofmantorp,  Vexio  chapter, 
in  Sweden,  but  the  call  was  sent  through  Dr.  P.  Fjellstedt  of  Lund, 
authorizing  him  to  call  another  man  in  the  event  that  Rev.  Dahlstedt, 
whose  health  was  poor,  should  not  see  fit  to  accept.  Dr.  Fjellstedt  was 
obliged  to  extend  the  call  to  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson,  who  had  served  for 
four  years  in  the  chapter  of  Vexio.  After  obtaining  his  passports  from 
the  government,  he  started  on  his  way  to  America  on  the  3rd  day  of 


THE    IMMANUEL   CHURCH  467 

June,  1853,  from  Kalmar,  via  Liibeck,  Hamburg,  Hull  and  Liverpool, 
in  a  company  of  176  emigrants.  The  ship  anchored  in  New  York 
harbor  on  Saturday,  Aug.  13th,  and  the  party  reached  Chicago  on  the 
22nd  of  the  same  month.  Rev.  Carlsson  was  met  at  the  railway  station 
and  was  given  a  cordial  welcome  by  members  of  the  church  he  was  to 
serve.  On  the  following  Sunday,  being  the  14th  after  Trinity  Sunday, 
he  preached  his  first  sermon  to  his  countrymen  in  Chicago. 


The  Immaimel  Church — Edifice  on  Superior  Street 

While  the  joy  over  the  new  pastor  was  intense,  yet  the  outlook  was 
far  from  bright.  Of  the  eighty  people  who  had  joined  the  congregation 
at  the  outset,  there  were  only  thirty-six  left,  including  eight  families 
and  twenty  single  persons.  The  others  had  either  moved  away  from  the 
city  or  joined  other  churches.  Those  remaining  were  all  newcomers 
in  poor  circumstances.  There  was  not  a  family  among  them  capable 
of  housing  the  new  pastor,  who  for  that  reason  was  subjected  to  addi- 
tional discomfort.  In  October,  1853,  the  church  joined  the  Synod  of 
Northern  Illinois  to  which  Paul  Andersen,  L.  P.  Esbjorn  and  T.  N. 
Hasselquist,  with  their  churches,  already  belonged. 


468  THE   LUTHERANS 

The  congregation  held  its  first  annual  business  meeting  Jan.  27, 
1854.  At  the  time  of  the  organization,  no  minutes  had  been  kept,  no 
church  council  elected  and  no  constitution  adopted.  There  was  no 
record  whatever,  beyond  the  mere  list  of  names  of  the  persons  who 
pledged  themselves  as  members.  At  this  meeting,  therefore,  it  was 
decided  to  enter,  first  of  all,  in  the  newly  procured  record-book,  a 
brief  account  of  the  origin  of  the  church.  Also  a  constitution  was 
adopted,  which  afterward  was  used  as  a  model  for  the  constitution 
drawn  up  for  adoption  by  the  congregations  of  the  Augustana  Synod. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  church  was  legally  organized  now  for  the  first 
time,  by  the  election  of  the  following  officers :  deacons,  C.  J.  Anderson, 
John  Nilson  and  Isak  Peterson;  trustees,  Johan  Bjorkholm,  Goran 
Svenson  and  Gisel  Trulson. 

The  same  week  that  Rev.  Carlsson  arrived,  and  before  he  had 
preached  his  first  sermon,  several  leading  members  of  the  church  visited 
him  to  consult  with  regard  to  the  order  of  services.  The  question  was 
very  guardedly  put  whether  he  intended  to  don  the  ecclesiastical  garb 
of  the  Swedish  state  church,  and  when  he  stated  that  to  be  his  purpose 
his  visitors  expressed  great  satisfaction,  explaining  that  because 
neither  Esbjorn  nor  Hasselquist  had  done  so  when  they  appeared  in 
Chicago,  many  had  openly  declared  that  they  were  certainly  no 
Lutheran  clergymen,  and  that  if  they  ever  were  they  had  doubtless 
deserted  Lutheranism  and  its  established  order. 

But  these  men  had  had  their  reasons  for  departing  from  established 
usage.  In  Andover  and  Galesburg,  at  this  time,  certain  groups  of  church 
members  claiming  to  correspond  to  the  so-called  "readers"  of  the  old 
country,  made  much  ado  about  ritualism,  attacking  Esbjorn  and 
Hasselquist  as  being  spiritually  dead,  on  the  ground  that  they  recited 
prayers  out  of  the  churchbook,  and  characterizing  them  as  superstitious 
and  papistical,  believing,  as  was  alleged,  that  the  word  and  the  sacra- 
ments would  not  be  efficacious  without  the  use  of  ecclesiastical  garb. 
For  these  reasons  the  pastors  in  question  deemed  it  a  duty  to  use  their 
liberty  as  Lutherans  in  discarding  both  the  ministerial  garb  and  the 
churchbook.  Rev.  Carlsson,  on  the  contrary,  used  both  when  officiating 
at  high  mass,  as  well  as  at  all  ministerial  acts.  A  couple  of  years  later, 
however,  a  compromise  was  agreed  on,  Rev.  Carlsson  discarding  the 
gown  while  the  other  two  pastors  returned  to  the  use  of  the  church- 
book  and  the  ecclesiastical  neck-piece.  Such  has  since  been  the  custom 
in  the  Augustana  Synod  until  in  recent  years  the  gown  has  been  re- 
adopted  to  a  great  extent  in  the  East,  as  also  by  many  clergymen 
in  the  West. 

The  Immanuel  Church  had  great  financial  and  other  difficulties  to 
contend  with  from  its  inception.  The  year  1854  was  especially  fraught 


THE    IMMANUEL    CHURCH  469 

with  trials  and  terrors  for  this  church  and  for  the  Swedish  immigrants 
in  general.  The  cholera  epidemic  was  then  at  its  height  in  this  country, 
and  the  newcomers  more  than  any  other  class  were  subject  to  its 
ravages.  About  one-tenth  of  the  communicant  members  of  the  church 
died  of  the  pest  and  among  the  children  the  death  rate  was  very  much 
higher.  Next,  the  congregation  was  seriously  affected  by  the  financial 
panic  of  1857.  many  of  its  members  being  compelled  to  leave  the  city  in 
order  to  look  for  employment  elsewhere.  But  common  afflictions 
brought  the  people  closer  together,  and  the  pastor  gladly  shared  the 
poverty  and  sufferings  of  his  flock.  During  the  first  three  years  he  had 
no  fixed  salary,  being  dependent  on  free-will  offerings,  amounting  in 
1854  to  $116,  in  1855  to  $180,  and  in  1856  to  $240,  as  shown  by  the 
records  of  an  annuaf  meeting  held  on  the  "Thirteenth  day  of  Christ- 
mas," 1857,  when  the  salary  was  fixed  at  $350  for  the  coming  year. 
That  year  the  church  numbered  204  communicant  members. 

In  1860,  with  an  adult  membership  of  220,  the  church  entered  upon 
a  new  era  of  its  existence.  The  same  year  the  Augustana  Synod  was 
organized,  and  the  Augustana  Theological  Seminary  was  established 
in  Chicago  and  located  within  the  confines  of  this  church.  These  im- 
portant steps  in  advance  naturally  stimulated  the  people  to  increased 
activity.  The  times  improved.  The  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  caused 
a  great  advance  in  the  prices  of  all  commodities.  In  all  lines  of  em- 
ployment work  became  more  plentiful,  and  as  a  natural  result  immigra- 
tion increased.  All  these  things  tended  to  promote  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  church,  which  in  1865  had  no  less  than  525  com- 
municant members. 

The  church  edifice  which  had  been  purchased  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutherans  in  1854  for  the  sum  of  $1,500,  had  grown  too  small,  although 
enlarged  in  the  latter  year.  Mission  work  was  therefore  begun  on  the 
south  side,  where  services  were  held  every  Sunday  morning  and  one 
evening  a  week,  in  a  schoolhouse  at  21st  st.  and  Arnold  avenue.  In  con- 
nection herewith,  Rev.  Peter  Erikson  was  called  as  assistant  pastor. 
In  1868  the  Salem  Church  was  organized  on  the  south  side.  At  the  time 
the  Immanuel  Church  lost  to  it  a  considerable  number  of  its  members, 
yet  numbered  1,020  communicants.  A  new  church  edifice  was  needed 
and  in  1869  steps  were  taken  to  build  one.  An  imposing  structure  was 
built  at  Sedgwick  and  Hobbie  streets,  at  a  total  cost  of  $34,400.  It  was 
dedicated  Nov.  7th,  that  year,  but  was  not  completed  until  1870.  That 
winter  a  great  revival  took  place,  giving  joy  to  the  heart  of  the  pastor 
and  to  all  faithful  Christians  within  the  church.  But  new  trials  and 
difficulties  were  in  store.  The  great  fire  destroyed  both  church  build- 
ings, and  the  majority  of  the  members  were  made  homeless,  some  being 
reduced  to  penury.  Many  of  them  left  the  city  and  for  a  time  it  looked 


470  THE    LUTHERANS 

as  though  the  congregation  was  to  be  entirely  wiped  out.  But  the  very 
first  Sunday  after  the  fire,  quite  a  number  gathered  for  worship 
in  a  Norwegian  church  on  the  west  side,  and  a  few  days  later  the 
church  authorities  resolved  that  the  church  should  continue  to  exist 
under  its  legal  name,  constitution  and  charter  and  that,  -with  the  help 
of  God,  every  cent  of  its  debt  would  be  paid.  This  was  a  heroic  step, 


The  Immanuel  Church — Second  Edifice 

considering  that  the  debts  amounted  to  $22,600  after  deducting  the 
insurance  received  on  the  old  church  building.  On  the  new  structure 
no  insurance  could  be  collected. 

Not  long  afterward,  the  work  of  clearing  away  the  ruins  of  the 
newly  built  temple  was  begun.  A  large  number  of  members  volun- 
teered to  aid  in  this  work,  women  and  children  vying  with  men  and 
boys.  On  New  Year's  Day,  1872,  the  congregation  at  its  annual  meet- 
ing appointed  a  building  committee  with  authority  to  erect  a  church 
similar  to  the  one  destroyed  in  the  fire.  Work  on  the  new  building  was 
not  to  be  begun  until  at  least  $10,000  had  been  raised.  When  Rev. 
Carlsson  returned  home  after  having  visited  a  number  of  Swedish 


THE    IMMANUEL    CHURCH 


471 


churches  in  the  West  and  both  Swedish  and  other  Lutherans  in  the 
East  for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  funds,  he  brought  back  a  little  more 
than  the  stipulated  amount,  making  it  possible  to  go  ahead  with  the 
work  at  once.  On  Christmas  morning  following,  the  congregation  was 
enabled  to  worship  in  the  basement  of  the  new  church,  fitted  up  as  a 
temporary  meeting  hall.  The  edifice  was  not  completed  until  the 
spring  of  1875.  It  was  dedicated  on  April  4th,  and  on  the  same  day 
Rev.  C.  A.  Evald,  its  new  pastor,  was  inducted  into  office  to  succeed 
Rev.  Carlsson,  who  had  resigned  by  reason  of  ill  health,  after  serving 
the  church  for  a  period  of  22  years.  The  new  church,  with  steeple, 
bells  and  organ  still  lacking,  represented  a  cost  of  $31,845.  At  the 
annual  meeting  that  year  the  church  debt  amounted  to  $21,558.  This 
was  a  pressing  burden  for  a  long  term  of  years,  retarding  progress  and 
weighing  down  the  spirits  of  the  members.  Subscriptions  were  taken 
from  time  to  time  in  an  effort  to  reduce  the  obligation.  At  the  annual 
meeting,  Jan.  1,  1885,  the  trustees  were  pleased  to  report  that  the  last 
remnant  of  the  debt,  amounting  to  $6,700,  together  with  the  interest 
thereon,  being  $534.33,  had  been  paid  off.  To  commemorate  the  joyous 
event,  a  thanksgiving  festival  was  arranged  which  took  place  on  the 
18th  of  January.  Since  that  time  extra  funds  have  been  raised  for  the 
church  from  time  to  time  for  various  purposes,  such  as  renovating, 
erecting  a  steeple  and  providing  it  with  a  clock  and  church  bells,  and 
purchasing  a  new  pipe  organ.  The  steeple  was  built  in  1886  at  a  cost 
of  $2,579 ;  at  the  same  time  a  tower  clock  was  procured  for  $600  and 
three  church  bells  weighing  5,900  Ibs.  and  costing  $1,174.35.  A  new 
pipe  organ  was  installed  in  1892  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $6,000. 

In  1897  the  house  at  218  Sedgwick  street  was  purchased  for  a  par- 
sonage at  a  cost  of  $8,500.  The  basement  of  the  building  was  turned 
into  a  library  and  reading  room  for  the  use  of  the  young  people's 
society.  From  March,  1890,  the  church  has  published  a  monthly  paper, 
named  "Forsamlings-Vannen,"  edited  by  the  pastor. 

This  has  been  a  mission  church  in  more  than  one  sense.  In  the 
course  of  years,  its  leaders  have  begun  Sunday  schools  and  other  forms 
of  mission  work  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  thereby  laying  the  founda- 
tion for  fiew  Swedish  Lutheran  churches.  The  Salem  Church  on  the 
south  side  is  the  first  example.  The  second  in  order  was  the  Gethsemane 
Church  on  the  west  side,  organized  two  years  later,  or  1870.  Several 
other  churches  in  the  city  sustain  the  same  filial  relation  to  the  Im- 
manuel  Church.  Members  who  have  removed  to  other  places  during 
these  fifty  years,  and  they  have  not  been  few,  have  been  taking  an 
active  interest  in  the  organizing  of  churches  wherever  they  have  come, 
and  by  reason  of  their  training  have  become  valuable  members  of  these 
churches. 


472 


THE   LUTHERANS 


From  its  organization  to  the  present  time,  the  church  has  had  only 
two  regular  pastors,  Erland  Carlsson  from  1853  to  1875  and  C.  A.  Evald 
from  that  year  to  the  present  time,  but  the  assistant  pastors  have  been 
not  a  few  and  besides  a  large  number  of  students  have  assisted  in  the 
pulpit  and  in  the  Sunday  and  parochial  schools. 

From  its  earliest  years  the  Immanuel  Church  has  made  great 
sacrifices  for  the  Christian  education  and  training  of  the  young.  Short- 


The  Immanuel  Church — Interior  of  Third  Edifice 

ly  after  Rev.  Carlsson 's  arrival,  a  Christian  school  was  started.  The 
first  teacher  was  Eric  Norelius,  then  a  student  of  the  university  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  later  pastor  of  the  Augustaua  Synod  and  at  present  its 
president.  The  need  of  a  schoolhouse  soon  was  felt,  and  in  1853  funds 
were  gathered  for  the  building,  which  was  finished  shortly.  It  was  a 
two  story  structure,  24  by  32  feet,  only  the  lower  part  being  used  for 
school  purposes,  while  the  upper  story  was  rented  out  to  raise  revenue 
for  the  payment  of  the  debt  on  the  building. 


THE    EMMANUEL    CHURCH 


473 


This  insignificant  little  schoolhouse  attained  historical  importance 
not  only  for  this  church  but  for  the  Augustana  Synod  as  well.  It  was 
the  first  business  office  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Publication  Society. 
The  printing  office  of  "Hemlandet, "  a  paper  then  published  by  that 
association,  was  for  a  time  located  in  the  schoolroom  itself,  the  book- 
store being  located  in  a  room  above.  Moreover,  this  same  building  was 
the  first  home  of  Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary,  the 
principal  institution  of  learning  among  the  Swedish- Americans.  When 
Prof.  Esbjorn  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  1860,  with  seventeen  Scan- 
dinavian Lutheran  students,  left  the  seminary  at  Springfield  and 
came  to  Chicago,  this  schoolhouse  was  placed  at  their  disposal.  The 
lower  story  was  used  as  a  lecture  hall,  while  the  upper  one  was  pressed 
into  service  as  a  dormitory  for  the  students.  The  building  was  used 
thus  for  nearly  three  years,  or  until  the  fall  of  1863  when  the  institution 
was  removed  to  Paxton. 

At  first  the  parochial  school,  conducted  by  some  student,  was  kept 
up  only  in  summer,  and  the  subjects  taught  were  confined  to  religion 
and  the  Swedish  language,  but  during  various  periods  since  1870  other 
branches  have  been  taught,  including  the  English  language,  history 
and  geography,  natural  history  and  music,  necessitating  the  engage- 
ment of  three  or  four  teachers  simultaneously.  Of  late  years,  however, 
the  original  plan  is  followed.  Either  students  from  synodical  institu- 
tions or  other  teachers  have  been  permanently  engaged  and  thousands 
of  Swedish-American  children  have  here  received  their  first  instruction 
in  the  language  and  religion  of  their  fathers. 

The  Sunday  school  of  the  Immanuel  Church  is,  no  doubt,  the  largest 
and  the  best  organized  in  the  Augustana  Synod.  The  latter  attributive 
properly  applies  also  to  the  congregation  as  such.  A  large  number  of 
societies  are  at  work,  each  for  its  specific  purpose,  but  without  losing 
sight  of  their  common  interests  and  those  of  the  church  at  large.  In 
his  great  work,  and  more  particularly  in  this  phase  of  it,  Dr.  Evald  has 
a  most  energetic  and  valuable  assistant  in  his  wife,  Mrs.  Emmy  Evald, 
a  daughter  of  Rev.  Carlsson,  the  first  pastor  of  the  church. 

From  the  16th  to  the  18th  of  January,  1903,  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  the  Immanuel  Church  was  celebrated  with  great  festivity.  At  the 
time  a  comprehensive  and  attractive  historical  memorial  was  published, 
containing,  together  with  a  wealth  of  other  facts  and  data,  the  follow- 
ing totals  for  the  years  1854-1901,  to-wit:  income  and  outlay,  $426,977.- 
21 ;  communicant  members,  51,959  and  total  number  of  members, 
64,680. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1907  the  church  numbered  1,212 
communicants  and  1,971  members  all  told.  The  Sunday  school  had 


474  THE    LUTHERANS 

an  attendance  of  1,469  pupils.     The  property  value,  including  church 
and  parsonage,  was  estimated  at  $60,000. 

Rev.   Erland   Carlsson 

One  of  the  most  noted  clergymen  who  came  over  from  Sweden  to 
take  up  work  in  Illinois  was  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson.  He  was  born  Aug. 
24,  1822,  in  the  village  of  Suletorp,  in  Elghult  parish,  Smaland.  His 
parents,  who  Avere  godfearing  country  folk,  desired  to  give  him  a  good 
Christian  training.  When  the  boy  was  but  ten  years  of  age,  his  father 
died,  throwing  the  whole  responsibility  on  the  shoulders  of  the  mother, 
who  did  as  much  as  any  pious  mother  could  do  for  her  son.  The  thought 
of  becoming  a  minister  arose  early  in  the  mind  of  the  boy,  but  poverty 
placed  what  seemed  insurmountable  obstacles  in  the  way.  After  a 
conversation  with  Sellergren,  a  noted  evangelist,  young  Carlsson 's 
mind  took  a  more  serious  turn  and  he  resolved  to  realize  his  youthful 
ambition,  whatever  the  cost.  At  seventeen  he  began  his  theological 
studies  under  the  direction  of  clergymen  of  the  district,  who  kindly  lent 
their  aid  to  the  earnest  young  seeker  after  knowledge.  The  services 
rendered  by  these  men  were  never  forgotten  by  him.  A  connection 
seems  to  be  traceable  between  these  kind  offices  and  the  readiness 
which  Carlsson  in  after  years  spoke  words  of  encouragement  and 
extended  a  helping  hand  to  young  men  who  sought  his  advice  and  aid. 

In  1843,  Carlsson  went  to  the  university  of  Lund,  completing  his 
collegiate  courses  the  following  spring.  Shortly  thereafter,  Bishop 
Esaias  Tegner  of  Vexio  licensed  him  to  preach,  a  privilege  which  he 
availed  himself  of  during  the  following  summer.  In  the  fall  of  1844, 
he  returned  to  Lund  to  study  for  the  ministry.  He  was  obliged  to  work 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  his  health  failing  and  his  funds 
giving  out.  But  these  difficulties  seemed  to  spur  him  on  to  greater 
exertion,  and  his  courage  never  failed  him.  In  1848,  he  passed  his 
theological  examination  with  high  honors,  but  was  not  ordained  until 
June  10,  1849,  after  having  served  in  the  interval  as  pastor  at  the 
watering  place  of  Ramlosa  and  at  the  Lessebo  paper  mills. 

Of  Carlsson 's  career  in  the  Swedish  state  church  we  know  that  he 
had  the  reputation  of  being  a  gifted  and  earnest  preacher,  the  fruits  of 
whose  labors  soon  became  evident.  His  sermons  were  full  of  power 
and  spirituality  and  this,  together  with  his  simple  and  popular  manner 
of  expounding  the  Scriptures  at  religious  gatherings  and  his  private 
conversations  with  troubled  souls,  had  the  effect  of  attracting  large 
audiences  to  the  little  factory  church.  While  he  was  still  pastor  at 
Lessebo,  there  were  signs  of  spiritual  revival  in  that  and  adjoining 
congregations.  While  this  was  a  source  of  joy  to  the  young  pastor, 
it  aroused  apprehension  in  the  minds  of  the  bishop  and  the  consistory. 


ERLAND   CARLSSON 


475 


The  so-called  Conventicle  Placard  designed  to  arrest  the  free  church 
movement  in  Sweden  was  still  in  force.  All  efforts  at  taking  religion 
seriously  the  authorities  characterized  as  " pietism"  and  fanaticism. 
So  when  Carlsson  sounded  the  alarm  to  those  reposing  in  the  sleep  of 
the  self-righteous,  he  aroused  the  enmity  of  those  who  saw  danger  in 
"too  much  religion." 

But  the  young  pastor,  holding  that  the  prime  object  of  all  preach- 
ing was  the  salvation  of  men's  souls,  was  not  to  be  frightened  by  pro- 
tests. He  continued  to  preach  the  full  gospel  and  the  fire  of  revival 
continued  to  spread.  When  he  also  began  to  lecture  on  temperance, 
the  authorities  decided  that  the  Lessebo  pastor  must  be  made  harmless 
at  any  cost.  They  were  not  particular  about  the  means  to  this  end. 
Although  the  pastorate  at  the  mills  was  a  fixed  position,  the  consistory 
sent  him  from  one  place  to  another.  Carlsson,  with  true  Christian 
meekness,  bowed  to  its  wishes,  and  submitted  to  an  injustice  calculated 
to  injure  him,  but  which,  on  the  contrary,  endeared  him  all  the  more  to 
the  people.  The  unjust  acts  of  the  consistory  also  had  a  great  deal  to 
do  with  his  decision  to  emigrate  in  order  to  preach  the  gospel  to  his 
countrymen  in  the  New  World,  unhampered  by  governmental  re- 
strictions. 

When  Carlsson,  through  the  medium  of  Dr.  Fjellstedt,  received  the 
call  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  Immanuel  Church  in  Chicago,  he  was 
favorably  impressed  with  the  opportunity  therein  implied,  yet  he  was 
not  blind  to  the  difficulties  and  acts  of  self-sacrifice  which  it  would 
impose.  This  was  a  work  in  full  harmony  with  his  innermost  desire, 
and  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  go,  still  he  was  not  over-hasty  in  reaching  a 
decision.  He  received  the  call  to  America  early  in  1853,  and  on  the 
third  of  June  the  same  year,  after  having  obtained  leave  of  absence  for 
six  years,  he  left  Sweden. 

The  Immanuel  Church  in  Carlsson  obtained  just  such  a  pastor  as 
it  needed,  and  his  labors  soon  showed  results.  The  Swedes  of  Chicago 
felt  that  Rev.  Carlsson  had  their  interest  at  heart  and  worked  unselfish- 
ly in  their  behalf.  For  this  reason  they  gathered  about  him  like  sheep 
about  the  shepherd  or  children  around  their  father.  He  not  only 
became  their  pastor  but  also  their  confidential  adviser  on  all  vital 
matters.  His  sound  judgment  and  practical  mind  was  at  first  placed 
at  the  service  of  the  poor  and  often  totally  helpless  newcomers,  later  to 
become  a  useful  factor  in  the  working  out  of  the  plans  and  destinies 
of  the  entire  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States.  From 
the  very  first,  he  became  one  of  the  leaders  and  most  respected  men  in 
the  Swedish  colony  in  Chicago. 

The  call  extended  to  Rev.  Carlsson  also  provided  that  he  should 
have  charge  of  the  congregation  organized  in  Geneva  in  1853.  For  a 


476  THE    LUTHERANS 

number  of  years,  he  served  that  church  too,  but  this  was  not  the  extent 
of  his  field  of  usefulness.  Immigration  in  the  early  fifties  was  very 
large,  and  Swedish  settlements  sprang  up  in  a  number  of  localities 
round  about  Chicago.  Swedes  settled  in  small  groups  in  eastern 
Illinois,  western  Indiana  and  southern  Michigan,  and  to  each  of  these 
settlements  extended  Rev.  Carlsson's  solicitations  for  their  spiritual 
welfare.  He  paved  the  way  for  many  Swedish  Lutheran  churches  in 
these  states  and  saw  a  number  of  them  safely  through  the  storm  and 
stress  of  the  first  few  years.  His  sound  judgment,  practical  wisdom 
and  unflinching  energy  often  were  of  invaluable  service  to  the  new- 
comers in  their  perplexity  and  helplessness.  By  his  sympathetic  per- 
sonality he  won  well-nigh  unbounded  respect  and  confidence. 

The  terrible  experience  of  the  Swedish  immigrants  during  the 
cholera  epidemic  of  1854  form  the  dark  background  which  gives  vivid 
relief  to  the  portrayal  of  Carlsson  as  pastor,  man  and  Christian.  The 
situation  was  appalling;  sickness  and  death  visited  almost  every  home 
and  so  numerous  were  the  victims  of  the  pest  that  it  was  only  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  that  the  bodies  could  be  promptly  interred.  From 
morning  till  night,  Carlsson  would  spend  his  time  with  the  sick,  lending 
aid  and  comfort,  while  his  own  vitality  was  almost  spent,  and  even 
when  he  was  himself  physically  ill.  He  constantly  exposed  himself  to 
the  contagion,  evidently  without  any  thought  of  his  own  safety.  There 
were  those  who  did  not  like  him,  but  none  could  say  that  he  was  afraid 
or  that  he  spared  himself.  Where  there  was  greatest  need  of  help, 
there  you  would  find  the  Swedish  Lutheran  pastor,  giving  aid  and 
succor,  without  distinction  between  friend  and  foe,  members  or  enemies 
of  his  church ;  they  were  all  fellow  mortals  in  distress,  that  was  enough 
for  him. 

In  1855  Carlsson  was  married  to  Miss  Eva  Charlotta  Anderson, 
daughter  of  a  well-known  settler.  From  now  on,  he  had  at  his  side  a 
faithful  helpmeet  who,  in  the  estimation  of  many,  was  the  ideal  of  a 
Lutheran  pastor's  wife.  With  her  arrival  as  the  presiding  spirit  of  the 
parsonage  of  the  Immanuel  Church,  that  became  the  headquarters  of  a 
mission  of  great  importance  to  the  church  and  to  the  Swedish  colony 
of  Chicago  at  large.  The  home  of  Rev.  Carlsson  was,  as  some  one  has 
expressed  it,  "a  miniature  Castle  Garden."  Here  helpless  newcomers 
were  sheltered  and  fed,  however  scarce  the  room  and  however  low  the 
supplies  of  the  larder.  On  Sunday  he  would  preach  to  his  countrymen ; 
on  Monday,  he  had  to  scurry  about  town  trying  to  find  work  for  them ; 
on  Tuesday,  he  would  be  called  upon  to  help  some  one  disentangle  an 
intricate  business  affair;  on  Wednesday,  there  would  be  a  party  of 
immigrants  arriving,  whom  he  had  to  meet  and  assist ;  on  Thursday, 
he  might  be  in  court,  acting  as  the  interpreter  of  some  newcomer  in 


ERLAND    CARLSSON 


477 


trouble ;  on  Friday,  people  might  call  on  him  to  act  as  private  secretary, 
with  the  duty  of  reading  and  writing  their  letters,  and  on  Saturday 
there  would  generally  be  any  amount  of  similar  private  commissions 
for  him  to  perform.  This  strenuous  work  was  appreciated  by  many, 
while  others  gave  him  no  thanks  for  his  endeavors.  The  discomforts 
and  privations  the  Carlssons  brought  upon  themselves  in  their  efforts 
to  assist  others  were  often  made  light  of,  and  Rev.  Carlsson  was  not 


Rev.  Erland  Carlsson 

spared  the  grief  of  seeing  many  whom  he  had  rendered  valuable 
services  afterward  turning  against  him  in  bitter  enmity. 

To  recount  the  labors  of  Rev.  Carlsson  in  Chicago  at  this  period 
would  be  to  repeat  the  history  of  the  Immanuel  Church,  for  he  was 
the  moving  spirit  in  every  enterprise  in  the  church  and  to  his  splendid 
leadership  and  capacity  for  organization  is  due  in  great  measure  the 
credit  for  everything  then  accomplished  by  that  church. 

Having  lent  his  best  efforts  to  the  work  of  restoration  after  the 


478  THE   LUTHERANS 

destruction  and  disintegration  caused  by  the  Chicago  fire,  Kev.  Carls- 
son  did  not  long  remain  in  charge  of  the  Immanuel  Church.  In  1875 
he  received  and  accepted  a  call  to  Andover,  to  take  the  place  of  Rev. 
Jonas  Swensson,  deceased,  as  pastor  of  that  church.  Carlsson  left  the 
Immanuel  Church,  not  from  choice,  but  because  he  hoped  that  the 
quiet  country  would  afford  him  that  rest  for  mind  and  body  which  was 
not  to  be  had  in  the  turbulent  metropolis.  In  leaving  Chicago,  however, 
he  did  not  cease  to  follow  the  work  there  with  great  interest.  When 
Carlsson  came  to  Chicago,  the  Immanuel  Church  consisted  of  a  hand- 
ful of  poor  immigrants,  but  when  he  left,  after  laboring  there  for 
twenty-two  years,  it  was  the  largest  congregation  in  the  synod. 

From  1875  to  1887,  Carlsson  served  as  pastor  of  the  Andover 
church.  He  obtained  the  desired  rest  in  this  respect  that  he  was  no 
longer  required  to  have  charge  of  missions  and  organize  new  congrega- 
tions, but  could  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  upbuilding  of  his  own 
congregation.  The  pastoral  duties,  so  dear  to  his  heart,  he  was  now  left 
to  perform  without  having  other  work  constantly  interposed,  but  a 
pastorate  of  the  size  of  Andover  does  not  afford  rest  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  term.  Besides,  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the  general 
affairs  of  the  church  at  all  times.  He  was  president  of  the  Illinois 
Conference  up  to  1882,  and  in  1881  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
Augustana  Synod,  serving  until  1887.  Membership  in  a  number  of 
committees  imposed  on  him  many  extra  duties.  Under  the  burden  of 
all  this  work,  Carlsson 's  health  began  to  fail.  In  1884  he  had  an  attack 
of  apoplexy  which  made  it  difficult  for  him  to  attend  to  his  ministerial 
duties.  Nevertheless,  he  continued  his  pastoral  work  until  June,  1887. 
when  he  removed  to  Rock  Island,  having  accepted  the  position  of 
business  manager  of  Augustana  .College  and  Theological  Seminary. 

This  office,  far  from  lightening  his  burden,  added  new  cares  and 
responsibilities.  Industrious,  energetic  and  practical  as  he  was,  he  still 
found  himself  unequal  to  the  task.  His  health  steadily  failed  and  soon 
it  was  apparent  to  him  that  he  could  not  long  hold  out  in  the  service 
of  the  institution  he  so  dearly  loved  and  in  the  upbuilding  of  which  he 
had  always  taken  an  active  part. 

At  the  advice  of  his  physician  to  seek  a  milder  climate,  Carlsson 
removed  to  Kansas,  purchasing  a  large  farm  near  Lindsborg  and  build- 
ing for  himself  a  comfortable  home  which  he  named  Rostad,  after  a 
cherished  place  in  his  fatherland.  Here,  together  with  his  loving  wife, 
he  spent  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  surrounded  by  relatives  and 
friends. 

To  know  Rev.  Carlsson  was  to  love  and  esteem  him.  For  the  young 
people  in  particular  he  had  a  peculiar  attraction.  Socially,  he  was  free 
and  natural,  and  a  fine  conversationalist.  That  his  independence  was 


ERLAND    CARLSSON 


479 


distasteful  to  some  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  He  was  deferent  to  others, 
but  not  in  matters  of  principle ;  from  what  he  held  to  be  right,  he  was 
never  known  to  deviate  a  hair's-breadth.  His  whole-souled  Christianity 
impressed  everyone  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  But  to  ascribe  to 
him  a  perfection  which  was  not  his  would  not  be  honoring  his  memory. 
He  had  his  faults,  which  he  could  not  conceal  and  which  we  cannot  here 
overlook.  Among  these  was  a  hot  and  excitable  temper  which  would 
often  get  the  better  of  his  judgment  in  the  course  of  public  delibera- 
tions. He  was  himself  fully  conscious  of  his  shortcoming,  which  caused 
him  the  keenest  regret,  and  he  was  not  too  proud  to  apologize  to  any 
one  whom  he  felt  guilty  of  having  done  an  injustice  or  injury. 

His  sympathetic  personality  and  vivid  presentation  made  him  a 
truly  popular  preacher.  He  did  not  overlook  the  essential  requirement 
of  thorough  preparation.  His  sermons  were  logical  and  to  the  point. 
He  laid  much  stress  on  the  form  of  the  sermon  but  not  at  the  expense  of 
the  contents.  He  always  appeared  with  a  dignity  becoming  a  minister 
of  the  church  of  God. 

In  1892  the  directors  of  Augustana  College  and  Theological  Sem- 
inary conferred  upon  Carlsson  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  in  well- 
deserved  recognition  of  his  theological  learning  as  well  as  of  his  long 
and  tireless  work  toward  the  upbuilding  of  that  institution  of  learning 
and  of  the  Augustana  Synod  as  a  whole. 

Carlsson  was  an  energetic  promoter  of  every  branch  of  benevolent 
work.  "While  in  Andover  he  was  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  the 
orphanage  at  that  place.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Augustana  Hospital  of  Chicago  and  was  intensely  interested  in  the 
development  of  that  institution. 

To  the  very  last  he  labored  in  the  interest  of  the  home  mission 
work.  On  a  visit  to  Sister  Bay,  Wis.,  where  he  had  a  relative  living, 
his  real  purpose  was  to  seek  health  and  rest  in  its  invigorating  northern 
climate,  but  he  could  not  refrain  from  preaching  the  gospel  to  the 
Swedish  settlers  there,  and  thus  it  happened  that  his  last  sermon  was 
preached  in  that  locality.  A  slight  apoplectic  attack  soon  compelled 
his  return  to  Chicago,  to  the  home  of  his  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mrs. 
and  Dr.  C.  A.  Evald.  A  second  attack  followed  shortly  after  his  return, 
and  on  the  19th  of  October,  1893,  Erland  Carlsson  peacefully  passed 
away,  with  his  wife,  children  and  grand-children  at  his  bedside. 

On  the  25th  of  the  same  month,  after  impressive  funeral  services  in 
the  Immanuel  Church,  where  Carlsson  had  preached  for  more  than  a 
score  of  years,  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Graceland  cemetery, 
where  a  fine  monument,  erected  by  the  Immanuel  congregation,  marks 
the  resting-place  of  this  eminent  pioneer. 


480  THE    LUTHERANS 

The    Swedish.   Lutherans   of  Geneva 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  first  week  of  January,  1853,  by 
Kev.  Hasselquist  and  the  Norwegian  clergyman,  Eev.  Paul  Andersen,  of 
Chicago.  Its  membership,  starting  with  forty,  rapidly  increased  with 
the  arrival  of  new  immigrants.  The  organization  did  not  take  place  in 
Geneva,  but  in  the  neighboring  settlement  of  St.  Charles,  where  the 
Swedes  were  more  numerous.  In  the  fall  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  arrived 
from  the  old  country,  taking  charge  of  this  congregation,  together 
with  that  in  Chicago,  and  making  regular  visits  to  St.  Charles  the  first 
Sunday  of  each  month. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  the  little  church  mentioned  in  the 
sketch  of  the  St.  Charles  congregation,  which  was  erected  in  1852,  at 
the  initiative  of  the  adventurous  Nils  Jansson.  For  two  reasons  the 
Geneva  people,  however,  soon  determined  to  provide  their  own  church 
edifice.  One  was  that  the  church  at  St.  Charles  was  too  small  to  accom- 
modate the  people,  so  that  in  the  summer  of  1854  ar  large  part  of  the 
audience  had  to  remain  outside  of  the  church  during  Sunday  morning 
services.  The  second  reason  was  a  more  peculiar  one.  There  was  a 
debt  of  $150  on  the  church  building,  for  which  the  trustees  had  given  a 
note  with  the  proviso  that  receipts  for  all  work  and  building  material 
were  to  be  submitted,  together  with  a  deed  to  the  lot,  before  the  money 
would  be  paid.  This  was  never  done.  The  trustees  refused  to  pay  the 
debt  until  the  conditions  should  be  fulfilled.  On  the  other  hand  the 
creditor  was  unable  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  agreement  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  lot  on  which  the  church  was  built  had  been  sold 
to  a  railway  company. 

In  the  meantime  the  Swedes  in  Geneva  had  materially  increased 
in  number.  This  fact,  together  with  the  tangle  regarding  the  St. 
Charles  church  property,  gave  added  impetus  to  the  movement  toward 
the  erection  of  a  church  in  the  first  named  place.  In  the  center  of  the 
village  stood  a  large  stone  building  begun  five  years  before,  intended 
for  a  hotel,  but  never  completed.  It  occurred  to  the  church  members 
that  this  might  easily  be  altered  so  as  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  church 
edifice.  After  having  looked  over  the  structure  and  ascertained  that  it 
was  for  sale  together  with  the  surrounding  premises,  comprising  one 
entire  block,  the  Swedish  Lutherans  of  Geneva  and  St.  Charles,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  St.  Charles  Nov.  22,  1854,  resolved  to  purchase  the 
property  at  a  price  not  exceeding  $2,000  and  reconstruct  the  building 
for  their  purpose.  The  church  members,  no  matter  in  which  place  they 
lived,  all  pledged  themselves  to  do  their  utmost  to  raise  the  money, 
promising,  as  a  rule,  to  contribute  one  month's  wages.  A  subscription 
was  started  at  once  and  during  the  evening  a  total  of  $400  was  pledged. 
Later  it  reached  the  final  amount  of  $1,200.  Two  days  after  the  meet- 


GENEVA  481 

ing,  the  bargain  was  made  and  work  was  at  once  begun.  In  the  latter 
part  of  December,  the  building  was  under  cover  and  so  far  completed 
that  services  could  be  held  there.  The  edifice  was  36  by  47  feet  and 
18  feet  in  height.  There  were  thirty  benches  on  the  main  floor,  which 
with  the  gallery  seated  300  people.  On  Sunday,  the  llth  of  May,  1856, 
the  church  was  dedicated,  having  been  finished  at  a  total  outlay  of 
$1,420.  This  amount,  together  with  the  purchase  price  and  interest, 
ran  the  total  expenditure  on  the  property  up  to  $3,540.  At  the  time  of 
the  dedication  an  even  $1,000  remained  unpaid. 

After  the  St.  Charles  church  had  been  lost  in  a  litigation  the 
members  worshiped  with  their  brethren  in  Geneva,  belonging  to  that 
congregation  until  1882  when  they  organized  a  church  of  their  own. 

As  early  as  1857,  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  found  his  field  too  exten- 
sive and  accordingly  engaged  assistants  for  the  work  in  Geneva. 
Several  pastors,  including  A.  Andreen,  E.  Norelius  and  G.  Peters,  took 
turns  with  him  in  preaching  there.  When  no  pastor  was  to  be  had,  the 
services  were  conducted  by  Deacons  Karl  Samuelsson  or  P.  .Carlsson. 
Rev.  Carlsson,  however,  had  pastoral  charge  of  the  congregation  until 
August,  1863.  During  the  first  decade  of  its  existence,  the  church 
prospered  greatly  both  spiritually  and  materially.  It  had  its  finances 
so  well  in  hand  that  at  the  tenth  anniversary  the  debt  amounted  to 
only  $40. 

The  second  pastor  of  this  church  was  Rev.  P.  A.  Cederstam,  who 
took  charge  Aug.  3,  1863,  meanwhile  serving  the  DeKalb  church  by 
preaching  there  every  third  Sunday.  Rev.  Cederstam  aroused  the 
congregation  to  great  activity  during  the  short  period  of  three  years 
that  he  was  permitted  to  serve.  Broken  down  in  health,  he  resigned 
July  16,  1866,  when  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  again  took  charge  of  the 
pastorate. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1869,  Rev.  C.  O.  Lindell  succeeded  to 
this  charge.  During  Cederstam 's  time,  mission  work  had  been  begun 
in  Aurora,  and  at  the  next  annual  meeting  the  members  living  there 
asked  permission  to  withdraw  and  organize  a  distinct  church.  Their 
request  was  granted,  but  for  some  time  both  congregations  were  served 
by  the  pastor  in  Geneva.  Rev.  Lindell  resigned  his  post  in  January,  1875. 

The  following  March  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  C.  H.  Sodergren, 
who  accepted  and  labored  in  Geneva  for  nine  years,  or  until  1884.  In 
1879  the  congregation  celebrated  its  25th  anniversary,  when  the 
speakers  were  the  founder  and  the  subsequent  pastors  of  the  church. 
It  was  during  Rev.  Sodergren 's  time  that  the  members  in  St.  Charles 
withdrew  and.  in  January,  1882.  organized  themselves  as  a  separate 
congregation.  Thereby  the  membership  of  Sodergren 's  church  was 
materially  decreased,  carrying  with  it  a  reduction  of  his  salary  from 


482 


THE    LUTHERANS 


$800  to  $500.    In  spite  of  its  reduced  circumstances,  the  congregation 
incurred  a  heavy  expense  for  new  church  furniture  and  repairs. 

After  Rev.  Sodergren's  removal  to  Bertrand,  Neb.,  in  1884,  the 
pastorate  was  left  vacant  for  one  year.  Nov.  9, 1886,  the  St.  Charles  and 
Geneva  churches  agreed  to  call  Rev.  C.  E.  Cesander  as  their  common 


The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Geneva 

pastor,  whose  time  was  to  be  equally  divided  between  them.  The  year 
after,  a  new  organ  was  purchased,  and  in  1893  it  was  resolved  to  build 
a  new  church,  $2,000  being  subscribed  for  the  purpose.  The  enterprise 
was  postponed,  however,  owing  partly  to  several  disasters  in  Geneva 
but  principally  to  the  financial  panic  of  1893  and  successive  years. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Axelson  in  September,  1895.  Dur- 
ing the  intervening  vacancy,  a  comfortable  parsonage  was  erected  on 
the  church  lot  at  a  cost  of  $1,894.  Rev.  Sodergren  and  Cesander  had 
lived  in  a  parsonage  situated  halfway  between  the  two  cities  and  owned 
by  the  pastors  themselves.  After  serving  the  church  for  four  years, 
Rev.  Axelson  resigned  and  soon  afterward  returned  to  Sweden. 


KNOXVILLE  483 

In  August,  1899,  the  congregation  called  Rev.  Carl  Christenson  of 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  who  took  up  his  duties  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  year. 
In  March  of  that  year  the  congregation  resolved  to  build  a  new  church, 
to  cost  $9,000,  the  work  to  begin  as  soon  as  $6,000  had  been  subscribed. 
In  June,  the  bid  of  C.  A.  Anderson,  of  St.  Charles,  to  erect  the  structure 
for  the  sum  of  $10,837,  was  accepted,  and  on  Sept.  9th,  the  cornerstone 
was  laid.  Services  were  held  in  the  new  edifice  for  the  first  time  on 
the  first  Sunday  of  the  year  1901,  but  the  formal  dedication  did  not 
take  place  until  March  24th.  This  temple  is  built  in  the  Gothic  style, 
the  material  being  stone  for  the  basement  and  pressed  brick  for  the 
superstructure.  Its  dimensions  are :  length,  94  feet ;  width,  40  and  49 
feet ;  height  of  steeple,  117  feet.  The  interior  finish  is  in  oak  through- 
out. It  has  an  organ  worth  $1,400,  placed  to  one  side  of  the  chancel. 
The  total  cost  of  the  church,  completely  furnished,  exclusive  of  the 
organ,  was  $13,866. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  church  was  celebrated  on  the  fifth, 
sixth  and  seventh  of  June,  1903,  a  historical  memorial  being  published 
in  connection  therewith.  Rev.  Christenson  left  in  1905,  and  his  suc- 
cessor is  Rev.  F.  A.  Linder,  president  of  the  Illinois  Conference  for 
several  years  past.  At  New  Year's,  1907,  the  congregation  numbered 
332  communicants  and  559  members  all  told.  Its  property  was  valued 
at  $20,000. 

The    Knoxville   Church 

This  congregation  also  was  organized  by  Rev.  Hasselquist,  in  the 
year  1853.  The  founder  was  its  pastor  up  to  1863,  simultaneously  with 
his  pastorate  in  Galesburg,  the  church  afterward  receiving  it  own 
minister. 

A  small  frame  church  was  built  in  1854  and  dedicated  Dec.  2nd,  the 
following  year,  while  still  unfinished.  The  Americans  in  Knoxville  had 
lent  some  aid  toward  its  erection,  but  the  bulk  of  the  expense  fell  on 
the  impecunious  members  themselves,  who  scraped  together  the  needed 
funds  in  various  ways,  ending  by  a  voluntary  assessment  of  one  dollar 
for  each  hundred  dollars  worth  of  property,  the  valuation  to  be  made 
by  the  owner.  The  little  church,  which  they  considered  light  and  lofty, 
cost  about  $1,700,  of  which  sum  $800  had  been  paid. 

The  church  in  1860  numbered  173  communicants  and  its  current 
annual  expenses  amounted  to  $250.  In  after  years  the  congregation 
has  had  but  a  modest  growth,  the  Swedes  in  this  locality  not  being  very 
numerous.  At  the  beginning  of  1907,  the  membership  had  reached  285, 
of  whom  183  were  communicants.  Its  church  property,  including  church 
building,  parsonage  and  the  lots  appertaining,  was  valued  at  $5,000. 

There  lived  in  Knoxville  from  1852  to  1855  a  blacksmith  bv  the 


484  THE   LUTHERANS 

name  of  Hakan  Olson  who,  in  view  of  the  lack  of  clergymen,  was  in- 
duced by  Rev.  Hasselquist  to  study  for  the  ministry.  He  was  ordained  in 
June  1860,  when  the  Augustana  Synod  was  organized,  and  labored  in 
the  ministry  for  more  than  forty  years,  including  ten  years  in  Illinois. 
Rev.  Hakan  Olson  died  in  Port  Wing,  Wis.,  June  1,  1904. 

Another  of  the  laymen  of  the  Knoxville  church  during  the  fifties 
who  entered  the  ministry  at  the  instance  of  Rev.  Hasselquist,  was  a 
farmer  named  Johannes  Jonsson,  afterwards  known  as  John  Johnson, 
who  became  minister  of  the  churches  in  Moline  and  in  Princeton. 

The   First   Lutheran   CKurch  of  RocKford 

Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  of  Chicago  in  October,  1853,  visited  Rockford 
for  the  first  time,  forming  the  acquaintance  of  its  Swedish  settlers.  To 
them  his  visit  suggested  the  need  of  a  Swedish  Lutheran  minister,  and 
they  accordingly  sent  a  delegate  to  the  united  Chicago  and  Mississippi 
conferences,  which  met  in  Chicago  Jan.  4-9,  1854,  to  present  a  request 
for  a  pastor.  The  conference  replied  that  as  Rev.  Carlsson  would  again 
visit  Rockford  on  the  following  Sunday  all  Swedes  and  Norwegians  in 
and  around  the  city  ought  to  meet  then  and  advise  with  him  as  to  the 
organization  of  a  church. 

In  accordance  herewith,  Rev.  Carlsson  came  to  Rockford  Sunday, 
Jan.  15th,  and,  after  conducting  divine  services  and  administering  the 
Holy  Communion,  organized  a  congregation  under  the  name  of  the 
Scandinavian  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Rockford.  Those  join- 
ing at  the  time  were  77  in  number,  including  32  children.  The  first 
deacons  were  Jonas  Larsson  and  Johan  Pettersson  and  the  first  trustees 
Johan  Lundbeck  and  Josef  Lindgren.  Rev.  Carlsson  and  his  assistant 
A.  Andreen  subsequently  visited  the  congregation  four  Sundays  every 
year  and  the  first  Monday  of  each  month. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1855,  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  church 
was  held,  when  the  accounts  submitted  showed  a  total  income  of  $10.49 
and  a  total  expenditure  of  $4.56.  These  modest  figures,  however,  did 
not  include  the  amount  paid  out  to  the  pastors,  which  was  raised  by 
subscription  and  by  occasional  collections. 

A  special  business  meeting  was  held  June  30,  1855,  to  devise  ways 
and  means  of  procuring  a  house  of  worship,  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
Swedish  population  and  their  affiliation  with  the  church  making  such 
a  step  imperative.  It  was  decided  to  start  a  subscription  and  solicit 
funds  among  both  Swedes  and  Americans  for  the  purchase  of  a  lot  to 
build  on,  it  being  pointed  out  that  the  longer  the  delay,  the  higher  the 
price.  By  the  end  of  July  Andreen,  who  seems  to  have  had  charge  of  the 
soliciting,  had  $300  subscribed  by  Swedes  and  $700  by  Americans.  In 
the  meantime  a  committee  composed  of  two  men.  John  Larsson  and 


ROCKFORD  485 

John  Nelson,  had  purchased  a  lot  at  the  corner  of  North  First  and  Rock 
streets  for  the  sum  of  $325,  this  transaction  being  ratified  by  the  con- 
gregation Aug.  20th.  The  contract  for  building  the  church  was  let 
Sept.  12th  to  Lars  Gronlund  and  G.  P.  Johnson  for  $725.  The  plans  had 
been  prepared  under  Rev.  Carlsson's  supervision  and  the  contract 
specified  that  the  building  was  to  be  completed  by  Dec.  1st;  but  only 
the  basement  was  ready  when  the  time  expired. 

In  the  spring  of  1855,Andreen  obtained  ad  interim  license  to  preach 
and  perform  ministerial  acts,  but  spent  the  following  fall  and  spring  at 
the  seminary  at  Springfield.  During  vacation  he  assisted  Rev.  Carlsson 
and  often  preached  to  his  countrymen  in  Rockford.  Oct.  10th  he  was 
called  as  regular  pastor  of  that  church,  but  was  not  ordained  until 
Sept.  12,  1856,  having  removed  to  Rockford  and  taken  charge  the 
month  before. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  pastor,  the  work  of  completing  the 
church  building  progressed  so  that  the  edifice  was  finished  in  the  fall 
and  could  be  dedicated  Nov.  23rd,  Rev.  T.  N.  Hasselquist  officiating. 
It  was  a  frame  building,  45  by  28  feet  and  28  feet  high.  In  the  basement 
was  a  schoolroom  extending  half  the  length  of  the  structure.  The 
interior  was  neatly  painted  and  the  aisles  were  laid  with  carpets,  a 
luxury  not  common  in  the  early  Swedish-American  churches.  The 
edifice,  which  had  a  capacity  of  300,  was  in  use  until  the  early  part  of 
1870,  when  a  new  brick  structure  was  ready  for  occupancy. 

A  parsonage  was  simultaneously  erected,  Rev.  Andreen  having 
made  an  agreement  with  the  congregation  by  which  he  was  to  build  a 
house  on  a  part  of  the  church  lot,  which  the  church  would  buy  on  the  in- 
stallment plan  at  actual  cost,  or  else  sell  to  him  the  ground  it  occupied. 
In  1856  a  parochial  school  was  opened,  with  instruction  in  the 
Swedish  language  and  Christianity.  Magnus  Munter  was  the  first 
schoolmaster  here  as  in  Geneva.  This  parochial  school  has  been  kept 
up  ever  since.  Sunday  school  was  also  begun  in  the  early  years  of  the 
church.  Nov.  4,  1858,  the  name  of  the  church  was  changed  by  the 
substitution  of  the  word  "Swedish"  for  "Scandinavian,"  its  member- 
ship now  being  exclusively  Swedish.  In  May,  1860,  it  was  resolved  to 
withdraw  from  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  and,  together  with  other 
Swedish  Lutheran  churches,  form  the  Augustana  Synod.  Harmony  and 
unanimity  reigned  and  the  congregation  contributed  much  to  mission 
work,  temperance  work,  the  synodical  school  and  other  Christian 
endeavor. 

Rev.  Andreen  at  first  had  a  salary  of  $150  and  two  free-will  offer- 
ings a  year.  Not  until  1859  was  this  amount  increased,  and  then  by  only 
$50.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  I860,  no  salary  was  fixed  but  instead  a 
subscription  was  to  be  taken,  the  pastor  to  receive  the  whole  amount 


486  THE    LUTHERANS 

raised,  whether  more  or  less  than  $200.  The  membership  was  213,  122 
being  communicants,  and  the  current  expenses  for  the  year  1859 
amounted  to  $300. 

Aside  from  his  arduous  work  in  Rockford,  Andreen  found  time  to 
serve  the  congregation  in  the  neighboring  settlement  of  Pecatonica. 
There  he  organized  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church  in  1857,  which  built  a 
little  frame  church,  36  by  24  feet,  the  same  year,  at  a  cost  of  $600.  It 
was  dedicated  Oct.  llth.  For  a  number  of  years  this  church  continued 
a  part  of  the  Rockford  pastorate. 

Laboring  under  great  difficulties,  Rev.  Andreen  nevertheless  per- 
formed telling  work  in  Rockford.  Under  his  guidance  the  church  made 
sure,  if  slow,  progress  and  was  given  an  orthodox  training  which  proved 
a  safe  and.  sound  foundation  for  future  upbuilding. 

He  was  not  long  to  remain  in  Rockford,  however.  In  1860  he  left 
the  charge,  removing  to  Attica,  Ind. ,  Jan.  3,  1861,  the  church  held  a 
meeting  for  the  election  of  a  new  pastor,  the  candidates  being  Revs. 
G.  Peters,  J.  F.  Duwell  and  A.  W.  Dahlsten,  a  student.  Twice  Peters 
and  Dahlsten  received  almost  the  same  number  of  votes  and  when  the 
election  was  decided  by  the  drawing  of  lots,  the  choice  fell  on  Dahlsten. 
His  salary  was  fixed  at  $250.  During  the  three  years  he  served  the 
church,  work  progressed  quietly  and  in  the  right  direction.  The 
economic  condition  of  the  church  improved  year  by  year.  Toward  the 
close  of  1863,  Rev.  Dahlsten  removed  to  Galesburg,  necessitating  the 
calling  of  a  pastor  for  the  third  time. 

At  the  special  meeting  held  for  this  purpose,  Rev.  Peters  was 
called.  This  event  inaugurated  the  most  important  period  in  the  first 
half  century  of  this  church.  Rev.  Peters  was  destined  to  do  the 
principal  work  of  his  life  in  the  capacity  of  pastor  of  this  congregation. 
Seldom  is  any  pastor  permitted  to  remain  so  long  as  he,  or  almost  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  at  the  head  of  any  one  church,  leading  it  through 
so  many  changes  and  vicissitudes,  yet  ever  on  from  one  triumph  to 
another.  Rev.  Peters  had  the  joy  of  seeing  his  church  grow  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  Augustana  Synod. 

At  the  church  meeting  held  upon  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Peters  on 
Jan.  1,  1864,  many  important  questions  were  up  for  discussion.  Among 
other  things,  it  was  decided  to  purchase  from  Rev.  Andreen  the  parson- 
age erected  by  him,  $318  being  immediately  subscribed  for  that  pur- 
pose. In  March  the  house  was  bought  for  the  sum  of  $725  cash,  several 
church  members  advancing  the  difference. 

At  the  annual  business  meeting  in  1865  the  trustees  submitted  a 
very  encouraging  report,  showing  receipts  amounting  to  $2,000  for  the 
past  year,  a  handsome  result  for  those  days.  The  audiences  at  divine 
services  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the  church  and  a  remedy  had 


ROCKFORD 


487 


been  sought  in  an  addition  to  the  gallery.  Nevertheless,  it  was  plain 
that  the  old  church  soon  would  have  to  be  abandoned  by  the  rapidly 
growing  congregation  and  on  that  account  it  was  decided  to  proceed 
with  the  work  of  raising  a  church  building  fund  for  future  needs. 

At  the  annual  meeting  two  years  later  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  solicit  subscriptions  for  a  new  edifice.  Later  a  building  committee  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  four  persons,  who  on  Feb.  22,  1869,  proposed 
plans  for  a  church  edifice  seating  600  persons  and  costing  $9,500.  The 
dimensions  were  85  by  55  feet.  A  couple  of  church  members  had  on  their 
own  responsibility  bought  two  desirable  lots  which  they  now  tendered 
to  the  congregation.  The  cornerstone  was  laid  Aug.  28,  1868,  and  the 
work  was  pushed  to  completion  with  such  vigor  that  early  mass  could 
be  celebrated  in  the  new  temple  on  Christmas  morning,  1869.  On  New 
Year's  day,  1870,  it  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  T.  N.  Hasselquist,  president 
of  the  Augustana  Synod.  Although  very  heavy  expenditures  had  been 
incurred,  there  was  a  debt  of  only  $5,502.  In  1873  a  subscription 
toward  paying  off  the  debt  was  taken,  amounting  to  $3,085. 

The  following  year  the  balance  of  the  debt  was  lifted.  The  con- 
gregation now  numbered  720  -communicants  and  1,240  members  in  all, 
the  result  of  only  twenty  years  of  labor,  and  to  all  appearances  the 
future  promised  unimpeded  progress.  But  in  1877  an  interruption 
seemed  imminent.  From  seemingly  trifling  causes  arose  dissensions 
which  grew  so  serious  as  to  theaten  the  church  with  disruption.  But 
just  then  something  happened  which  left  a  lasting  impression  in  the 
minds  of  the  members.  On  all  sides  they  stood  prepared  for  strife  and 
were  only  awaiting  the  moment  when  the  storm  should  break.  But  the 
storm  did  not  come.  Instead  there  came  a  gentle  breeze  in  the  form  of 
a  spiritual  revival  before  which  the  storm-clouds  soon  disappeared. 
Rather  than  judge  one  another,  the  members  now  began  to  bring  them- 
selves to  trial.  For  a  period  of  two  months  meetings  were  held  in  the 
church  daily,  all  crowding  the  edifice  to  the  doors. 

Having  received  this  added  impetus  to  further  growth,  the  church 
returned  to  normal  conditions  and  uniform  progress.  On  Jan.  15,  1879, 
it  celebrated  its  twenty-fifth  anniversary,  when  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson. 
the  founder  of  the  church,  was  present  and  preached  an  impressive 
sermon.  Not  long  afterward,  it  began  to  appear  that  the  church  edifice, 
although  but  ten  years  old,  was  inadequate  to  hold  the  crowds  that 
came  there  to  worship.  In  1881  a  committee  was  appointed  to  devise 
a  remedy  and  the  next  year  it  was  decided  that  the  only  way  was  to 
build  a  new  church.  A  great  deal  of  preliminary  work  was  done  that 
year,  no  less  than  nine  general  business  meetings  and  thirty-seven 
council  and  committee  meetings  being  held.  Much  discussion  and 
investigation  finally  led  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  impracticable 


488 


THE   LUTHERANS 


to  enlarge  the  old  edifice,  and  after  all  efforts  to  satisfy  everybody  had 
failed,  it  was  resolved  at  a  general  church  meeting  Jan.  31,  1883,  to 
erect  a  new  edifice  on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  The  dimensions  of  the  new 
house  of  worship  were  to  be  80  by  126  feet,  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
1,950.  The  last  services  in  the  old  sanctuary  took  place  on  Midsummer 
day.  In  two  weeks  from  that  day  it  was  torn  down,  and  on  the  17th 
of  July  work  was  begun  on  the  new  structure.  The  cornerstone  was 
laid  Aug.  21st,  by  Rev.  J.  Wikstrand,  then  president  of  the  Illinois 
Conference. 


The  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Rockford 


On  Aug.  27th,  less  than  a  week  after  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone, 
the  malcontents  withdrew  from  the  church  and  organized  a  new  con- 
gregation, styled  the  Zion  Swedish  Lutheran  Church.  In  time  the  old 
differences  were  forgotten  and  cordial  relations  were  established  be- 
tween the  mother  and  the  daughter  church.  The  year  prior  a  small 
number  of  dissatisfied  ones  had  withdrawn  and  organized  the  Emanuel 
Church,  which  for  a  time  belonged  to  the  General  Synod  and  sub- 


ROCKFORD 


489 


sequently  joined  the  Augustana  Synod,  being  for  many  years  one  of  its 
English  congregations. 

The  work  on  the  new  church  edifice  progressed  rapidly  and  the 
temple  was  ready  for  occupancy  on  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent.  About 
one  year  later,  or  Dec.  7,  1884,  the  completed  edifice  was  dedicated  by 
President  J.  Wikstrand.  The  cost  of  this  spacious  and  handsome 
church  was  $48,716,  exclusive  of  three  hundred  days'  work  done  by 
members  without  pay  and  material  used  out  of  the  old  structure.  A 
d  Jbt  of  $28,129  was  incurred.  An  excellent  pipe  organ  was  installed  at 
a  cost  of  $3,100.  Improvements  and  alterations  to  the  value  of  five 
hundred  dollars  were  subsequently  made  by  Mr.  A.  T.  Lindgren,  the 
present  organist,  who  defrayed  the  expenses  out  of  his  own  pocket. 

Rev.  Peters  resigned  his  charge  in  1882,  but  his  resignation  was 
rejected  by  unanimous  vote  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1884,  after  having 
lain  on  the  table  for  two  years.  At  the  subsequent  annual  meeting  Rev. 
Peters  again  resigned,  but  was  not  released  from  service  until  June, 
1886,  when  the  church  secured  an  acceptance  of  its  call.  The  new 
pastor  was  Rev.  L.  A.  Johnston,  of  Des  Moines,  la.,  who  entered  upon 
his  duties  in  Rockford  that  fall.  The  congregation  left  by  Rev.  Peters 
to  his  successor  was  quite  different  from  the  one  he  himself  began  to 
serve  in  1864,  being  now  a  large  church,  requiring  the  full  time  and  all 
the  energy  of  its  pastor.  It  now  remained  for  him  to  build  on  the 
foundations  already  laid.  The  history  of  the  church  at  this  stage  forms 
a  chapter  remarkable  in  many  respects.  About  that  time  the  city  of 
Rockford  enjoyed  a  period  of  exceptional  prosperity,  which  was  not 
without  its  influence  on  the  church.  The  congregation  grew  so  rapidly 
that  in  January,  1894,  its  membership  reached  3,205,  of  whom  2,066 
were  communicants.  In  the  meantime  the  daughter  church  also  grew 
apace.  In  the  winter  of  1889  there  was  within  the  church  a  marked 
spiritual  movement,  exercising  a  wholesome  influence  on  the  inner  life 
of  the  members  and  also  aiding  in  its  outward  growth.  The  need  of  a 
pastor's  assistant  was  felt,  and  as  such  was  chosen  Rev.  E.  C.  Jessup  of 
Peoria,  who  accepted  the  call  and  served  from  March,  1893,  to 
May,  1895. 

During  Rev.  Johnston's  incumbency  the  congregation  erected  two 
new  buildings,  namely,  a  chapel  in  the  south  part  of  the  city  and  a  large 
schoolhouse  and  young  people's  hall  on  Kishwaukee  st.  These  entailed 
an  expenditure  of  about  $10,000  and  retarded  in  a  measure  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  church  debt.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  1892,  a  subscription 
was  decided  upon  for  the  purpose  of  effacing  that  debt,  then  amounting 
to  $21,000.  Rev.  Johnston,  who  undertook  the  task  of  soliciting,  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  subscriptions  covering  the  entire  amount,  but  just 
as  the  debt  was  about  to  be  lifted,  there  came  the  great  financial  panic, 


490 


THE    LUTHERANS 


during  which  Rockford  suffered  as  much  as  any  city  in  the  land,  and 
thus  nearly  the  whole  result  of  the  subscription  was  lost.  Such  was  the 
financial  stringency  in  the  city  that  it  was  only  with  great  difficulty 
this  large  and  populous  church  was  able  to  meet  current  expenses. 

The  eight  years  that  Rev.  Johnston  had  pastoral  charge  of  the 
church  formed  the  period  of  its  most  rapid  growth.  The  charge  was 
such  as  to  tax  the  capacity  of  the  most  energetic  worker.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1894  Johnston  was  called  to  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church 
of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  removed  to  that  field  in  the  fall.  To  succeed 
him,  Rev.  Joel  L.  Haff  of  Stillwater,  Minn.,  was  called,  and  took  up  his 
new  duties  in  April,  1895.  His  labors  in  Rockford  were  cut  short  within 
one  year,  sickness  and  death  overtaking  him  during  a  visit  to  his  former 
church  in  Stillwater,  in  February,  1896. 

Rev.  Haff  in  September,  1896,  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Seedoff, 
who  took  up  the  work  under  unfavorable  auspices,  lack  of  employment 
compelling  hundreds  of  members  not  owning  homes  to  leave  the  city. 
Adding  to  this  the  fact  of  a  debt  of  $20,000  and  the  further  circum- 
stance that  a  large  number  of  members  neglected  to  pay  their  member- 
ship dues,  the  seriousness  of  the  situation  may  be  readily  comprehended* 
The  first  act  of  Rev.  Seedoff  was  to  ascertain,  with  the  aid  of  the 
church  council,  the  exact  number  of  actual  members;  the  second,  an 
effort  to  reduce  the  church  debt.  These  things  involved  a  vast  amount 
of  work  and  worry  both  for  the  pastor  and  his  council.  The  church 
records  were  carefully  searched,  and  the  deacons  visited  all  those,  whose 
relations  to  the  church  were  not  entirely  clear.  In  this  manner  the 
membership  figure  was  reduced  in  1901  to  1,434,  the  smallest  number 
recorded  since  1888.  But  the  dues  paid  in  by  members  that  year 
amounted  to  $4,026,  one  of  the  largest  totals  for  any  one  year.  This 
work  completed,  the  records  of  the  congregation  were  rewritten  in 
1902,  when  the  total  membership  was  found  to  be  2,143,  1,493  being 
communicants. 

For  the  purpose  of  reducing  the  debt,  monthly  meetings  were 
arranged,  when  each  member  was  expected  to  contribute  whatever  he 
or  she  was  able  toward  the  general  fund.  The  contributions  were 
gradually  increased,  making  quite  considerable  amounts  in  the  end. 
Thus  the  necessity  of  arranging  bazaars  and  other  entertainments  was 
obviated.  On  Midsummer  night,  1902,  the  congregation  assembled  in 
church,  and  then  and  there  a  collection  was  taken  up,  amounting  to 
$700,  with  which  sum  the  remainder  of  the  debt  was  paid.  From  that 
time  work  has  progressed  without  financial  stress,  although  a  costly 
parsonage  has  been  purchased  and  about  $2,000  has  been  expended  in 
repairs  on  the  church  property. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  church  was  cele- 


ANDREAS   ANDREEN 


491 


brated  with  fitting  festivities  Jan.  15-18,  1904.  At  the  time  an  illus- 
trated souvenir  album  was  published  at  the  expense  of  the  young  people 
of  the  church.  In  that  publication  Rev.  Seedoff  gives  a  historical  sketch 
from  which  the  following  data  are  taken :  during  the  past  half  century 
3,659  baptisms  had  been  performed  by  the  various  pastors  of  the  church, 
1,483  persons  had  been  confirmed,  942  couples  had  been  united  in  holy 
matrimony  and  1,032  burials  had  taken  place.  The  sum  total  of  money 
raised  by  the  congregation  during  the  same  period  amounted  to 
$321,125.52. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1906  the  church  numbered  2,191  members, 
1,541  of  whom  were  communicants.  The  property  of  the  church  was 
valued  at  $83,340. 

Rev.   Andreas    Andreen 

Rev.  A.  Andreen  was  born  in  Grenna  parish,  Smaland,  Sept.  10, 
1827.  His  father,  who  was  a  poor  land  tenant,  died  while  the  son  was 
but  a  child.  About  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen,  Andreen  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  country  tailor,  who  went  from  house  to  house  plying  his 
trade.  The  boy,  who  worked  for  his  board  alone,  was  badly  clothed  and 
worse  shod,  but  despite  all  privations  he  was  cheerful  of  mood  and 
kind  of  heart.  Having  learned  his  trade  and  begun  to  work  on  his 
own  account,  he  soon  improved  his  circumstances. 

About  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  experienced  a  significant  change 
of  heart.  His  one  desire  was  to  devote  his  life  to  the  service  of  God, 
but  he  realized  the  lack  of  the  education  required  for  the  performance 
of  fruitful  work  in  that  field.  At  the  instance  of  friends  he  entered  the 
teachers'  seminary  at  Vexio,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1851,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four.  He  then  was  engaged  as  school-teacher  at  the 
Gripenberg  estate,  owned  by  Baron  Hermelin,  a  son-in-law  of  Dr 
Peter  Fjellstedt.  In  the  meantime  he  conducted  religious  meetings  at 
intervals  in  various  parts  of  the  district,  and  as  he  had  a  natural  talent 
for  public  speaking,  the  people  gladly  went  to  hear  him. 

His  longing  for  a  field  of  greater  opportunity  and  a  chance  of 
further  development  soon  cut  short  his  labors  in  his  native  locality. 
In  the  fall  af  1853  we  find  him  in  New  York,  where  he  came  in  contact 
with  Rev.  0.  G.  Hedstrom  and  the  Swedish  Methodists,  without  know- 
ing at  first  that  they  had  left  the  Lutheran  Church. 

He  spent  the  winter  there,  in  what  he  thought  to  be  a  stifling 
spiritual  atmosphere.  In  the  spring  of  1854  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson, 
having  learned  of  the  young  schoolmaster  and  preacher,  called  him  as 
his  assistant  in  pastoral  work.  Highly  gratified,  Andreen  left  for 
Chicago  late  in  April.  During  that  terrible  year  of  the  cholera  plague 
he  was  of  great  help  to  Rev.  Carlsson.  Upon  recommendation  of  the 


492 


THE    LUTHERANS 


united  Chicago  and  Mississippi  conferences  he  obtained  from  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  a  license  to  labor  as  missionary 
among  the  Swedish  and  Norwegian  immigrants  in  Chicago.  This  work 
he  is  said  to  have  prosecuted  with  greater  zeal  and  self-sacrifice  than 
any  other  immigrant  missionary  that  ever  trod  the  streets  of  Chicago. 
He  also  labored  in  the  Immanuel  Church,  especially  during  the  absence 
or  illness  of  Rev.  Carlsson. 

In  September,  1854,  Andreen  went  to  Springfield,  entering  the 
theological  department  of  the  Illinois  State  University.    He  spent  four 


Rev.  Andreas  Andreen 

terms  there,  continuing  as  Carlsson 's  assistant  during  vacations.  In 
April,  1855,  at  the  recommendation  of  the  conference,  he  obtained  a 
license  ad  interim  as  clergyman  and  was  called  to  the  church  at  Rock- 
ford  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  Sept.  12,  1856,  at  the  synodical 
meeting  in  Dixon,  111.,  Jie  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and  continued 
his  pastoral  work  in  Rockford  till  the  close  of  1860,  when  he  removed 
to  Attica,  Ind.,  taking  charge  of  the  churches  at  that  place,  together 
with  those  of  LaPorte  and  Baileytown,  the  three  forming  one  pastorate 
up  to  1863.  About  the  close  of  1862  or  early  the  following  year,  he 
resigned  from  the  church  at  Attica  and  removed  to  Baileytown,  con- 
tinuing to  serve  that  and  the  LaPorte  church  to  the  end  of  1865.  Then 


GUSTAF  PETERS 


493 


he  accepted  a  call  to  Berlin,  111.,  but  did  not  assume  permanent  charge 
until  fall,  having  been  placed  by  the  Augustana  Synod  in  charge 
of  the  Gustaf  Adolf  Church  in  New  York  for  five  months  of  the 
year  1866. 

At  Berlin  he  labored  for  a  term  of  years  with  noteworthy  success. 
The  unexpected  loss  of  his  wife,  Hilda,  daughter  of  Julius  Esping,  a 
pioneer  settler  of  Geneva,  broke  his  health  and  gave  to  his  mind  a 
brooding  and  pensive  turn.  Somewhat  over  a  year  later  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Gustava  A.  Esbjorn,  nee  Magnusson,  the  widowed  third  wife 
of  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn.  In  assuming  the  care  of  the  younger  of  his 
nine  children,  she  lifted  a  great  burden  from  his  mind.  Nevertheless 
his  mental  state  grew  worse,  and  when  his  condition  gave  cause  for 
alarm  he  was  finally  consigned  to  the  Passavant  Hospital  at  Jackson- 
ville, in  the  hope  of  possible  recovery.  On  the  way  there  a  visit  was 
paid  to  friends  in  Rock  Island,  where,  on  Feb.  14,  1880,  Andreen  took 
his  own  life,  presumably  in  "a  fit  of  complete  insanity.  He  was  then 
52~y2  years  old  and  had  served  in  the  ministry  for  23  years.  His  death 
caused  sincere  regret  wherever  the  zealous  and  sympathetic  churchman 
was  known. 

Andreen  was  physically  a  good  specimen  of  manhood  and  possessed 
a  graceful  and  captivating  manner.  Naturally  gifted  as  a  speaker, 
with  proper  training  he  might  have  become  an  orator  of  note.  There 
was  that  in  his  voice  which  set  the  chords  of  one's  soul  vibrating. 
Under  a  calm  surface  he  concealed  great  depth  of  feeling,  but  rarely 
did  he  show  evidence  of  a  lack  of  balance  in  his  mental  equipment. 
Taking  him  all  in  all,  Andreen  holds  a  place  alongside  of  Esbjorn, 
Hasselquist,  Carlsson  and  Swensson  in  the  memory  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  pioneers. 

V 

Rev.    Gustaf  Peters 

G.  Peters,  who  is  also  entitled  to  be  classed  with  the  pioneer 
pastors,  was  born  Jan.  4,  1832,  at  Stodsboda,  in  the  parish  of  Asheda, 
Smaland,  where  his  parents,  Peter  Emanuel  and  Eva  Andersson,  were 
poor  cottagers.  In  his  childhood  he  suffered  great  hardships  owing 
to  extreme  poverty.  When  he  grew  old  enough  to  be  useful,  he  hired 
out  as  shepherd  boy  during  summer,  and  having  attained  the  age  of 
twelve  he  took  a  trade  apprenticeship  for  four  years. 

Having  had  his  mind  directed  to  spiritual  things  in  the  confirma- 
tion school,  and  become  a  true  Christian,  he  was  advised  by  friends  to 
become  a  schoolmaster.  In  September,  1848,  he  accordingly  began 
preliminary  studies  under  S.  M.  Wirsen,  the  schoolmaster  at  Elghult. 
He  was  soon  given  an  opportunity  to  take  part  in  the  instruction  of 
the  younger  pupils,  and  a  couple  of  years  later  he  was  engaged  as 


THE   LUTHERANS 


assistant  teacher,  first  at  Asheda,  then  at  Elghult.  The  salary,  though 
meager,  sufficed  for  his  urgent  needs,  such  as  clothing  and  books, 
leaving  a  pittance  over  for  his  parents.  In  January,  1854,  he  entered 
the  teachers'  seminary  at  Kalmar,  remaining  one  term.  After  having 
taught  during  the  following  summer  and  fall,  he  returned  to  the 
seminary  for  the  spring  term  of  1855,  being  graduated,  June  15th,  with 
fair  standing. 


\ 


Rev.   Gustaf   Peters 

The  goal  of  his  ambition,  as  he  supposed,  had  now  been  attained, 
but  the  future  had  other  things  in  store  for  him.  Through  Erland 
Carlsson  he  received  a  call  to  go  to  the  United  States,  which  he 
declined,  going  instead  to  Stockholm,  where  he  studied  at  the  divinity 
school  of  Dr.  Fjellstedt  and  Rev.  Ahlberg  in  1857-8,  and  when  in  the 
spring  of  the  latter  year  Ahlberg  returned  to  Smaland,  Peters  accepted 
a  position  as  assistant  instructor  in  his  newly  founded  school  for  the 
training  of  lay  preachers  and  remained  there  for  one  year.  In  response 
to  a  repeated  call  from  America,  he  emigrated,  leaving  Kalmar  July 


PRINCETON 


495 


27,  1859,  arriving  in  New  York  Aug.  17th  and  in  Chicago  Aug.  24th. 
Having  obtained  a  preacher's  licence  Sept.  12th,  he  became  assistant 
to  Rev.  Carlsson  in  his  arduous  labors  in  Chicago. 

Peters  attended  the  conference  meeting  held  in  Chicago  April  23- 
27  of  the  following  year,  when  the  organization  of  the  Augustana 
Synod  was  resolved  upon.  He  was  also  present  in  Clinton,  Wis.,  the 
following  June,  when  the  resolution  was  carried  out,  being  one  of  eight 
candidates  who  at  the  time  were  ordained  for  pastoral  service  in  the 
new  synod.  Rev.  O.  C.  T.  Andren  of  Moline  being  at  the  time  com- 
missioned to  go  to  Sweden  to  work  in  the  interest  of  the  newly  founded 
Augustana  Theological  Seminary,  Rev.  Peters  was  called  to  fill  the 
temporary  vacancy,  and  later,  when  Andren  failed  to  return,  became 
permanent  pastor  of  the  Moline  church.  In  the  latter  part  of  August, 
1861,  Peters  was  united  in  wedlock  to  Ida  Helena  Strom,  from  Krist- 
dala,  Smaland.  She  died  May  18,  1863,  leaving  a  daughter  ten  months 
old.  After  that,  Rev.  Peters  no  longer  felt  at  home  in  Moline.  The 
following  August  he  resigned  the  charge,  and  having  been  elected 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Rockford  the  same  week  without  his  knowledge, 
he  removed  to  the  new  field  the  following  December. 

Under  another  head  is  given  an  account  of  the  work  performed 
by  him  in  Rockford,  where  he  was  stationed  for  twenty-two  and  one- 
half  years.  In  1886  he  removed  to  Lincoln,  Neb.,  and  after  remaining 
there  for  a  year  and  a  half  went  to  York,  Neb.,  for  a  term  of  years, 
subsequently  returning  to  Illinois,  where  he  labored  in  the  ministry 
at  various  points  so  long  as  his  powers  permitted.  Of  late  he  has 
resided  in  Rockford,  a  place  dear  to  him  for  having  been  the  principal 
field  of  his  labors. 

In  1864  Rev.  Peters  was  remarried,  the  issue  of  this  union  being 
eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living. 

The    Ch\irch   in   Princeton. 

The  first  Swedish  Lutheran  minister  to  visit  the  Swedish  settlers 
in  Princeton  was  T.  N.  Hasselquist,  who  made  a  brief  stop  there  in  the 
fall  of  1852,  en  route  from  Sweden  to  his  new  pastorate  in  Galesburg. 
He  then  officiated  at  a  baptism,  but  made  no  effort  in  the  direction  of 
founding  a  church.  In  the  summer  of  1853,  C.  J.  Valentin,  whose 
acquaintance  we  formed  in  the  sketch  of  the  Moline  church,  began 
preaching  at  this  place.  The  meetings  were  held  either  in  the  Smith 
schoolhouse  or  in  the  city  hall.  A  certain  Johan  Anderson,  who  was 
said  to  have  been  foreman  of  the  printing  shop  of  "Stockholms  Dag- 
blad"  and  who  came  to  Princeton  in  1852,  also  pretended  to  be  a 
minister  and  sometimes  conducted  divine  services.  He  also  went 
so  far  as  to  perform  marriage  ceremonies,  and  not  a  few  couples 


496  THE   LUTHERANS 

were  united  by  the  imposter.  Neither  Anderson  nor  Valentin  long 
remained  in  this  field,  the  former  dying  of  cholera  in  1853,  the  latter 
returning  to  the  old  country  in  the  fall  of  1854. 

The  need  of  organized  church  work,  however,  soon  made  itself 
felt  in  Princeton.  On  June  16,  1854,  a  handful  of  Swedish  settlers 
gathered  in  the  Smith  schoolhouse,  located  at  Smith  and  Fourth  streets, 
intent  on  organizing  a  congregation,  Rev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn  of  Andover 
presiding.  The  total  number  of  original  members  was  68,  including 
52  adults  and  16  minors.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Synod  of 
Northern  Illinois,  held  in  Peru,  111.,  the  following  autumn,  the  new 
church  was  joined  to  the  synod. 

During  the  summer  following  its  organization,  the  church  had 
visits  from  Erland  Carlsson  of  Chicago,  T.  N.  Hasselquist  of  Galesburg 
and  L.  P.  Esbjorn  of  Andover.  To  the  conference  meeting  held  in 
Andover  in  the  fall,  the  church  sent  as  its  representative  Per  Pihlstrom 
with  a  request  that  the  conference  provide  a  regular  minister  or  see 
to  it  that  more  frequent  pastoral  visits  were  made.  Hasselquist  was 
accordingly  appointed  to  have  pastoral  charge  of  the  church,  also  to 
provide  for  divine  service  every  other  Sunday.  Having  been  licensed 
to  preach,  P.  A.  Cederstam,  a  divinity  student,  in  March,  1855,  was 
sent  to  Princeton  in  charge  of  the  church.  After  a  short  time  he  was 
transferred  to  Minnesota,  where  the  need  of  ministers  was  still  more 
pressing  than  in  Illinois,  leaving  Princeton  in  May,  when  the  church 
was  again  left  in  Hasselquist 's  charge. 

As  yet  the  congregation  had  no  house  of  worship.  At  a  business 
meeting  held  May  27,  1856,  it  was  decided  to  purchase  two  building 
lots  located  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Randolph  and  Putnam  streets, 
and  to  begin  at  once  collecting  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  church 
edifice.  At  this  occasion  the  first  board  of  trustees  was  elected,  the 
members  being,  E.  Wester,  S.  Frid,  W.  P.  Lind,  Carl  M.  Skold  and 
Jacob  Nyman.  The  church  extended  a  pastoral  call  to  Rev.  L.  P. 
Esbjorn,  who  accepted  and  took  up  his  new  duties  in  Princeton  June 
1st,  removing  his  family  there  in  the  fall.  Early  that  summer  he  began 
soliciting  for  the  church  building  fund,  raising  $540  among  the  Amer- 
ican and  $340  among  the  Swedish  residents.  On  November  23rd  the 
first  services  were  held  in  the  partially  completed  edifice,  which  was 
not  dedicated  until  Sept.  12,  1858,  in  connection  with  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  conference.  The  structure,  42  by  30  feet,  cost,  inclusive 
of  furniture,  $1,600,  of  which  sum  $400  remained  unpaid. 

Sept.  20,  1857,  the  congregation  adopted,  with  certain  amend- 
ments, the  church  constitution  proposed  by  the  joint  conferences.  All 
were  deeply  impressed  with  the  solemnity  of  the  step  taken,  and  when, 
at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  the  congregation  rose  and  all  joined  in 


PRINCETON 


497 


singing:  "Praise  be  to  Thee,  0,  God,"  tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  many, 
who  in  that  moment  probably  realized  that  a  tree  had  now  been  planted, 
in  the  shadow  of  which  many  generations  yet  unborn  were  to  dwell. 
Esbjorn  presided  at  the  meeting  and  P.  Fagercrantz  acted  as  secretary. 


The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Princeton 

During  a  great  part  of  his  term  of  service  in  Princeton  Esbjorn 
was  troubled  with  sickness.  On  occasions  when  he  was  unable  to  serve, 
the  meetings  were  conducted  by  Deacon  A.  P.  Larson.  But  despite 
ill  health,  Esbjorn  served  as  the  leader  of  his  countrymen  even  in 
worldly  affairs.  For  a  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  municipal  council. 
He  did  not  remain  long  as  pastor  of  the  Princeton  church.  Sept.  1, 
1858,  he  entered  upon  his  duties  as  professor  of  the  Scandinavian 
department  of  the  seminary  at  Springfield,  leaving  his  pulpit  vacant. 


498  THE   LUTHERANS 

During  the  ensuing  vacancy  the  church  was  visited  as  often  as  prac- 
ticable by  neighboring  clergymen,  but  under  such  insufficient  care  it 
was  losing  ground.  Repeated  efforts  to  obtain  a  pastor  were  made  in 
vain.  In  1859  a  son  of  the  well  known  Swedish  preacher,  Per  Nyman, 
came  to  Princeton,  where  he  succeeded  in  inspiring  such  confidence 
that  he  was  practically  made  pastor  of  the  church,  although  without 
any  commission  or  recommendation  from  the  conference.  After  a  brief 
period  of  popularity,  he  lost  the  confidence  of  the  people,  whereupon 
his  services  were  dispensed  with. 

This  same  year,  1859,  a  clergyman  from  Sweden  named  C.  J.  Voss- 
ner  tried  to  get  himself  elected  pastor  of  the  church  at  Princeton.  The 
incident  forms  a  rather  ludicrous  story  of  pioneer  life. 

Vossner,  who  hailed  from  the  vicinity  of  Eksjo,  Sweden,  was  a 
regularly  ordained  minister  of  the  state  church  and  had  been  con- 
nected with  some  technological  institute  or  other  in  the  old  country. 
He  seems  to  have  come  to  America  about  1855,  stopping  in  Michigan, 
where  he  purchased  from  a  Norwegian  named  Hansen  a  hut  and  a  four 
acre  lot  at  White  Eiver,  in  Oceana  county.  Here  he  went  to  raising 
corn  and  potatoes  on  a  small  scale.  On  Sundays  he  held  religious 
services  in  his  little  hut,  provided  any  of  his  "parishioners,"  the 
Swedish  and  Norwegian  settlers,  put  in  an  appearance.  It  frequently 
happened  that  services  had  to  be  postponed  in  the  absence  of  auditors. 
These  settlers  were  all  single  men  like  Vossner  himself,  and  were 
employed  in  a  sawmill  near  by.  There  was  no  semblance  of  church 
organization,  aside  from  a  tacit  understanding  that  a  collection  for 
the  preacher  was  to  be  taken  every  time  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  administered.  The  preacher's  resources  being  extremely 
meager,  the  communion  services  grew  rather  frequent  and  the  attend- 
ance fell  off  in  consequence,  until  the  pastor  and  his  unpretentious 
meetinghouse  were  entirely  deserted.  Poor  Vossner,  left  to  provide  for 
himself,  is  said  to  have  subsisted  entirely  on  corn  and  molasses. 

Learning  that  the  Princeton  church  pulpit  was  vacant,  Vossner 
opened  correspondence  with  the  notorious  Erik  Wester,  who  was  at 
the  time  a  member  of  the  church,  offering  his  services  as  pastor.  The 
answer  seems  to  have  been  encouraging,  for  Vossner  forthwith  loaded 
his  few  belongings,  consisting  of  wearing  apparel,  earthenware,  a  wash- 
tub,  a  wooden  shovel,  a  gun  and  sundry  other  things,  into  a  wheel- 
barrow and  started  on  his  way  southward.  He  went  by  boat  across 
Lake  Michigan  and  then  by  rail  to  Princeton,  where  he  arrived  safe 
and  sound.  Wester,  who  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  man,  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  bring  about  his  election  to  the  pastorate.  When 
Vossner  began  to  read  off  his  old,  well-worn  manuscripts,  Wester 
turned  around  in  his  pew,  well  to  the  front,  in  order  to  study  the 


PRINCETON 


u 


499 


effect  on  the  listeners.  A  deep  sigh  escaped  him,  when  he  noted  with 
what  total  lack  of  interest  the  exhortations  of  the  new  preacher  were 
received.  So  one  day,  when  Vossner  called  on  his  friend  Wester  to 
inquire  about  the  outlook  for  his  election,  he  received  the  crushing 
reply  that  he  "stood  no  show  at  all."  Pacing  up  and  down  the  room, 
clad  in  a  sort  of  housecoat,  Wester  went  on  in  outspoken  fashion: 
' '  I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  Pastor,  but  the  fact  is,  the  people  don 't  like 
you.  They  say  your  sermons  are  sheer  rot." 

Completely  disheartened,  Vossner  had  to  leave  as  he  had  come, 
taking  his  wheelbarrow  with  him  to  Chicago.  The  people  in  Princeton, 
however,  raised  about  $18  for  him  as  a  recompense  for  his  trouble  in 
coming.  Vossner  subsequently  took  up  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Chicago  and,  possibly,  in  other  localities  until  his  final  return  to  the 
old  country. 

In  the  summer  of  1860  the  Princeton  church  again  obtained  a 
permanent  pastor  in  the  person  of  Rev.  John  Johnson,  who  was 
ordained  at  the  occasion  of  the  organization  of  the  Augustana  Synod 
the  same  year.  Early  in  the  following  year  the  congregation  purchased 
for  $225  a  house  and  lot  for  a  parsonage.  In  the  spring  of 
the  same  year  efforts  were  made  to  procure  a  pipe  organ.  A  certain 
sum  for  that  purpose  was  raised  and  sent  home  by  those  Swedes  of 
Princeton  who  had  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and  were  now  serving 
in  the  field.  Toward  the  close  of  1864  Rev.  Johnson  was  incapacitated 
by  illness  and  other  ministers  had  to  be  called  in.  He  remained,  how- 
ever, until  March,  1866,  enjoying  meanwhile  the  greater  part  of  his 
salary  in  evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  congrega- 
tion. The  communicant  membership  during  his  term  of  service  grew 
from  149  to  226. 

Rev.  Johnson  was  succeeded  in  the  spring  of  1866  by  Rev.  A. 
Lindholm.  In  1868  the  church  edifice,  which  had  grown  too  small, 
was  enlarged  by  an  addition  of  36  feet,  and  the  same  year  the  parsonage 
was  sold,  Rev.  Lindholm  having  purchased  a  home  of  his  own  north 
of  the  city.  The  Swedish  Lutherans  in  Wyanet  and  vicinity  at 
this  time  belonged  to  the  church  in  Princeton,  and  Rev.  Lindholm 
preached  in  their  locality  one  Sunday  each  month.  July  3,  1871,  he 
resigned  from  his  labors,  which  had  brought  the  membership  up  to 
450  communicants. 

His  successor,  Rev.  J.  Wikstrand,  was  called  Jan.  14,  1872. 
The  following  year  the  erection  of  a  new  parsonage  was  resolved  upon 
and  two  lots  at  First  and  Mechanic  streets  were  purchased  for  the  sum 
of  $750.  By  New  Year's  the  building  committee  reported  that  the 
work  had  been  completed  at  a  total  outlay  of  $2,808.  Before  the  par- 
sonage was  built,  the  question  of  erecting  a  parish  schoolhouse  had 


500  THE   LUTHERANS 

been  ventilated,  but  the  matter  was  postponed  until  1874,  when  a 
schoolhouse  was  put  up  at  a  cost  of  $593.  This  structure  still  stands. 
At  the  annual  business  meeting  at  New  Year's,  1875,  the  members 
living  at  Wyanet  upon  their  own  request  were  granted  permission  to 
withdraw  and  organize  a  separate  congregation. 

.  The  Swedish  Lutherans  of  Putnam,  who  also  were  members  of  the 
Princeton  church,  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1878  asked  permission  to 
build  a  chapel  which  was  to  become  the  property  of  the  whole  congre- 
gation, and  they  were  aided  in  carrying  out  the  enterprise.  For  a 
number  of  years  the  church  had  been  illuminated  with  an  altar-piece, 
representing  Jesus  blessing  the  little  children,  in  which  the  artist  had 
carelessly  put  wings  on  the  shoulders  of  the  mothers  who  brought  the 
children  to  the  Savior.  At  the  aforesaid  meeting  the  congregation 
resolved  to  have  the  wings  removed  from  the  picture,  which  was  done. 
After  a  year  Rev.  Wikstrand  resigned,  the  date  being  March  26, 
1880.  He  had  been  in  charge  also  of  the  church  at  Kewanee,  visiting 
there  a  certain  number  of  Sundays  in  the  year,  and  had  served  the 
church  at  Wyanet  in  a  similar  manner  from  its  organization.  At  a 
meeting  held  May  3,  1880,  S.  A."  Sandahl,  a  theological  student,  was 
elected  to  take  pastoral  charge  at  Princeton  following  his  ordination 
a  year  later.  The  call  was  accepted  with  the  proviso  that  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  church  at  the  next  annual  meeting  be  altered  to 
conform  to  the  one  drafted  and  recommended  by  the  Augustana  Synod 
at  Andover  in  1870.  This  was  done  in  1882,  but  with  the  result  that 
56  members  withdrew  at  once,  followed  later  by  many  others,  making 
a  total  loss  of  80  communicant  members.  Shortly  after  this  split  a 
new  church  building  was  proposed  and  a  soliciting  committee 
appointed,  which  reported  to  the  annual  meeting  in  1885  that  $2.046 
had  been  subscribed. 

In  the  spring  of  1886  Rev.  Sandahl  removed  to  Chicago,  taking 
charge  of  the  Trinity  Church.  He  was  succeeded  in  Princeton  by 
Rev.  E.  Edman,  who  remained  only  two  years,  or  until  1888.  His 
successor  was  O.  A.  Nelson,  a  theological  student  who,  after  being 
ordained  the  following  spring,  became  the  regular  pastor  of  the  church. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  new  church 
edifice  of  brick,  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  with  a  steeple  to  one  side. 
The  dimensions  were  to  be  82  by  40  feet,  in  the  widest  section  54  feet, 
and  height  of  steeple  110  feet.  There  was  an  available  building  fund 
of  $5,900,  to  which  was  added  by  subscription  $2,615.  The  cost  of 
the  church  furnished  complete,  with  the  exception  of  the  organ,  was 
$10,000.  In  the  fall  of  1891  the  new  sanctuary  was  dedicated  by  Rev. 
L.  G.  Abrahamson,  president  of  the  Illinois  Conference.  The  old 


JOHN   JOHNSON  5OI 

structure  was  sold  and  moved  away,  its  site  being  occupied  by  a 
schoolhouse. 

In  the  spring  of  1894  the  pulpit  again  became  vacant,  Rev.  Nelson 
removing  to  the  Emmanuel  Church  in  Minneapolis.  During  the  term 
of  vacancy  Rev.  E.  Edman,  who  had  served  as  missionary  to  India,  had 
temporary  charge.  The  next  permanent  pastor  was  Rev.  J.  A.  Carl- 
strom,  who  assumed  the  pastorate  in  April,  1895,  and  served  until  the 
fall  of  1898,  when  he  went  back  to  Sweden  and  entered  the  service 
of  the  state  church,  returning  to  America  after  a  few  years. 

In  September,  1899,  G.  E.  Hemdahl,  a  theological  student  at  Rock 
Island,  w^as  called  to  supply  the  pulpit  for  the  ensuing  school  year, 
and  after  a  few  weeks  he  was  chosen  the  regular  pastor  of  the  church, 
his  election  to  take  effect  immediately  after  his  ordination  the  follow- 
ing spring. 

In  the  year  1900  the  sum  of  $1,000  was  raised  by  subscription  to 
be  used  partly  in  wiping  out  the  congregation's  debt  to  Augustana 
College,  partly  for  repairs  on  the  parsonage.  The  following  year  the 
interior  of  the  church  was  frescoed,  and  at  the  annual  business  meeting 
in  1902  it  was  resolved  to  purchase  a  new  pipe  organ,  which  cost  $1,500. 
In  1903  a  mortgage  of  $2,000,  placed  on  the  church  property  when  the 
new  edifice  was  erected,  was  lifted  by  general  subscription.  The 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  church  was  celebrated  June 
17-19,  1904,  with  customary  festivities  and  by  the  publication  of  an 
illustrated  historical  memorial.  In  1906  Rev.  Hemdahl  accepted  a  call 
to  Paxton.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  John  A.  Berg. 

The  Princeton  church  at  New  Year's,  1907,  had  534  communicants, 
761  members  all  told,  and  property  to  the  value  of  $19,000. 

Rev.   John    Johnson 

Among  the  Swedish  Lutheran  clergymen  of  Illinois  during  the 
pioneer  period,  John  Johnson  was  one  of  the  most  interesting  char- 
acters. While  not  eccentric  in  the  ordinary  sense,  he  was  a  man  of 
very  distinct  individuality,  practical  views  and  strong  personal  con- 
victions. To  his  credit  it  must  be  said  that  he  was  fearlessly  outspoken 
on  all  questions  of  right  and  wrong. 

John  Johnson,  whose  name  was  originally  written  Johannes  Jons- 
son,  was  born  July  21,  1822,  in  Akarp,  in  the  Swedish  province  of 
Skane.  Beyond  learning  to  read  and  write,  he  obtained  no  schooling. 
Being  naturally  bright,  he  endeavored  to  quench  his  thirst  for  knowl- 
edge by  omnivorous  reading.  His  favorite  reading  was  books  on 
history,  law,  political  science  and  civic  reform.  He  owned  and  cul- 
tivated a  farm  near  the  village  of  Slatteryd,  and  frequently  acted,  not 
without  success,  as  legal  counsel  for  his  neighbors  at  the  district  court. 


502 


THE  LUTHERANS 


While  T.  N.  Hasselquist  was  assistant  pastor  at  Akarp  and  Witt- 
sjo,  Johnson  seems  to  have  formed  such  an  attachment  for  him  that 
from  that  time  on  he  was  never  so  happy  as  when  in  his  company,  and 
he  seemed  to  have  taken  the  greatest  delight  in  reasoning  and  debating 
over  religious  topics  with  Hasselquist  whenever  opportunity  offered. 

In  1851,  at  the  age  of  29,  he  emigrated  to  America,  following  his 
brother,  who  had  left  Sweden  the  year  before.  Purchasing  a  farm  at 
Knoxville,  111.,  and  settling  there,  he  appears  to  have  familiarized 
himself  with  the  political  and  religious  conditions  in  that  locality  in 
a  very  short  time.  During  the  first  few  years  he  also  rented  land 
from  others,  and  took  contracts  for  harvesting  broomcorn,  employing 
numbers  of  newly  arrived  Swedish  laborers.  He  apparently  was  a 
leader  among  the  Swedish  settlers  in  the  locality,  and  after  the  arrival 
of  Rev.  Hasselquist  he  took  a  live  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  local 
congregation  and  was  especially  active  in  promoting  the  building  of 
a  church. 

During  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1854  and  a  resultant  spiritual 
awakening  in  the  community  Johnson  seems  to  have  experienced  a 
complete  change  of  heart.  From  that  time  he,  as  deacon  of  the  church, 
used  to  conduct  services  in  the  absence  of  Rev.  Hasselquist,  besides 
leading  weekly  meetings  in  private  homes  conjointly  with  one  Nils 
Randau.  Johnson,  who  was  a  man  of  fluent  tongue,  spoke  logically 
and  with  effect.  Taking  all  this  into  account,  and  realizing  the  great 
need  of  ministers,  Rev.  Hasselquist  urged  him  to  devote  himself  entirely 
to  the  service  of  the  church.  He  then  took  up  private  studies  with 
Hasselquist  and  made  occasional  trips  to  other  points  to  preach.  In 
1856  he  made  a  preaching  tour  of  Minnesota.  Time  and  again  he 
served  as  delegate  to  conference  and  synod  meetings,  always  taking 
an  active  interest  in  the  proceedings. 

During  the  vacancy  in  the  Princeton  church,  Johnson  had 
preached  there  repeatedly,  making  himself  favorably  known.  The 
congregation  having  tried  in  vain  to  obtain  a  pastor,  he  was  finally 
called.  Hesitating  at  first,  Johnson,  after  consulting  with  the  older 
ministers,  decided  to  accept  the  call  on  condition  that  he  would  be 
ordained.  Accordingly  he  went  before  the  ministerium  at  the  meeting 
in  June,  1860,  and  was  then  ordained,  together  with  seven  other 
candidates,  immediately  afterward  taking  charge  of  the  Princeton 
congregation. 

Johnson,  however,  seems  to  have  inclined  more  to  a  political  than 
an  ecclesiastical  career.  While  a  gifted  preacher,  he  was  still  more 
successful  as  a  political  speaker.  True,  he  was  actuated  with  a  live 
interest  in  church  work,  but  still  greater  was  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  he  partook  in  the  discussion  of  the  great  civic  issues  which 


JOHN    JOHNSON 


503 


stirred  the  nation  at  this  time  and  which  were  finally  solved  by  an 
appeal  to  arms.  Johnson  was  bitterly  opposed  to  slavery;  to  Lincoln's 
platform  he  gave  his  most  hearty  support  and  threw  himself  into  his 
campaign  with  might  and  main.  Neglecting  pastoral  work,  he  cam- 
paigned with  great  energy,  advocating  not  without  success  the  cause 
of  the  Kepublican  party  in  the  press  and  on  the  platform.  There  was 
a  poetical  vein  in  Johnson's  makeup,  and  he  sometimes  engaged  in 
versemaking.  His  lyre  was  attuned  to  the  praise  of  liberty,  justice 


Rev.   John   Johnson 

and  truth.  In  his  campaign  songs  he  displayed  great  zeal  for  human 
liberty  and  civic  rights,  as  applicable  to  conditions  in  the  United  States. 
His  verses  fired  many  Swedish- Americans  to  participation  in  the  great 
campaign  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  There  was  none  among 
them  who  realized  the  significance  of  the  strife  more  deeply  than  did 
this  simple  and  unpretentious  country  parson,  who  also  knew  how  to 
kindle  the  fire  of  enthusiasm  in  the  hearts  of  his  fellowmen.  And 
when  a  number  of  the  Swedes  of  Princeton,  at  the  call  of  the  great 
Lincoln,  joined  the  colors  and  left  for  the  field  of  conflict,  Rev.  John 
Johnson  accompanied  them  to  the  train  and  handed  to  each  and  every 
man  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament — the  best  gift  that  could  be 
bestowed. 


THE    LUTHERANS 

In  his  last  years  of  service  at  Princeton  Rev.  Johnson's  mental 
powers  began  to  fail,  leaving  him  a  sufferer  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  In  1866  he  lived  in  Paxton,  not,  however,  in  active  service  as 
pastor.  The  following  year  he  was  so  far  restored  as  to  be  able  to 
serve  the  church  at  Attica,  Ind.,  but  in  1868  he  returned  to  Paxton, 
where  he  lived  in  retirement  until  1871.  Subsequently  he  had  pastoral 
charge  of  the  church  at  Farmersville,  111.,  1872-3,  returning  to  Paxton 
for  two  years,  1874-5,  and  then  removed  to  Moline,  where  he  lived 
as  a  mental  wreck  until  his  death,  Oct.  9,  1882.  He  left  a  wife,  Johanna, 
nee  Bengtson,  to  whom  he  was  wedded  in  Sweden,  in  1846,  and  two 
daughters,  Mrs.  Rev.  H.  P.  Quist  and  Mrs.  C.  G.  Thulin  of  Moline. 

ILric   Norelius,    Historian    of  the   Aug'ustana   Synod 

Eric  Norelius,  though  young  at  the  time  of  founding  the  Swedish- 
American  Lutheran  Church,  yet  must  be  counted  among  its  veterans 
for  the  eminent  part  he  took  in  the  work  of  organization.  His  career 
was  begun  in  Illinois,  where  he  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  church 
before  removing  to  the  state  of  Minnesota,  his  principal  field  of  use- 
fulness. Norelius  drafted  the  constitution  for  the  early  churches, 
which  underlies  that  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  suggested  the  name  of 
the  synod,  has  served  as  its  president  for  two  lengthy  periods,  still 
retaining  that  office,  and  is  the  historian  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  America. 

Eric  Norelius  was  born  Oct.  26,  1833,  in  the  parish  of  Hassela, 
Helsingland,  Sweden,  and  pursued  elementary  studies  in  the  city  of 
Hudiksvall  prior  to  his  emigration  to  America  in  1850.  He  came  over 
with  a  party  of  a  hundred  emigrants,  including  also  an  elder  brother 
of  his,  Anders  Norelius,  who  subsequently  affiliated  with  the  Swedish 
Baptists.  At  the  suggestion  of  Esbjorn,  whom  he  met  at  Andover, 
Norelius  in  the  spring  of  1851  entered  the  Capital  University  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  a  Lutheran  institution,  where  he  spent  four  years. 

While  a  student,  he  received  some  aid  from  a  Lutheran  education 
society,  but  spent  his  vacations  earning  his  living  as  best  he  might 
as  a  book  colporteur  and  by  teaching  and  preaching.  Part  of  this 
time  he  conducted  the  parochial  school  of  the  Immanuel  Church  of 
Chicago.  His  studies  completed,  Norelius  received  his  preacher's 
license  from  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  in  1855  upon  recommenda- 
tion of  the  joint  Chicago  and  Mississippi  conferences  and  was  ordained 
in  September  of  the  following  year.  Since  1855  he  has  served  as 
follows :  in  LaFayette,  Ind.,  1855 ;  Vasa  and  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  churches 
founded  by  him,  1855-8;  Attica,  Ind.,  1859-60;  mission  field  of  Minne- 
sota, 1860-61;  Vasa  and  Red  Wing,  1861-8;  Vasa,  1868-78,  and  con- 


ERIC    NOREIvIUS 


505 


tinned  to  serve  as  pastor  of  the  Vasa  church,  with  intervals,  until  a  few 
years  ago. 

In  the  fall  of  1857  Norelius  and  Jonas  Engberg  began  to  publish 
from  Red  "Wing  the  first  Swedish  newspaper  in  Minnesota,  entitled 
"Minnesota-Posten."  In  October,  the  year  after,  this  paper  was 
consolidated  with  "Hemlandet"  of  Galesburg,  111.  Chicago  became 
the  place  of  publication  and  there  Norelius  for  the  first  nine  months 
of  1859  edited  this  paper,  besides  the  religious  monthly,  "Det  Ratta 
Hemlandet,"  both  under  the  supervision  of  Hasselquist.  Frequent 
appointments  to  preach  in  neighboring  churches  added  to  his  duties. 
His  health  failing,  the  task  became  too  burdensome,  and  he  resigned 
the  editorship  to  resume  exclusive  pastoral  work. 

After  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the  building  up  of  the 
Illinois  and  Minnesota  conferences  and  the  organizing  of  the  Augus- 
tana  Synod,  Norelius  has  continued  to  this  day  one  of  the  foremost 
workers  of  the  church.  In  1862  he  started  a  private  school  at  Red 
Wing.  This  was  removed  to  East  Union  and  from  there  to  St.  Peter 
and  formed  the  foundation  for  the  present  Gustavus  Adolphus  College. 
Three  years  later  he  founded  the  orphans'  home  at  Vasa  and  himself 
managed  the  institution  for  eleven  years.  In  1872  he  began  publish- 
ing "Luthersk  Kyrkotidning, "  which  was  merged  with  "Augustana" 
the  following  year,  and  in  1877  he  and  Rev.  P.  Sjoblom  founded  the 
present  ' '  Minnesota  Stats  Tidning, ' '  which  was  first  known  as  ' '  Evan- 
gelisk  Luthersk  Tidskrift"  and  then  for  many  years  as  "Skaffaren." 
When  in  1889  Hasselquist 's  paper,  "Augustana  och  Missionaren, "  was 
increased  in  size  and  scope  and  made  the  official  paper  of  the  Augus- 
tana  Synod,  Norelius  was  chosen  editor.  The  condition  of  his  health 
compelled  him  to  resign  the  editor's  chair  after  a  seven  months 
occupancy.  In  1898-9  he  published  "  Tidskrift  for  svensk  evangelisk 
luthersk  kyrkohistoria, "  and  is  one  of  the  editors  of  the  religious 
quarterly  "Tidskrift  for  teologi  och  kyrkliga  fragor, "  published  since 
the  year  1900  as  a  continuation  of  the  historical  magazine.  To  "Kors- 
baneret,"  the  synodical  yearbook,  which  he  edited  in  1891-6,  Norelius 
before,  during  and  after  that  period  contributed  a  number  of  historical 
and  personal  sketches  dealing  with  the  early  period  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church  in  this  country.  Almost  from  the  time  he  set 
foot  on  American  soil  Norelius  has  been  a  systematic  collector  of 
materials  bearing  on  the  Swedes  of  America,  and  this  historical  treasury 
is  thought  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  its  kind.  Much  of  it  has  been 
embodied  in  his  principal  work,  a  history  of  the  Swedes  and  Swedish 
Lutheran  congregations  of  America,  not  yet  completed.  Part  I,  a  large 
volume  of  870  pages,  embracing  the  period  from  the  beginning  of 
wholesale  immigration  in  the  forties  up  to  1860,  was  published  in  1890 


5o6  THE    LUTHERANS 

by  authority  of  the  Augustana  Synod.  Next  in  importance  of  the 
seven  works  by  Norelius,  published  separately,  is  a  biography  of 
Dr.  T.  N.  Hasselquist. 

In  1874  Norelius  was  elected  president  of  the  Augustana  Synod 
and  served  upon  successive  re-elections  for  seven  years.  Again  in  1899 
he  was  chosen  to  the  same  office,  and  still  presides  over  the  church  of 


Rev.   Eric   Norelius 

which  he  is  now  the  only  surviving  patriarch.  In  1892  the  directors 
of  Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary  conferred  upon  him 
the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.,  and  in  1903  King  Oscar  II.  made  him  a 
Knight  of  the  Order  of  the  Polar  Star  in  recognition  of  meritorious 
achievement  in  behalf  of  Swedish-American  culture. 

In  1855  Norelius  was  united  in  marriage  to  Inga  Charlotta  Peter- 
son and  in  1905  at  their  home  in  Vasa  was  celebrated  the  joint  golden 


ERIC    NOREUUS  507 

anniversary  of  the  aged  pair  and  of  the  church  Dr.  Norelius  founded 
and  with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  the  better  part  of  the 
half-century. 

Norelius  tells  us  that  he  came  to  this  country  as  one  of  the  so- 
called  Luther  Readers,  a  group  of  devotionalists  of  the  Old  Lutheran 
type,  who  saw  in  Rev.  Hedberg,  a  Finnish  divine,  their  spiritual 
leader.  These  believers  adhered  to  the  old  books,  suspecting  depart- 
ures from  the  faith  in  the  newer  ones,  frowned  on  synergism  and 
had  misgivings  about  any  presentation  of  the  word  of  God  that  did 
not  have  the  true  Lutheran  ring.  Methodism  did  not  appeal  to  these 
earnest  people,  but  shortly  after  their  coming  to  this  country  many 
of  them  became  Baptists.  In  fact,  AViberg  and  Palmquist  enjoyed 
the  full  confidence  of  this  entire  group  before  they  changed  their 
convictions  and  became  pioneers  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church  in 
the  two  countries.  With  those  who  went  over  was  his  brother,  Anders 
Norelius,  but  he  himself  stood  firm.  We  quote  this  to  show  the  stanch 
Lutheranism  of  Norelius  at  this  early  period  in  his  life.  He  was 
among  those  who  fought  the  movement  for  "New"  or  "American" 
Lutheranism  in  the  fifties,  and  the  uncompromising  stand  for  the 
unaltered  Augsburg  Confession  taken  by  the  Augustana  Synod  is  due 
in  great  measure  to  him.  By  one  of  his  brethren  Norelius  has  been 
characterized  as  a  strictly  logical  thinker,  whose  apparent  speculative 
tendency  is  held  within  proper  bounds  by  his  firm  and  childlike  faith 
in  the  revealed  Word ;  a  positive  Lutheran  theologian ;  an  objective 
preacher,  who  commands  attention  and  interest  by  the  soundness, 
depth  and  dignity  of  his  presentation  of  gospel  truths,  without  playing 
upon  the  feelings  of  his  hearers. 

As  a  historian,  Dr.  Norelius  has  accomplished  a  task  deserving 
of  the  gratitude  of  the  whole  Swedish  nationality  in  this  country, 
principally  for  the  wealth  of  historical  material  from  the  fifth  and 
sixth  decades  of  the  past  century  embodied  in  his  historical  work. 
While  purporting  to  be  in  the  main  a  history  of  the  Lutherans,  it  is 
by  no  means  limited  to  them,  .but  throws  much  light  on  the  origin 
of  other  Swedish  church  denominations  and  gives  many  graphic  first- 
hand sketches  from  pioneer  days.  The  religious  movements  among 
the  immigrants  are  here  described  by  one  who  knew  the  leaders 
personally  and  stood  near  to  many  of  them.  Dealing,  as  he  does,  pre- 
eminently with  his  own  church,  Norelius  could  not  escape  the  charge 
of  bias  and  partiality.  Inaccuracy  in  details  is  another  charge  urged 
against  his  work,  which  seems  less  justified  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
for  many  data  of  the  pioneer  period  the  historian  was  bound  to  trust 
the  memory  of  others.  Taken  all  in  all,  the  Norelius  history  is  easily 
superior  to  any  of  a  number  of  works  in  the  same  field. 


508  THE    LUTHERANS 

Augustana   College   and  Theological   Seminary 

Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary  at  Rock  Island,  111., 
is  a  general  institution  of  learning  owned,  controlled  and  maintained 
by  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Augustana  Synod  of  North  America. 
While  it  is,  therefore,  a  denominational  school,  and  as  such  aims  to 
serve,  primarily,  the  interests  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  it  is 
open  to  all  who  desire  a  liberal  education.  Its  original  scope,  which 
was  that  of  a  divinity  school,  has  been  broadened  from  time  to  time, 
until  now  the  institution,  while  retaining  the  theological  seminary 
as  a  university  department,  aims  to  prepare,  directly  or  indirectly, 
for  every  vocation  in  life  by  giving  the  general  culture  or  special 
training  which  modern  conditions  require.  Its  courses  of  instruction 
are  patterned  after  the  most  modern  and  approved  models,  and  qual- 
itatively, at  least,  Augustana  aims  to  be  in  the  front  rank  of  American 
educational  institutions. 

The  English  language  is  used  as  a  medium  of  instruction  in  all 
subjects,  except  the  Swedish  language  and  literature  and  partly  in  the 
theological  branches.  The  subject  of  Swedish  naturally  occupies  a 
prominent  position  in  the  curriculum,  and  the  institution,  not  forgetful 
of  its  origin,  nor  of  present  day  practical  needs,  nor  of  its  future 
mission  as  the  exponent  of  Swedish  culture  in  America,  provides  ample 
facilities  for  instruction  in  the  language,  literature  and  history  of  the 
northern  fatherland.  It  is  the  object  of  the  institution  to  throw  about 
the  student  all  the  influences  which  make  for  a  healthy  and  harmonious 
physical,  mental  and  moral  growth. 

Augustana  College  is  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city  of 
Rock  Island,  on  the  slope  of  a  prominent  bluff,  reverently  named  Zion 
Hill,  from  which  the  view  is  striking  and  picturesque.  To  the  north- 
west, on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  lies  the  city  of  Daven- 
port, commandingly  located  on  the  bluffs  which  rise  almost  directly 
from  the  river.  To  the  east  the  eye  rests  on  the  tall  chimneys  of  the 
busy  city  of  Moline,  rendered  famous  by  her  manufactures.  To  the 
north,  directly  in  front  of  the  college  grounds,  stretches  Rock  Island, 
from  which  the  city  took  its  name,  comprising  over  nine  hundred  acres 
of  ground  upon  which  is  built  the  largest  of  the  government  arsenals 
together  with  extensive  federal  manufacturing  plants.  At  the  lower 
end  of  the  island  the  two  branches  of  the  river  are  spanned  by  bridges 
for  railroad  and  general  traffic. 

The  college  grounds  consist  of  about  36  acres  of  land.  On  this 
tract  are  located  the  following  buildings  belonging  to  the  institution: 
the  new  main  building,  a  handsome  stone  structure  built  in  the  pure 
Renaissance  style,  occupied  since  1888,  and  containing  in  its  three 
stories  and  basement  the  principal  recitation  rooms  and  lecture  halls 


AUGUSTANA    COLLEGE 


509 


and  the  chapel;  the  old  main  building,  occupied  since  1875,  used 
chiefly  as  a  dormitory  and  refectory,  with  its  class  rooms  and  chapel 
now  given  over  to  the  use  of  the  business  college;  the  gymnasium, 
the  ladies'  dormitory,  Ericson  Hall,  and  two  buildings  used  as 
residences. 

When  about  the  year  1845  a  stream  of  immigration  from  the 
Scandinavian  countries  to  the  United  States  began,  the  earliest  settle- 
ments, as  shown  in  the  foregoing,  were  made  in  Illinois,  Wisconsin, 


Immanuel  Parish  School-house,  Erected  1856,  First  Home  of 
Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary 

Iowa  and  Minnesota.  These  immigrants  had  been  members  of  the 
Lutheran  state  church  in  their  mother  countries  and  were,  as  a  class, 
religious  and  churchly  people.  Earnest  and  pious  men  came  over  to 
serve  as  their  pastors,  and  Lutheran  congregations  were  early  estab- 
lished among  both  Swedes  and  Norwegians.  At  the  organization  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  in  1851  several 
Scandinavian  clergymen  were  present  and  took  part  in  the  organiza- 
tion. The  scattered  Scandinavian  and  American  Lutherans  in  this 
section  of  the  country  thus  were  united  in  one  common  synod.  The 
constant  stream  of  immigration  rapidly  added  to  the  numbers  of  the 
Scandinavians  who  before  1860  constituted  about  one-half  of  the 
synod,  then  made  up  of  three  separate  conferences,  the  American  and 
German  Rock  River  Conference,  the  Norwegian  Chicago  Conference 
and  the  Swedish  Mississippi  Conference.  This  synod,  in  co-operation 
with  other  Lutheran  bodies  in  the  West,  established  a  school,  known 


510  THE    LUTHERANS 

as  the  Illinois  State  University,  at  Springfield,  for  the  special  purpose 
of  educating  Lutheran  ministers. 

In  the  two  Scandinavian  conferences  the  need  of  pastors  was  very 
pressing.  At  their  common  meeting  in  Waverly  (Leland),  111.,  Oct.  3, 
1855,  they  resolved  to  send  a  representative  to  Sweden  and  Norway 
with  a  view  to  inducing  ministers  and  students  of  earnest  and  irre- 
proachable character  to  come  over  and  aid  in  the  work.  The  Synod 
of  Northern  Illinois,  in  session  at  the  same  place  for  the  next  few  days, 
amended  this  resolution  by  voting  to  found  a  Scandinavian  professor- 
ship at  the  seminary  in  Springfield.  In  January,  1856,  Rev.  L.  P. 
Esbjorn  began  to  solicit  funds  for  the  maintenance  of  the  new  chair. 
At  the  next  joint  annual  meeting  of  the  Chicago  and  Mississippi 
conferences,  held  in  Rockford  Sept.  26-27,  1857,  Rev.  Esbjorn  was 
unanimously  chosen  for  the  Scandinavian  chair,  the  election  being 
ratified  by  the  synod,  sitting  at  Cedarville  Sept.  27th  to  Oct.  4th.  Rev. 
Esbjorn  assumed  his  new  duties  at  Springfield  in  the  fall  of  1858  and 
served  for  two  years.  Owing  to  doctrinal  differences  between  the 
Scandinavian  and  the  other  members  of  the  synod,  Esbjorn  resigned 
his  position  in  March,  1860,  and  early  in  April  removed  with  his  family 
to  Chicago,  where  shortly  afterward  he  resumed  instruction,  seventeen 
of  the  twenty  Scandinavian  students  at  the  Springfield  seminary 
having  followed  their  teacher.  This  action  brought  matters  to  a  crisis. 
On  April  23-28  the  Swedes  and  Norwegians  met  in  convention  at 
Chicago  and  after  thorough  deliberation  unanimously  resolved  to  with- 
draw from  the  synod,  to  organize  a  synod  for  themselves  and  to 
establish  a  theological  seminary  of  their  own.  The  result  was  the 
organization  of  the  Scandinavian  Evangelical  Lutheran  Augustana 
Synod  at  a  subsequent  convention,  held  at  Jefferson  Prairie,  near 
Clinton,  Wis.,  June  5-11,  1860. 

The    Chicago    Period 

It  is  to  this  meeting  that  Augustana  College  and  Theological 
Seminary  traces  its  origin  as  a  synodical  institution.  The  seminary 
had  already  been  established  at  Chicago  by  Esbjorn 's  act  af  removing 
to  that  city  with  the  Scandinavian  students  and  continuing  their 
instruction.  By  resolution  at  the  first  synodical  meeting,  it  was 
officially  recognized  and  accepted  by  the  synod,  and  Rev.  Esbjorn  was 
expressly  declared  the  synod's  choice  as  "Scandinavian  and  theolog- 
ical professor  at  the  Augustana  Seminary  in  Chicago."  But  the  first 
article  in  the  constitution  for  the  school  adopted  at  the  same  meeting 
read:  "The  Augustana  Synod  shall  establish  and  maintain  a  theological 
seminary  now  (or,  for  the  present)  located  in  Chicago  and  known  ao 
Augustana  Seminary."  It  was  an  oddly  worded  article,  which  fore- 


AUGUSTANA    COLLEGE  511 

shadowed  the  strife  over  the  location  of  Augustana  that  has  agitated 
the  synod  more  or  less  down  to  recent  years.  Esbjorn  and  others 
favored  the  permanent  retention  of  the  school  in  Chicago,  while 
Erland  Carlsson,  Hasselquist  and  others  were  for  locating  it  in  the 
country.  The  article  in  question  could  be  interpreted  to  favor  either 
side.  Carlsson  at  this  same  meeting  moved,  and  it  was  resolved,  to 
draw  up  plans  for  purchasing  land  and  starting  farming  for  the  benefit 
of  the  seminary.  Thereby  the  door  was  opened  for  experiment  and 
we  find  its  promoters  and  sponsors  again  and  again  in  quest  of  land 
where  the  institution  might  be  located  in  the  heart  of  some  populous 
Swedish  agricultural  section.  The  institution  was  removed  first  to 
Paxton,  then  to  Rock  Island,  but  in  neither  place  quite  successful 
realty  investments  were  made,  the  farming  project  was  never  carried 
out,  and  the  advantages  obtained  by  the  removal  from  Chicago  are 
still  a  matter  of  opinion. 

The  first  president  of  the  new  institution  was  Rev.  Esbjorn  and 
the  following  constituted  the  first  board  of  directors:  Rev.  T.  N. 
Hasselquist  and  Mr.  F.  Langeland,  elected  for  four  years,  Rev.  Erland 
Carlsson  and  Mr.  S.  Gabrielson,  for  three  years,  Rev.  0.  Andrewson 
and  Mr.  C.  Stromberg,  for  two  years,  Rev.  0.  J.  Hatlestad  and  Mr. 
C.  J.  Anderson,  for  one  year.  Mr.  Andrew  Nelson  Braekke  of  Chicago 
was  elected  treasurer.  Rev.  Carlsson  was  the  first  president  of  the 
board,  but  Rev.  Hasselquist  soon  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of  the 
directorate  and  made  the  annual  report  to  the  synod  on  the  first 
year's  progress.  The  Immanuel  Church  is  credited  with  having  fur- 
nished the  students  with  room,  board  and  washing  for  the  first  two 
weeks  of  the  fall  term,  and  of  the  $737  in  cash  donations  received 
during  the  first  year  $576  came  from  Swedish  and  $161  from  Nor- 
wegian churches. 

The  urgent  need  of  means  for  the  maintenance  of  the  school  and 
the  prosecution  of  its  work  prompted  a  resolution  by  the  board  to 
send  a  representative  to  Sweden  to  petition  the  king  for  a  collection 
to  be  taken  in  all  the  churches  of  the  realm  for  the  benefit  of  the  new 
seminary.  The  emissary  was  also  to  solicit  donations  of  money  and 
books  by  direct  personal  effort. 

Prof.  Esbjorn  was  appointed  to  solicit  funds  in  the  United 
States  and  to  go  on  a  special  mission  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  secure  the 
transfer  to  the  seminary  of  $1,500  given  by  Jenny  Lind-Goldschmidt 
to  the  Capital  University  as  a  foundation  for  a  Scandinavian  chair. 

King  Charles  XV.  granted  the  privilege  of  soliciting  and  receiving 
collections  from  the  churches  in  Sweden  during  a  period  of  two  years. 
Rev.  0.  C.  T.  Andren,  who  was  the  emissary,  resigned  his  commission 
Sept.  1,  1861,  to  settle  down  in  Sweden,  but  the  work  was  subsequently 


5 : 2  THE     LUTHERANS 

taken  up  by  Esbjorn  and  so  successfully  pushed  that  a  total  sum  of 
$10,846  was  realized  from  that  source.  In  addition  thereto,  King 
Charles  XV.  himself  donated  5,000  volumes  from  his  private  library. 

As  to  the  Jenny  Lind  donation  Dr.  Norelius,  who  was  at  the  time 
the  only  Swedish  student  at  Capital  University,  gives  this  account: 
Dr.  Reynolds,  then  president  of  the  institution,  arbitrarily  used  the 
money  without  rendering  any  account  of  it  to  the  board  of  regents, 
and  upon  inquiry  into  the  matter  no  trace  of  the  fund  was  found, 
either  in  the  treasury  or  in  the  records.  It  may  be  added  that  Dr. 
Reynolds  left  his  position  after  putting  the  school  into  serious  straits 
by  bad  financial  management.  Later  he  became  president  of  the 
Springfield  seminary,  named  the  Illinois  State  University,  and  it  was 
his  peculiar  tactics  that  forced  Esbjorn 's  sudden  resignation,  and 
removal,  although  doctrinal  differences  in  the  Synod  of  Northern 
Illinois  had  paved  the  way  for  that  step. 

How  to  secure  capable  instructors  was  another  vexed  question. 
During  the  first  year  Prof.  Esbjorn,  the  only  regular  professor,  was 
assisted  by  Rev.  Abraham  Jacobson  and  several  students,  while  Rev. 
C.  J.  P.  Peterson,  recently  from  Norway,  gave  instruction  without 
charge  to  the  Norwegian  students,  but  declined  an  offer  of  a  professor- 
ship. The  attendance  during  the  first  year  was  21. 

The  synod  in  1861  instructed  the  board  to  extend  a  call  to  P.  P. 
Walden strom  of  Upsala,  who  years  afterward  dissented  from  the  state 
church  and  became  the  leading  spirit  in  the  Mission  Covenant  of 
Sweden.  It  was  decided  to  send  A.  J.  Lindstrom,  a  student,  to  Upsala 
University  to  prepare  for  teaching  at  the  seminary.  Lindstrom  earned 
the  degree  of  Ph.  D.,  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and  then  assumed 
the  designated  position,  serving  1870-71.  Despite  appeals  to  the 
Norwegian  constituency  of  the  synod,  a  suitable  man  to  give  instruc- 
tion in  that  language  had  not  been  found  up  to  1863.  An  English 
tutor  was  not  secured  until  the  following  year,  when  Rev.  William 
Kopp  of  the  Pennsylvania  Synod  was  called. 

While  in  Sweden  in  the  interest  of  the  seminary  in  1862,  Prof. 
Esbjorn  resigned  his  position  and  accepted  an  appointment  by  the 
crown  to  become  pastor  of  the  parish  of  Oster-Vahla. 

The  chief  motive  for  this  step  doubtless  was  his  love  of  the  father- 
land, but  he  had  other  reasons.  On  many  points  he  and  Rev.  Hassel- 
quist  held  different  views.  The  latter  had  opposed  his  election  to  the 
Scandinavian  professorship  in  Springfield,  having  negotiated  with 
Peter  Fjellstedt  of  Sweden  to  take  the  place,  and  now  they  took  issue 
with  one  another  on  the  removal  of  the  seminary  to  Paxton.  Several 
months  prior  to  Esbjorn 's  resignation  the  board  of  directors  had 
urged  Hasselquist  to  remove  to  Paxton  and  use  his  influence  as 


AUGUSTANA   COLLEGE  513 

president  of  the  synod  in  promoting  the  colonization  plan  in  behalf 
of  the  school.  He  thus  became  the  pastor  of  the  new  congregation 
there  and  as  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  enterprise  naturally 
would  have  a  decisive  voice  in  affairs.  Disliking  to  stand  in  the  way 
of  either  the  financial  plan  or  the  personal  ambitions  of  his  brother 
churchman,  Esbjorn  chose  to  yield,  when  so  favorable  an  opportunity 
was  given. 

Both  Waldenstrom  and  Andren  having  declined  calls  to  become 
his  successor,  Rev.  Hasselquist  was  chosen  temporary  professor  to  fill 
the  vacancy.  In  1863  the  synod  authorized  the  board  to  secure  Rev. 
Sven  L.  Bring,  or  some  other  capable  man  from  Sweden.  Failing  in 
this,  the  synod  at  its  next  annual  meeting  made  Hasselquist  the 
incumbent  of  the  theological  chair  until  further  action  should  be  taken. 
No  change  was  ever  made,  and  Hasselquist  remained  as  professor  and 
president  of  the  institution  until  his  death,  Feb.  4,  1891. 

The    Paxton  Period 

The  permanent  location  of  the  seminary  had  not  been  determined. 
In  1860  a  tract  of  land  in  Grundy  county,  Iowa,  was  offered  on  condi- 
tion that  the  institution  be  located  there.  Of  this  tract  700  acres  was 
to  be  a  gift  to  the  school  and  2,640  acres  to  be  sold,  partially  for  its 
benefit.  The  land  being  found  unsuitable  for  the  purpose,  the  offer 
was  rejected,  but  other  tracts  in  the  same  locality  so  appealed  to  the 
investigators  that  they  recommended  the  founding  of  a  colony  in 
Butler,  Grundy  or  Black  Hawk  county,  Iowa,  and  the  removal  of  the 
seminary  to  the  locality  that  should  be  selected.  A  detailed  coloniza- 
tion plan  was  formulated,  a  site  was  selected  at  Applington,  Butler 
eounty,  and  purchasers  were  invited,  but  none  responded.  The  failure 
of  the  plan  was  charged  to  the  uncertain  business  conditions  incident 
to  the  Civil  War. 

Subsequently  the  directors  received  from  the  Illinois  Central 
Ry.  Co.  an  offer  of  5,000  acres  of  land  at  $6  per  acre,  and  a  commission 
of  one  dollar  per  acre  on  a  tract  of  20,000  acres  and  50  cents  on  an 
additional  40,000  acres  to  be  sold  through  their  efforts,  all  on  condition 
that  the  institution  be  located  at  some  station  along  the  Illinois 
Central  line. 

At  the  synodical  meeting  held  in  Chicago  June  23-29,  1863,  the 
removal  of  the  seminary  to  Paxton,  111.,  was  decided  upon,  an  agree- 
ment with  the  Illinois  Central  people  being  simultaneously  ratified. 
Pursuant  to  this  agreement  1,000  acres  of  land  had  already  been 
purchased  from  the  company  at  $6  per  acre,  and  the  directors  had 
been  given  the  agency  for  the  sale  of  30.000  acres  at  a  commission  of 
one  dollar  per  acre  and  an  additional  30.000  at  a  commission  of  50  cents 


THE    LUTHERANS 


per  acre.  The  board  bound  itself  to  dispose  of  10,000  acres  within  one 
year  from  the  signing  of  the  contract.  By  June  1st  four  thousand  acres 
had  been  sold  and  $2,350  in  commissions  had  been  received.  A  congre- 
gation had  been  organized  at  Paxton  and  a  schoolhouse  costing  $750 


M 

5 


O 

O 


had  been  purchased  for  the  use  of  the  seminary,  which  was  to  open 
there  in  the  fall.  About  the  middle  of  September  the  fall  term  opened. 
Owing  to  the  unfinished  condition  of  the  new  quarters,  Kev.  Hassel- 
quist  had  to  accommodate  the  students  for  the  first  two  months  in  his 
private  residence.  During  the  first  year  at  Paxton  the  seminary  was. 


AUGUST AN A    COLLEGE 


515 


attended  by  ten  students,  of  whom  seven  were  Swedes  and  three 
Norwegians. 

In  1865  the  institution  was  granted  a  special  charter  stipulating 
that  Augustana  Seminary  was  to  have  its  location  in  Paxton  or  its 
vicinity  and  might  own  $50,000  worth  of  property  free  of  taxation. 
In  1869  the  charter  was  amended,  changing  the  name  to  Augustana 
College  and  Theological  Seminary,  requiring  merely  that  its  location 
be  within  the  boundaries  of  the  state,  and  raising  the  limit  on  non- 
assessable property  to  $100,000. 

Instruction  was  given  in  college  classes  as  early  as  1866,  but  it 
was  not  till  ten  years  later,  in  1876,  that  a  senior  class  was  formed. 
From.  1863  to  1870  the  average  number  of  students  in  attendance 
was  about  35. 

In  1870,  following  the  friendly  separation  of  the  Norwegians  from 
the  synod,  new  by-laws  for  the  institution  were  adopted,  providing 
for  both  a  preparatory  and  a  complete  college  course  of  instruction  in 
addition  to  the  theological  course  comprising  two  years.  At  their 
withdrawal  the  Norwegians  received  the  sum  of  $10,000,  which  had 
been  collected  as  a  fund  for  the  establishment  of  a  Norwegian  pro- 
fessorship at  the  common  institution. 

The   RocK   Island   Period 

In  the  meantime  the  stream  of  Swedish  immigration  bore 
mainly  westward  and  northwest  from  Chicago.  The  plan  to  sur< 
round  the  institution  with  populous  Swedish  settlements  about 
Paxton  miscarried  and  the  desirability  of  a  more  central  location 
became  more  apparent  year  by  year.  The  matter  was  first  broached 
publicly  at  the  synodical  meeting  in  1868,  an  offer  of  $40,000  in  cash 
and  10  acres  of  ground  having  been  made  on  condition  that  the  school 
be  located  in  Geneseo.  Later  the  would-be  donors  went  back  on  their 
promise,  and  the  authorities  looked  about  for  some  other  acceptable 
location.  Five  years  passed  before  any  definite  step  was  taken.  Then 
Rock  Island  was  settled  upon  as  the  most  favorable  location  available, 
and  in  1873  a  tract  of  19  acres  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city  was 
purchased  for  $10,000. 

On  this  site  the  first  main  building,  a  brick  structure  with  three 
stories  and  basement,  was  erected  with  all  possible  expedition.  It  was 
completed  for  occupancy  in  the  summer  of  1875;  the  removal  of  the 
institution  took  place  at  that  time  and  instruction  was  begun  in  the 
new  college  building  at  the  opening  of  the  fall  term  in  September  of 
that  year.  In  addition,  two  frame  dwellings  were  built,  also  a  two- 
story  and  basement  brick  structure  for  the  use  of  the  president  and  the 


THE    LUTHERANS 


theological     classes.        The    cost    of    the    first    four     buildings     was 
$53,000. 

By  a  synodical  resolution  in  1873  every  adult  member  of  the 
synod  was  required  to  pay  25  cents  annually  toward  the  support  of 
the  institution. 


From  1868  to  1873  there  had  been  two  classes  in  the  preparatory 
department,  two  in  the  college  and  one  in  the  seminary.  The  latter 
year  a  third  college  class  was  added  and  the  year  after  a  third 


AUGUSTANA    COLLEGE 


517 


preparatory  class.  Two  years  later  the  fourth  or  senior  class  was  formed 
in  college  and  was  graduated  in  1877.  The  first  college  class  graduated 
from  Augustana  consisted  of:  Carl  Aaron  Swensson,  C.  J.  Petri, 
Matthias  Wahlstrom,  Constantine  M.  Esbjorn,  Joshua  Hasselquist  and 
J.  H.  Randahl. 

In  the  year  1879  Augustana  College  was  placed  on  the  same  level 
with  the  colleges  in  Sweden  by  act  of  the  Swedish  department  of 
ecclesiastics  granting  its  graduates  admittance  to  the  universities  of 
Upsala  and  Lund  without  examination. 

A  scientific  course  in  college  was  established  in  1880,  but  efficient 
instruction  in  the  natural  sciences  had  been  previously  given,  especially 
since  1878,  when  Josua  Lindahl,  a  well-known  scientist  of  Sweden,  was 
engaged  to  teach  that  branch.  He  occupied  the  chair  of  science  for 
ten  years,  until  his  appointment  in  1888  as  state  geologist  and  curator 
of  the  museum  at  Springfield. 

Gradually  the  institution  attracted  students  of  other  than  Swedish 
descent,  and  to  meet  their  needs  a  special  classical  course  without 
Swedish  was  introduced  in  1882. 

Prior  to  1885-6  female  students  were  rare  at  Augustana  and  were 
not  matriculated.  During  the  next  few  years  their  number  rapidly 
increased  and  co-education  became  an  established  fact.  The  principal 
impetus  was  the  establishment  of  the  conservatory  of  music  in  Janu- 
ary, 1886.  Two  years  later  there  was  added  a  commercial  department, 
named  Augustana  Business  College.  A  normal  department  followed  in 
1891  and  an  art  department  in  1895. 

The  original  plan  of  the  theological  seminary,  to  have  at  least 
three  professors,  one  for  each  of  the  leading  languages  used — Swedish, 
Norwegian  and  English — was  not  fully  realized  until  1868,  when  Rev. 
S.  L.  Harkey  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  the  English  language  and 
Rev.  A.  Wenaas  to  that  of  the  Norwegian.  When  the  synod  was  split 
in  1870  the  plan  had  to  be  completely  recast.  The  courses  were  grad- 
ually made  to  embrace  two  years,  and  from  1874  there  were  two 
regular  classes  in  the  seminary  up  to  1890,  when  the  university  plan 
was  adopted,  substituting  courses  for  classes.  The  number  of  courses, 
at  first  fourteen,  has  since  been  increased  to  twenty. 

In  the  college  proper  ten  departments  have  gradually  been  estab- 
lished, viz.,  Swedish,  English  and  philosophy,  Latin,  Greek,  modern 
languages,  Christianity,  history  and  political  science,  biology  and 
geology,  physics  and  chemistry,  and  mathematics  and  astronomy. 
Swedish  and  English  were  provided  for  in  the  original  plan.  Around 
the  Swedish  chair  clustered  Christianity,  German  and  the  classics,  and 
around  the  English  chair,  history,  philosophy,  mathematics  and  the 
sciences.  As  a  rule  these  subjects  were  taught  in  the  language  around 


THE    LUTHERANS 

which  they  were  grouped.     Post-graduate  courses  were  introduced  in 
the  college  in  1891  and  in  the  seminary  a  year  later. 

Within  ten  years  of  its  erection  the  first  college  building  became 
inadequate.  The  synod  in  1883  resolved  to  erect  a  new  main  building 
of  brick  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $55,000.  The  cornerstone  was  laid 
in  1884,  on  November  6th,  a  date  memorable  in  the  history  of  the 
Reformation.  A  total  of  $30,000  had  been  subscribed  and  the  next 
year  Mr.  P.  L.  Cable  of  Rock  Island  came  to  the  assistance  of  the 
synod  by  donating  the  sum  of  $25,000  to  the  building  fund. 
The  building  plans  were  then  changed  so  as  to  provide  for  stone 


Augustana    College   Chapel 

instead  of  brick  as  building  material,  thereby  adding  about  $30,000 
to  the  estimated  cost.  The  outer  shell  of  the  structure  having 
been  erected,  the  building  stood  thus  for  some  time  before  the  addi- 
tional funds  necessary  for  its  completion  could  be  raised.  This  was 
finally  accomplished,  and  early  in  1888  the  interior  of  the  new  building 
was  so  far  finished  that  the  class  rooms  could  be  occupied.  The  dedica- 
tion took  place  June  12,  1889.  In  1891  the  finishing  touches  were  put 
to  the  building  by  the  erection  of  the  cupola  and  the  portico. 

The  institution  has  always  been  open  to  students  without  regard 
to  language,  race,  nationality  or  creed.  Of  the  students  in  the 
theological  seminary  about  650  have  been  ordained  to  the  holy  ministry 
in  the  Augustana  Synod.  From  the  college  department  about  425  have 


AUGUSTANA    COLLEGE 


519 


been  graduated  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  or  B.  S.  The  commercial 
college  numbers  some  650  graduates,  the  conservatory  of  music  over 
40  and  the  normal  department  about  the  same  number.  During  the 
academic  year  ending  in  1907  the  total  attendance  was  570. 

As  recorded,  Prof.  L.  P.  Esbjorn  was  the  president  of  the  institu- 
tion during  the  first  three  school  years,  his  term  ending  by  resignation 
in  1863.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  T.  N.  Hasselquist,  who  served  for 
several  years  as  temporary  president  and  then  as  permanent  head  of 
the  institution  until  his  death  in  February,  1891.  His  successor  was 
Dr.  Olof  Olsson,  whose  services  were  determined  by  death  in  May, 
1900.  That  year  the  synod  called  to  the  presidency  Dr.  Carl  A.  Swens- 
son,  head  of  Bethany  College,  upon  whose  declination  Dr.  C.  W.  Foss, 
the  vice  president,  became  acting  president  for  the  year  1900-1901. 
In  June,  1901,  the  synod  elected  as  president  Dr.  Gustav  A.  Andreen 
of  Yale  University,  who  is  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office. 

Following  are  the  men  of  other  than  Swedish  descent  who  have 
been  connected  with  Augustana  as  professors  for  various  periods: 
Kev.  W.  Kopp,  1864-7 ;  Rev.  A.  Wenaas,  1868-70 ;  S.  L.  Harkey,  D.  D., 
1868-70 ;  Rev.  Henry  Reck,  A.  M.,  1873-81 ;  W.  F.  Eyster,  A.  M.,  1875- 
82 ;  R.  F.  Weidner,  D.  D.,  1882-94 ;  Rev.  G.  W.  Sandt,  A.  M.,  1884-88 ; 

A.  W.  Williamson,  Ph.  D.,  1880-1905;  Rev.  E.  F.  Bartholomew,  D.  D., 
Ph.  D.,  1888—. 

During  the  school  year  that  ended  in  the  spring  of  1908  the 
teaching  force  of  the  institution  in  its  entirety  consisted  of  a  faculty 
of  twenty-two  regular  professors,  besides  sixteen  instructors,  teachers, 
and  assistants.  The  regular  professors  are  here  given:  Rev.  Conrad 
Emil  Lindberg,  D.  D.,  R.  N.  0.,  vice  president,  professor  of  systematic 
theology,  hermeneutics,  liturgies,  apologetics  and  church  polity;  Rev. 
Carl  August  Blomgren,  Ph.  D.,  secretary,  professor  of  Hebrew,  Old 
Testament  introduction,  propaedeutics  and  English  homiletics ;  Claude 
W.  Foss,  Ph.,  D.,  professor  of  history  and  political  science;  Charles 
Linus  Eugene  Esbjorn,  A.  M.,  professor  of  modern  languages;  Rev. 
Edward  Fry  Bartholomew,  D.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  professor  of  English  literature 
and  philosophy;  John  August  Udden,  Ph.  D.,  F.  G.  S.  A.,  F.  A.  A.  A.  S., 
Oscar  II.  professor  of  natural  history;  Rev.  Nils  Forsander,  D.  D.. 
U.  N.  0.,  professor  of  historical  theology  and  Swedish  homiletics; 
Rev.  Sven  Gustaf  Youngert,  D.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  professor  of  philosophy, 
Greek  New  Testament  exegesis,  New  Testament  introduction  and 
catechetics;  Isaac  Morene  Anderson,  A.  M.,  professor  of  the  Greek 
language  and  literature;  Linus  Warner  Kling,  A.  M.,  professor  of  the 
Latin  language  and  literature ;  Rev.  Jules  Gothe  TJltimus  Mauritzson, 

B.  D.,  professor  of  the  Swedish  language  and  literature ;  Emil  Larson, 
professor  of  organ,  piano  and  theory,  director  of  conservatory;  Rev. 


520 


THE  LUTHERANS 


August  William  Kjellstrand,  A.  M.,  professor  of  English  in  the 
academy  and  assistant  professor  of  Latin ;  John  Peter  Magnusson,  Ph. 
D..  professor  of  physics  and  chemistry;  William  Emanuel  Cederberg, 


Augustana  College — Gustav  Andreen,  President 

B.  S.,  Ph.  B.,  professor  of  mathematics  ana  mechanical  drawing; 
Mrs.  Edla  Lund,  professor  of  voice,  sight  singing  and  ear  training; 
Olof  Grafstrom,  professor  of  painting  and  drawing;  Caleb  Larson 


OLOF   OLSSON 


521 


Krantz,  M.  Accts.,  professor  of  bookkeeping,  penmanship,  spelling, 
correspondence  and  grammar;  Andrew  Kempe,  A.  B.,  M.  Accts.,  LL.  B., 
professor  of  banking,  commercial  law,  bookkeeping,  civics  and  mathe- 
matics; Sigfrid  Laurin,  professor  of  piano;  Iva  Carrie  Pearce,  B.  E., 
professor  of  elocution  and  physical  culture ;  Gertrude  Housel,  professor 
of  violin  and  piano  and  director  of  orchestra.  The  total  enrollment 
for  the  school-year  of  1907-8  was  462,  the  number  of  male  students 
being  306  and  the  female,  156. 

Olof  Olsson,   Pastor,  E-ducator  and  Author 

Dr.  Olof  Olsson 's  chief  service  to  the  Swedish- Americans  was 
rendered  during  the  twenty-one  years  he  was  connected  with  Aug- 
ustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary.  His  pastoral  work  in  this 
country  was  performed  mostly  during  the  years  he  was  in  charge  of 
the  church  at  Lindsborg,  Kansas,  but  he  continued  to  be  an  influential 
preacher  in  the  Augustana  Synod  until  his  death.  Before  coming  to 
America  he  had  labored  fruitfully  as  a  minister  of  the  state  church 
for  more  than  five  years.  His  authorship,  which  consists  of  devotional 
works  or  books  of  travel  written  in  a  religious  vein,  is  mostly  the 
leisure  work  done  during  his  last  twenty  years,  yet  rank  with  the  best 
Swedish  literary  products  in  the  United  States. 

Olof  Olsson  was  a  native  of  Vermland,  Sweden,  born  at  Bjorntorp, 
Karlskoga  parish,  March  31,  1841.  Being  the  son  of  a  common  work- 
man in  the  iron  range,  the  boy  was  early  put  to  hard  work.  His 
parents  were  Pietists  of  the  strictest  sort,  who  brought  up  their  children 
according  to  Christian  precepts.  The  father  was  extremely  stern,  but 
the  mother's  milder  aspect  of  religion  enabled  her  to  make  it  attractive 
to  her  sons,  and  Olof  at  an  early  age  became  imbued  with  her  spiritual 
ardor.  He  was  studious  and  showed  decided  musical  talent,  wherefore 
he  was  placed  under  the  tutorship  of  Svante  Sedstrom,  organist  and 
cantor  of  Fredsberg  parish,  Vestergotland,  who,  being  a  man  of  liberal 
education,  took  his  apt  pupil  quite  a  little  way  in  his  studies.  Return- 
ing home  after  one  year,  he  much  preferred  his  books  to  manual  labor. 
About  this  time  Dr.  Fjellstedt  sent  out  ringing  appeals  for  pious 
young  men  to  dedicate  their  lives  to  work  in  the  foreign  missionary 
field,  and  after  a  talk  with  the  pious  divine  on  one  of  his  visits  to 
Vermland,  Olsson  entered  the  Fjellstedt  missionary  institute,  deter- 
mined to  devote  himself  to  work  among  the  heathen.  Friends  of  the 
family  and  brethren  in  the  faith  in  the  circle  of  evangelical  Pietists 
in  Karlskoga  promised  the  needed  support.  He  entered  the  school  in 
1858.  After  a  year  the  authorities  of  the  institution  concluded  to  send 
the  able  and  devout  young  student  to  the  missionary  institute  in 
Leipsic  to  complete  his  course.  But  the  stale  formalism  and  high- 


522 


THE  LUTHERANS 


church  orthodoxy  pervading  that  school  was  repulsive  to  him  and  he 
soon  returned  home  disheartened  and  with  shattered  ideals.  He  was 
engaged  for  a  short  time  as  teacher  at  an  orphanage  in  "Wall,  then 
went  to  Upsala,  determined  to  study  for  the  ministry  and  enter  the 
service  of  the  state  church  of  Sweden.  He  completed  the  college 
course  in  January,  1861,  and  the  divinity  studies  in  1863,  whereupon 


Rev.   Olof    Olsson 

he  was  ordained  in  December,  in  the  Upsala  Cathedral.  He  now 
served  in  turn  as  adjunct  pastor  in  Brunskog,  vice  pastor  in  Elga, 
pastor  at  the  Persberg  mines  and  mills  near  Filipstad  and  curate  in 
Sunnemo.  Olsson  proved  a  stirring  preacher,  whose  work  resulted  in 
notable  revivals,  wherever  he  was  stationed.  By  his  affiliation  with 
the  evangelistic  movement  promoted  by  the  Headers,  or  Devotionalists, 
he  won  the  favor  and  confidence  of  his  earnest  brethren  in  the  clergy, 
but  incurred  also  the  odium  of  the  worldly  class,  and  notwithstanding 


OLOF   OLSSON  523 

perceptible  pastoral  successes,  he  finally  became  discouraged  and  con- 
cluded that  true  gospel  work  could  hardly  be  carried  on  under  the 
trammels  of  the  state  church. 

To  escape  the  religious  restraint,  Olsson  resolved  to  emigrate,  and 
soon  headed  a  party  of  people  who  shared  his  sentiments  on  the  voyage 
to  the  New  World.  They  came  over  in  1869  and  founded  a  settlement 
in  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  now  known  as  Lindsborg.  Olsson 
became  their  pastor  and  served  as  their  spiritual  and  temporal  adviser 
for  seven  years.  Prior  to  his  coming  to  this  country,  he  had  familiar- 
ized himself  with  the  work  and  status  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  but 
thp  question  of  joining  that  body  was  left  open  for  the  time  being. 
It  was  not  long,  however,  until  he  and  his  church  joined  the  synod. 
While  at  Lindsborg,  Olsson  was  elected  superintendent  of  schools  of 
the  county  and  for  a  term  represented  the  district  in  the  Kansas 
legislature. 

After  a  few  years  Rev.  Olsson  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  synod 
to  the  extent  that  he  was  in  1875  called  to  a  chair  in  its  theological 
seminary  at  Rock  Island.  Accepting  the  proffered  position  he  entered 
upon  his  duties  as  an  educator  the  following  year.  He  taught  there 
for  twelve  years.  After  resigning  his  professorship  he  worked  for  a 
short  time  in  behalf  of  Bethany  College,  at  Lindsborg,  then  spent  one 
year  abroad  with  his  family,  consisting  of  three  daughters  and  one  son. 
His  wife,  Anna  Lovisa  Johnson,  whom  he  married  in  1864,  had  died  in 
1887.  Upon  his  return  Olsson  assumed  charge  of  the  church  in  Wood- 
hull,  111.,  but  a  position  of  greater  responsibility  was  soon  to  be  his. 
When  in  1891  death  removed  Dr.  Hasselquist  from  the  presidency  of 
Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary,  Olsson  was  the  logical 
successor.  He  was  called  by  the  board  as  acting  president  and  was 
unanimously  elected  president  of  the  institution  at  the  synodical 
meeting  the  same  year.  In  this  capacity  he  served  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  May  12,  1900. 

Without  a  great  deal  of  schooling,  Olsson  was  a  man  of  profound 
scholarship,  attained  by  constant  private  study,  travel  and  research, 
and  of  wide  knowledge  and  experience,  gained  in  the  great  school  of 
life.  Consequently,  when  in  1892  the  Augustana  College  board  con- 
ferred on  him  the  degree  of  D.  D.  and  Upsala  University  the  following 
year  that  of  Ph.  D.,  these  were  no  empty  honors.  Aside  from  his 
services  to  Augustana,  as  teacher  and  president,  Dr.  Olsson  rendered 
this  institution  valuable  services  in  soliciting  many  thousands  of 
dollars  for  its  maintenance.  Upon  his  return  from  a  European  trip 
in  1879  he  presented  several  new  ideas  applicable  to  the  work  of  the 
Augustana  Synod,  and  the  great  oratorio  festivals  at  Rock  Island  and 
Lindsborg,  the  Augustana  Conservatory  of  Music,  as  also  the  Angus- 


524 


THE   LUTHERANS 


tana  Hospital  in  Chicago,  were  realized  at  his  initiative.  During 
the  prevalent  defection  from  Lutheranism  to  Socinianism  in  the 
seventies,  Dr.  Olsson,  although  favoring  free  evangelism,  took  a  deter- 
mined stand  in  opposition  to  this  movement  on  doctrinal  grounds,  and 
but  for  him  the  synod's  loss  to  Waldenstrom 's  following  and  the 
Mission  Friends  in  general  would  unquestionably  have  been  much 
greater. 

In  the  character  of  Dr.  Olsson  the  qualities  of  the  heart  were  pre- 
dominant. He  was  a  man  of  intense  feeling,  a  warm  sentimentalist, 
with  a  temperament  oscillating  between  the  extremes  of  joviality  and 
melancholy.  He  knew  the  art  of  popularizing  his  learning.  His 
sermons  and  writings  were  on  a  level  with  the  intelligence  of  the  com- 
mon people  and  appealed  strongly  to  them.  His  books  were  published 
in  comparatively  large  editions,  enjoyed  great  popularity  when  first 
published,  and  they  are  still  extensively  read. 

The  following  are  the  published  works  of  Dr.  Olsson:  "Vid  kor- 
set, "  devotional;  "Det  kristna  hoppet,"  being  meditations  upon  the 
death  of  his  beloved  wife,  dedicated  to  her  memory;  "Helsningar 
fran  fjerran,"  his  first  book  of  travel,  dealing  with  his  trip  in  1879; 
"Nagot  om  kanslans  bildning";  "  Ref ormationen  och  socinianis- 
men";  "Vi  bekanna  Kristus";  "Till  Rom  och  hem  igen,"  1890, 
an  arraignment  of  Romanism  in  the  form  of  a  book  of  travel,  con- 
taining also  snatches  of  philosophy,  church  and  profane  history, 
descriptions  and  meditations  in  pleasing  profusion;  lastly,  a  post- 
humous volume  of  sermons  and  lectures,  1903.  Dr.  Olsson  possessed 
a  fascinating  literary  style,  and  his  writings,  like  his  public  addresses, 
abound  in  wit,  epigram,  delicate  sentiment  and  profound  thought. 

The    Illinois    Conference 

The  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  was  composed  of  Lutherans  of 
various  nationalities — Americansi  Germans,  Norwegians  and  Swedes. 
It  was  early  subdivided  into  two  districts,  the  Rock  River  and  the 
Chicago  conferences.  These  divisions  were  not  strictly  geographical 
but  based  largely  on  nationality,  the  Americans  and  Germans  being 
counted  with  the  former  and  the  Scandinavians,  or  rather,  the  Nor- 
wegians, with  the  latter;  for  the  district  comprised,  when  organized 
in  1851,  no  Swedish  minister  or  congregation.  Where  Rev.  Esbjorn 
and  his  churches  in  western  Illinois  should  belong  was  not  definitely 
stated,  but  at  the  second  synodical  convention,  held  in  1852,  a  third 
conference  district  was  formed,  to  be  known  as  the  Mississippi  Con- 
ference. The  pastors  Esbjorn  and  Hasselquist  and  the  licensed  preach- 
ers Valentin  and  Hokanson,  with  the  churches  in  their  charge,  con- 
stituted its  first  membership.  The  Swedish  churches  which  soon  came 


THE   ILLINOIS    CONFERENCE 


525 


into  existence  in  the  Chicago  Conference  were  added  to  the  Mississippi 
Conference.  Thus  the  former  came  to  be  all  Norwegian  and  the  latter 
all  Swedish.  But  the  two  held  point  conferences  annually,  wherein  the 
younger  Minnesota  Conference  soon  joined. 


The  meeting  of  the  Mississippi  Conference  held  at  Moline,  Jan.  6-9, 
1853,  was  the  first  Swedish  Lutheran  church  convention  in  America. 
The  delegates  in  attendance  were :  ministers,  Esbjorn,  Hasselquist  and 
Valentin;  laymen.  Samuel  Jonsson  of  Andover,  Johannes  Jonsson  of 
Knoxville  and  Carl  Lindman  of  Moline.  Of  two  other  meetings  held 
the  same  year,  at  Andover  and  Galesburg,  respectively,  no  minutes 


526  THE    LUTHERANS 

were  preserved.  The  joint  meeting  held  in  Chicago  Jan.  4-9,  1854,  by 
the  Mississippi  and  Chicago  conferences,  was  the  first  of  its  kind  and 
one  of  the  most  important  conventions  held  prior  to  1860.  The  lack 
of  ministers  being  one  of  the  most  pressing  needs  of  the  time,  a  remedy 
was  sought  in  two  ways — licensing  devout  and  able  lay  preachers  and 
calling  ministers  from  the  fatherland.  Before  going  abroad  for 
teachers  it  was  thought  best,  however,  to  organize  regular  congrega- 
tions. Many  and  widely  scattered  as  the  Swedish  settlements  were, 
this  work  could  not  be  accomplished  at  once  by  the  mere  handful  of 
Swedish  pastors  in  the  field,  but  the  plan  was  imparted  to  the  various 
communities  in  a  circular  letter.  At  this  stage  the  idea  of  the  con- 
ference calling  ministers  for  the  individual  churches,  as  set  forth  in 
the  plan,  was  probably  the  only  practicable  method,  and  this  was 
the  practice  for  a  number  of  years.  Later  the  choice  was  vested  in 
the  congregations  themselves.  The  license  system,  though  a  temporary 
expedient,  did  not  meet  the  needs,  and  was  gradually  abandoned.  In 
all  other  essentials,  this  meeting  committed  itself  to  the  principles  and 
practices  ever  since  generally  followed  among  the  Scandinavian  Luth- 
erans of  America. 

When  the  Mississippi  Conference  met  in  Andover  in  December  of 
the  same  year,  Dr.  Peter  Fjellstedt  of  Sweden  was  commissioned  to 
select  and  call  pastors  who  were  thought  willing  to  leave  their  country 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  their  scattered  countrymen  in  the  United  States. 
At  this  meeting  the  Andover  church  was  dedicated.  When,  at  a  joint 
conference  meeting  in  Waverly  (Leland),  111.,  in  October,  1855,  calls 
extended  to  ministers  in  the  old  country  were  found  to  have  elicited 
no  favorable  responses,  the  plan  to  educate  men  to  supply,  the  need 
was  first  suggested,  and  resolutions  were  passed  looking  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Scandinavian  professorship  at  the  theological  school 
maintained  at  Springfield  by  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois. 

At  a  joint  meeting  of  the  two  conferences  in  Chicago  March  18-23, 
1857,  it  was  decided  to  ask  the  churches  to  contribute  $25  each  per 
annum  toward  the  maintenance  of  the  proposed  professorship  and  to 
call  a  professor  as  soon  as  $500  had  been  raised.  The  other  important 
thing  done  at  this  time  was  the  adoption  of  a  proposed  constitution 
to  be  accepted  in  its  essential  parts  by  the  congregations  as  a  condition 
of  membership  in  the  conferences.  This  document,  submitted  by  L.  P. 
Esbjorn,  E.  Norelius,  Erland  Carlsson  and  0.  C.  T.  Andren,  and  chiefly 
the  work  of  Norelius,  committed  the  churches  to  the  unaltered  Augs- 
burg Confession  and  laid  down  the  law  for  church  government,  which, 
with  certain  alterations,  has  been  followed  by  the  Swedish  Lutherans 
generally  to  the  present  time.  In  September  of  the  same  year,  while 
assembled  at  Rockford,  the  conferences  elected  a  candidate  for  the 


Gethsemane  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  Chicago 


528  THE   LUTHERANS 

professorship,  subject  to  the  action  of  the  next  synodical  convention. 
Esbjorn  was  the  choice,  with  all  but  two  votes  cast  in  his  favor.  The 
lack  of  ministers  was  a  standing  topic  for  discussion  at  the  meetings. 
Calls  extended  to  clergymen  in  Sweden  were  continually  declined,  and 
the  education  of  its  own  pastors  had  become  an  imperative  condition 
for  the  progress  of  the  young  church. 

The  lack  of  unanimity  between  the  orthodox  and  the  New  Luther- 
ans of  the  synod  and  difficulties  which  hampered  the  work  of  Esbjorn 
at  the  seminary  in  Springfield,  prompted  the  organization  in  1860  of 
an  independent  Scandinavian  Lutheran  church  body  named  the  Augus- 
tana  Synod.  Prior  thereto  the  northern  part  of  the  Mississippi  Con- 
ference had  been  formed  into  a  separate  organization  named  the 
Minnesota  Conference.  With  this  exception  the  Mississippi  Conference 
comprised  the  entire  Swedish  Lutheran  field  in  the  United  States, 
mainly  the  settlements  in  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Iowa.  The  Swedes  and 
the  Norwegians  remained  one  synodical  body  until  1870,  when  their 
ways  parted.  The  separation  was  amicable  and  the  Norwegian 
brethren  withdrew  to  form  a  distinct  synod.  At  the  subsequent  sub- 
division of  the  Augustana  Synod  into  the  New  York,  Illinois,  Minn- 
esota, Iowa  and  Kansas  conferences,  the  Illinois  Conference,  whose 
territory  comprised  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan  and  the  southern  part 
of  Wisconsin,  became  the  natural  continuation  of  the  old  Mississippi 
Conference,  wherefore  the  origin  of  the  Illinois  Conference  is  dated 
back  to  1853. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  conference  under  its  new  name  in . 
August,  1870,  the  field  was  divided  into  two  districts  corresponding 
to  the  respective  territories  of  the  former  Chicago  and  Mississippi 
conferences.  In  1877  there  were  seven  districts  in  all,  and  after 
farther  growth  and  subdivision  thirteen  districts  now  compose  the 
conference. 

Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary  was  founded  in  the 
territory  of  this  conference,  which  has  always  contributed  the  greatest 
share  toward  the  support  of  the  school.  The  other  conferences,  having 
each  established  one  or  more  colleges  or  schools  of  their  own,  look 
to  the  Illinois  and  Iowa  conferences  to  furnish  the  main  support  of 
the  synodical  institution. 

This  conference  maintains  four  charitable  institutions  exclusively 
its  own,  namely,  the  Augustana  Hospital  in  Chicago,  orphans'  homes 
at  Andover  and  Joliet  and  the  Salem  Home  for  the  Aged,  also  at  Joliet. 

At  the  organization  meeting  of  the  Mississippi  Conference  divine 
services  were  held  once  in  the  English  language,  but  aside  from  the 
English  classes  in  the  Sunday  schools  the  Mrork  has  been  conducted 
almost  exclusively  in  the  Swedish  language  until  in  recent  years 


THE    ILLINOIS    CONFERENCE 


529 


several  congregations  worshiping  exclusively  in  the  language  of  the 
land  have  been  established.  Many  others  are  using  the  two  languages 
interchangeably,  as  a  concession  to  the  needs  of  the  younger  genera- 
tion. 


Trinity  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  Chicago 

For  the  first  few  years  of  the  conference  there  are  no  statistics. 
The  first  report  of  the  condition  of  the  treasury  is  found  in  the  minutes 
of  the  meeting  held  in  1867,  showing  $173.67  in  receipts  and  $76.10  in 
disbursements.  In  1871  there  were  41  congregations  with  a  total  mem- 
bership of  15,292,  the  result  of  about  20  years  of  work.  During  the 
next  period  of  18  years  there  was  an  increase  to  132  churches  and 
40,702  members,  as  shown  by  the  statistics  of  1889.  These  also  show 


530 


THE   LUTHERANS 


AUGUSTANA    HOSPITAL 


531 


the  value  of  church  property,  less  debts,  to  be  $642,500.  The  expenses 
and  contributions  for  all  purposes  aggregated  $200,000.  From  the 
statistics  of  1906  for  the  entire  conference  we  derive,  by  excluding  the 
six  conference  districts  lying  wholly  outside  the  state,  the  following 
data  relative  to  the  Swedish  Lutherans  in  Illinois :  number  of  congre- 
gations, 117 ;  members,  46,239 ;  value  of  church  property,  exclusive  of 
the  charitable  institutions,  $1,373,622;  debt  on  same,  $186,862;  local 
church  expenditures,  $285,568;  contributions  of  local  churches  to 
general  funds,  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  $16,318,  of  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference, $18,170;  expenditures  for  all  church  purposes  for  the  year, 
$320,057. 

The   Augustana    Hospital 

The  need  of  a  Swedish  hospital  was  early  felt  in  Chicago,  especially 
among  the  Swedish  Lutherans.  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  had  not  labored 
long  in  this  field,  when,  realizing  this  need,  he  established  a  private 
hospital  in  rented  quarters.  This  institution,  especially  designed  for 
sick  and  ailing  immigrants,  later  was  merged  with  the  hospital  estab- 
lished by  Dr.  Passavant.  The  great  fire  put  an  end  to  this  work  for 
many  years,  but  the  idea  of  a  Swedish  Lutheran  hospital  was  still  kept 
alive,  and  in  1880  the  first  step  toward  its  realization  was  taken. 

That  year  Dr.  O.  Olsson  in  a  newspaper  article  suggested  the 
establishment  of  a  deaconess  institute  in  connection  with  a  hospital 
after  the  pattern  of  benevolent  institutions  in  Germany,  which  country 
he  had  visited  the  year  before.  At  Dr.  Olsson 's  initiative  a  meeting 
to  discuss  the  matter  was  held  at  Moline  Nov.  6th  of  the  same  year. 
Then  and  there  a  committee  was  chosen  to  pave  the  way  for  the  enter- 
prise. Its  members  were,  Revs.  O.  Olsson,  G.  Peters,  C.  A.  Evald,  C.  P. 
Rydholm,  H.  O.  Lindeblad  and  Messrs.  Peter  Colseth  and  C.  G.  Timlin. 
They  were  instructed  to  make  inquiries  whether  one  or  two  deaconesses 
could  be  had  from  Stockholm,  also  to  advise  with  Dr.  Passavant  and 
to  negotiate  with  him  for  the  use  of  part  of  certain  grounds  in  Lake 
View  given  him  for  hospital  purposes.  Letters  containing  much  en- 
couragement and  some  cash,  the  latter  amounting  all  in  all  to  $161, 
were  received,  but  nothing  further  was  accomplished  up  to  February, 
1881,  when  the  question  was  taken  up  at  the  meeting  of  the  Illinois 
Conference  in  Chicago.  There  Rev.  C.  B.  L.  Boman  was  added  to  the 
committee  and  the  cause  was  recommended  to  the  congregations  as 
worthy  of  their  hearty  support.  In  October  the  committee  recom- 
mended Lake  View  as  the  location  of  the  future  institution  and  the 
conference  at  its  next  meeting  authorized  the  purchase  of  property 
in  that  part  of  Chicago  for  a  sum  not  to  exceed  $10,000.  But  up  to 
that  time  little  more  than  $600  had  been  received.  The  committee  was, 


532 


THE   LUTHERANS 


therefore,  given  the  alternative  of  starting  hospital  and  deaconess 
work  in  rented  quarters.  Dr.  Passavant,  while  warmly  favoring  the 
project,  was  constrained  to  decline  the  committee's  request  for  the 
purchase  of  any  part  of  the  ground  controlled  by  him,  but  he  offered 


Augustana    Hospital 

to  erect  thereon  a  building  for  $5,000  that  might  be  used  for  the 
purpose  in  question  almost  gratuitously  for  a  period  of  five  or 
ten  years. 

At  this  same  conference  meeting,  held  in  February,  1882,  the  first 
hospital  board  was   elected,   consisting   of  the   following:   ministers, 


AUGUSTANA    HOSPITAL 


533 


Erland  Carlsson,  0.  Olsson,  C.  B.  L.  Boman,  M.  C.  Ranseen;  laymen, 
C.  P.  Holmberg,  G.  A.  Bohman,  John  Erlander.  At  its  first  meeting, 
Feb.  13th,  incorporation  papers  were  made  out  and  the  following 
officers  chosen :  Erland  Carlsson,  president ;  0.  Olsson,  vice  president ; 
C.  B.  L.  Boman,  secretary,  and  C.  P.  Holmberg,  treasurer.  An 
executive  committee  was  made  up  of  the  president,  the  treasurer  and 
M.  C.  Ranseen,  as  the  third  member. 

By  New  Year's,  1884,  the  hospital  fund  amounted  to  about  $1,200. 
With  this  money  at  their  disposal  the  board  had  instructions  to  open 
the  institution  shortly  after  the  following  conference  meeting  in 
February.  On  Feb.  20th,  the  board  accepted  an  offer  from  Dr.  Passa- 
vant  to  the  effect  that  four  acres  of  the  hospital  grounds  in  Lake  View 
would  be  leased  to  them  for  twenty  years  and  a  building  for  $5,000 
to  $10,000  erected  for  their  use,  on  condition  that  the  new  hospital 
would  care  for  a  reasonable  proportion  of  the  patients  for  whom  Dr. 
Passavant  had  assumed  responsibility.  This  agreement  was  sanctioned 
by  the  conference  then  in  session.  The  constitution  adopted  at  this 
same  meeting  named  the  new  hospital  The  Deaconess  Institution  of 
the  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  defined  its  aim  and 
purpose  as  follows:  to  care  for  the  sick  according  to  the  Lord's  com- 
mand and  to  educate  and  train  Christian  nurses  of  the  evangelical 
Lutheran  faith. 

In  March,  1884,  the  homestead  of  Rev.  Carlsson,  located  at  Lincoln 
and  Cleveland  avenues,  was  secured  as  a  temporary  hospital,  at  a 
rental  of  $50  per  month,  Dr.  Truman  W.  Miller  was  selected  as  chief 
physician,  with  two  assistants,  and  on  May  28th  the  institution  was 
dedicated  and  formally  opened,  its  first  patient  being  a  Miss  Nibelius, 
who  broke  her  leg  in  stepping  off  the  street  car  which  brought  her  to 
attend  the  dedication. 

The  Deaconess  Institute  of  Stockholm  having  declined  to  send 
trained  deaconesses,  Mrs.  Hilda  Carlsson  was  appointed  matron  and 
Miss  Lottie  Freid  assistant,  the  latter  being  in  reality  the  first  nurse 
at  the  institution.  The  new  hospital  had  fifteen  beds,  which  were 
soon  occupied.  All  went  well  until  Oct.  29th,  when  a  disastrous  fire 
occurred,  stopping  operations  until  the  beginning  of  the  year  1885, 
when  the  building  was  again  occupied,  repairs  having  been  made  and 
one  story  added  to  the  building. 

In  September,  1884,  the  conference  rescinded  its  action  with 
respect  to  Dr.  Passavant 's  offer,  which  had  been  found  unsatisfactory. 
At  the  next  meeting  the  corporate  name  was  changed  to  The  Augustana 
Hospital  and  Deaconess  Institution. 

During  its  first  year  of  activity  the  hospital  had  a  total  of  35 


534 


THE   LUTHERANS 


patients,  18  being  charity  cases.  Up  to  February,  1885,  the  totals  of 
income  and  expenditure  for  the  hospital  balanced  at  about  $3,500. 

The  Carlsson  residence  had  been  leased  for  three  years  from 
February,  1885,  but  the  conference  was  desirous  that  property  should 
be  purchased  for  the  growing  institution.  In  October,  1886,  in  response 
to  inquiries,  Rev.  Carlsson  offered  his  propertjr,  consisting  of  the  house 
and  several  lots  at  Lincoln  and  Cleveland  avenues,  for  $35,000,  agree- 
ing to  donate  $1,000  of  the  amount.  The  offer  was  declined  for  the 
time  being,  and  later  four  lots  at  Larrabee  street  and  Belden  avenue 
were  purchased  from  a  real  estate  agent  for  $12,000.  By  a  singular 
coincidence  the  owner  had  simultaneously  sold  the  same  lots  for  $12,500 
to  another  party,  who  came  into  possession.  After  several  other  futile 
attempts  to  acquire  a  suitable  site,  Rev.  Carlsson 's  offer  was  accepted 
in  February,  1887.  He  demanded  payment  in  full  by  Feb.  23,  1889, 
and,  after  having  raised  $9,600  by  means  of  a  bazaar  and  other  sub- 
stantial amounts  through  subscriptions,  and  taken  a  loan  of  $20,000, 
the  directors  in  May,  1890,  paid  off  $14,176,  thereby  settling  in  full 
with  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson. 

In  the  spring  of  1890,  Drs.  Miller  and  his  assistants,  Chew  and 
Woodworth,  having  resigned,  Dr.  Charles  T.  Parkes  was  chosen  physi- 
cian and  surgeon  in  chief  and  Dr.  A.  J.  Ochsner  attending  physician 
and  surgeon.  Upon  the  death  of  Dr.  Parkes  one  year  later,  Dr.  Ochsner 
became  chief  of  the  medical  staff. 

About  this  time  a  donation  of  $5,000  was  received  from  Henry 
Melohn.  a  Dane,  the  gift  being  in  memory  of  his  Swedish  wife,  for 
whom  a  ward  in  the  hospital  has  been  gratefully  named.  In  1890 
115  patients  were  cared  for  and  the  accounts  for  the  year  showed  an 
income  of  $8,326,  exclusive  of  the  $20,000  loan,  and  an  expenditure  of 
$31,072,  including  the  last  payment  of  the  debt  to  Rev.  Carlsson,  $6,500 
on  redeemed  notes  and  $5,400  to  the  bank. 

In  view  of  the  urgent  need  of  increasing  the  capacity  of  the  institu- 
tion the  conference  in  1891  empowered  the  board  to  erect  a  new 
building  and  called  upon  the  members  of  the  churches  to  provide  the 
means  by  liberal  subscriptions.  The  result  was  a  disappointment,  only 
a  few  thousand  dollars  coming  in  through  that  channel. 

The  interest  of  the  women  of  the  conference  had  been  enlisted  in 
this  enterprise  from  the  start,  and  about  1890  a  ladies'  board  was 
organized  in  order  to  do  more  systematic  and  telling  work  in  behalf 
of  the  institution  and  to  superintend  its  household  affairs.  This  board 
consisted  of  the  following  named  ladies:  Mrs.  Emmy  Evald,  Mrs.  M.  C. 
Ranseen,  Mrs.  L.  G.  Abrahamson,  Mrs.  J.  Blomgren,  Mrs.  E.  Olson  and 
Mrs.  P.  Johnson.  Another  agency  doing  efficient  service  for  the 


AUGUSTAN  A    HOSPITAL  535 

hospital  was  "The  Good  Samaritan,"  a  Swedish  quarterly,  published 
in  its  behalf. 

Undismayed  by  the  lack  of  means,  the  board  through  its  building 
committee  proceeded  to  have  a  new  building  erected.  Ground  was 
broken  Oct.  22,  1892,  and  on  Feb.  12th  the  following  winter  the  corner- 
stone was  laid.  The  building,  designed  as  a  part  of  the  future  hospital 
structure,  was  to  be  62  by  84  feet,  6  stories  high,  with  basement,  built 
of  iron,  brick  and  stone,  at  a  cost  of  $85,000,  and  to  provide  room  for 
125  beds.  A  loan  of  $50,000  was  taken  and  through  a  bazaar  held  in 
April,  1893,  an  additional  $5,749  was  realized.  In  the  early  fall  the 
building  was  finished  and  its  dedication  took  place  Sept.  17th.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  the  total  resources  were  $122,390  and  the  liabilities 
$65,825. 

The  records  for  1893  show  267  patients,  providing  an  income  of 
$5,668,  but  at  this  point,  after  the  completion  of  the  new  building,  a 
period  of  greater  prosperity  ensued.  In  1895  the  corresponding  figures 
were  721  and  $21,170,  and  the  institution  again  began  to  be  crowded 
for  room.  By  housing  the  nurses  in  the  old  building  and— in  rented 
quarters  and  by  adding  several  wards,  the  capacity  of  the  hospital  was 
substantially  increased.  In  1897  the  number  of  patients  passed  the 
thousand  mark  and  three  years  later  it  reached  1,500. 

In  1902  the  board,  being  pressed  for  room  to  accommodate  the 
ever  increasing  number  of  patients,  recommended  the  completion  of 
the  hospital  building  according  to  the  original  plan.  With  the  sanction 
of  the  conference  the  directors  took  the  necessary  steps  but  a  bitter 
fight  waged  on  those  in  control  intervened,  delaying  building  opera- 
tions until  late  in  the  following  year. 

This  fight  ensued  when  in  July,  1902,  Dr.  M.  C.  Ranseen  was  called 
as  superintendent  of  the  institution  and  Rev.  Henry  0.  Lindeblad,  who 
had  acted  as  chaplain  and  solicitor  since  January,  1898,  resigned, 
protesting  that  he  had  been  called  to  that  position  and  had  in  fact 
served  as  superintendent.  To  his  grievance  was  added  that  of  Dr.  C. 
O.  Young,  since  January,  1898,  attending  physician,  who  raised  a 
variety  of  complaints.  In  December  a  special  conference  meeting  was 
held,  at  which  these  grievances  were  aired  for  days  in  heated  and 
acrimonious  debate.  The  outcome  was  that  Rev.  Lindeblad  obtained 
a  nominal  vindication,  but  without  reinstatement,  Dr.  Young's  connec- 
tion with  the  hospital  was  severed  by  the  board  and  Dr.  Ranseen 
resigned  the  superintendeney  before  having  fully  entered  upon  his 
new  duties.  The  struggle  seemed  to  accentuate  the  fact  that  capable 
management  on  the  part  of  the  board  and  the  efficient  service  of  Dr. 
Ochsner,  a  surgeon  of  high  repute,  have  been  the  chief  factors  in  the 
upbuilding  and  maintenance  of  the  institution. 


536 


THE    LUTHERANS 


The  storm  over,  building  operations  were  begun  in  August,  1903, 
and  about  Dec.  1,  1904,  the  annexed  structure  was  ready  for  occupancy, 
giving  the  hospital  a  total  capacity  of  220  beds.  The  additional 
structure,  completing  the  building  as  originally  planned,  was  finished 
at  a  cost  of  about  $100,000. 

In  1902  the  debt  on  the  old  structure  was  wiped  out,  but  on  the 
new  building  a  debt  of  $100,000  was  incurred.  This  is  being  gradually 
reduced. 

In  1894  a  training  school  for  nurses  was  opened,  comprising  a  two 
years'  course,  and  in  1896  the  first  class  of  trained  nurses,  eight  in 
number,  was  graduated.  This  school  heretofore  has  taken  the  place 
of  the  deaconess  institute  originally  contemplated  and  implied  in  the 
corporate  name. 

In  the  natural  course  of  development  the  Augustana  Hospital  has 
ceased  to  be  an  exclusive  retreat  for  patients  of  a  particular  faith  or 
nationality  and  become,  as  it  is  today,  a  hospital  for  the  general  public,, 
pervaded,  however,  by  the  religious  influences  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church.  _ 

The  men  who  have  remained  longest  on  the  board  and  given  the 
institution  the  most  efficient  and  faithful  service  in  that  capacity  are: 
Dr.  M.  C.  Ranseen,  who  has  been  on  the  board  since  1882,  with  the 
exception  of  three  years,  1902-5;  Dr.  C.  A.  Evald,  from  1884  to  the 
present;  Dr.  L.  G.  Abrahamson,  from  1886  to  the  present;  Samuel 
Anderson,  1890-94  and  from  1898  to  the  present;  Theodore  Freeman, 
from  1892  to  the  present,  and  Rev.  M.  Frykman,  from  1895  to  the 
present. 

The  training  school  for  nurses  at  present  has  an  enrollment  of  75. 
It  is  in  charge  of  Miss  Lila  P.  Pickhardt,  the  head  nurse,  and  her  assist- 
ant, Miss  Johanna  Nelson.  The  course  now  covers  a  period  of  three 
years  and  since  the  first  graduation  in  1896  177  nurses  have  received 
diplomas.  A  number  of  these  hold  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility 
in  various  hospitals. 

In  1904  Rev.  Dr.  M.  Wahlstrom,  president  of  Gustavus  Adolphus 
College,  was  called  as  superintendent.  Having  resigned  his  former 
position,  he  assumed  his  new  office  in  September.  With  the  duties  of 
superintendent  are  combined  those  of  chaplain  of  the  institution. 

The  present  hospital  staff  numbers  sixteen  physicians  and  surgeons, 
all  of  whom  are  either  specialists  or  medical  men  of  large  experience. 
Besides  these,  seven  internes  and  ten  externes  serve  as  assistants  to  the 
doctors  in  charge. 

The  growth  of  the  institution  in  the  last  few  years  is  indicated 
by  these  figures: 

In  1904  1,739  patients  were  cared  for  and  the  income  from  paying- 


ORPHANS'  HOME,  ANDOVER 


537 


patients  was  $57,699.  In  1905,  after  the  completion  of  the  building,  the 
number  of  patients  grew  to  2,205  and  the  income  from  that  source  to 
$80,394.  The  corresponding  figures  for  the  year  1906  were,  2,353 
patients  and  cash  from  patients,  $96,752. 

Since  the  founding  of  the  hospital  its  principal  support,  aside  from 
current  income,  has  been  derived  from  the  following  sources:  church 
bazaars,  more  than  $35,000;  donations  and  legacies  about  $80,000,  the 
largest  amount  willed  to  the  institution  being  $20,000  from  Thomas  D. 
Lowther.  In  the  first  quarter  century  of  its  existence,  the  total 
earnings  of  the  hospital  through  the  treatment  and  care  of  patients 
foot  up  to  about  half  a  million  dollars. 

Tine   Orphans'   Home  at  Andover 

Three  years  after  its  organization  the  Augustana  Synod  took  up 
the  question  of  founding  a  home  where  poor  orphans  might  be  cared 
for  and  given  a  Christian  bringing  up.  The  decision  to  establish  such 
an  institution  was  reached  at  the  Chicago  convention  of  the  synod  in 
1863.  A  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  solicit  funds,  purchase 
land  near  Paxton  and  carry  out  the  plan.  Within  the  next  two  years 
$3,000  were  raised  and  a  160  acre  farm  was  purchased  for  $3,520. 
Cultivation  of  the  land  had  begun  when  in  1867  the  orphanage  com- 
mittee was  instructed  to  sell  this  farm,  secure  a  more  favorable  location 
for  the  proposed  home  near  Andover  or  Swedona  and  open  the  institu- 
tion, if  practicable,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  As  a  temporary 
arrangement  a  two  story  house,  18  by  28  feet,  was  erected  on  an  acre 
lot  near  Swedona  and  the  home  was  opened  at  the  time  designated, 
with  S.  P.  Lindell  and  wife  in  charge.  During  the  first  year  they  had 
three  wards  under  their  care.  In  1870  a  farm  two  miles  from  Andover 
was  purchased  for  $5,150.  Here  the  orphanage  was  permanently 
located  shortly  afterward.  Additional  land  purchases  were  made  until 
the  farm  comprised  440  acres,  valued  at  over  $40,000.  In  1902  the  total 
property  value  was  $47,930,  but  the  institution  was  burdened  with  a 
debt  of  $11,000. 

At  its  Jamestown  convention  in  1876  the  Augustana  Synod  turned 
the  establishment  over  to  the  Illinois  Conference,  which  from  that  time 
has  been  responsible  for  its  administration.  When  the  exigencies 
required  the  building  of  a  schoolhouse  the  Sunday  schools  were 
appealed  to  for  the  funds  needed.  The  response  was  generous,  and 
from  that  time  the  home  has  had  a  substantial  annual  income  from 
the  mites  contributed  by  and  through  the  Sunday  school  pupils  in  a 
similar  manner.  By  1880  the  number  of  children  at  the  home  had 
reached  40,  overtaxing  the  house  first  erected,  wherefore  a  new  build- 
ing was  put  up  the  following  year,  costing  $3,364.  In  1902  an  annex 


538 


THE   LUTHERANS 


was  added  at  a  cost  of  $7,746,  a  building  strictly  modern  in  construction 
and  equipment. 

Mr.  Lindell  served  as  superintendent  of  the  home  until  his  death 
in  1881.  His  successor  was  J.  S.  Swenson,  who  served  for  eight  years. 
Thereafter  frequent  changes  in  the  management  have  taken  place.  The 


control  of  the  institution  is  vested  in  a  board  of  nine  directors  chosen 
by  the  Illinois  Conference.  The  number  of  orphans  in  the  care  of  the 
home  is  about  seventy,  and  its  present  superintendent  is  Rev.  A.  G. 
Ander.  The  annual  disbursements  for  the  home,  according  to  a  late 
report,  aggregate  $8.000  and  the  net  present  worth  exceeds  $43.000. 


ORPHANS'  HOME,  JOUET 


539 


The  Orphans'  Home  and  Industrial  School  at  Joliet 

In  1887  the  Illinois  Conference,  after  having  found  the  Andover 
orphans'  home  inadequate  to  the  growing  needs,  took  preliminary  steps 
toward  increasing  its  facilities  for  taking  care  of  the  helpless  young. 
A  committee  then  appointed  reported  at  the  following  annual  meeting, 
submitting  a  plan,  whereupon  the  conference  resolved  to  found  a  second 
orphanage  and  instructed  the  committee  to  select  a  suitable  site.  In 
1889,  at  the  annual  conference  in  Joliet,  it  was  proposed  to  locate  the 
new  orphans'  home  within  the  territory  of  either  the  Chicago  or  the 


Mill 


Orphans'    Home,    Joliet 

Rockford  district,  whose  respective  churches  were  asked  to  submit 
offers  for  securing  the  institution  in  their  immediate  neighborhood. 
No  definite  offers  were  submitted  until  1891,  when  an  advantageous 
bid  was  reported  from  Joliet.  It  was  then  resolved  to  locate  the  home 
at  Joliet  and  put  up  a  $15,000  building,  $8,000  having  been  pledged 
by  the  city,  the  remainder  to  be  raised  within  the  conference. 

A  set  of  seven  directors  now  elected  reported  progress  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  1892.  Work  on  the  new  building  had  been  begun, 
and  on  the  9th  of  August  following,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Dr. 
L.  Gr.  Abrahamson,  president  of  the  conference.  On  May  26,  1896,  the 
building  having  been  completed  by  slow  stages,  according  as  the  means 
could  be  raised,  the  institution  was  dedicated  to  its  purpose  under  the 
corporate  name  of  The  Orphan  Home  and  Industrial  School  of  the 


540  THE   LUTHERANS 

Illinois  Conference  of  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Augustana 
Synod.  On  Feb.  llth,  a  few  months  prior,  it  had  been  opened  for  the 
reception  of  wards.  Sister  Frida  Schelander,  who  had  been  trained  at 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  Deaconess  Institute  in  Omaha,  was  secured  as 
superintendent  of  the  home.  During  the  first  year  she  had  22  orphans 
under  her  care.  The  number  has  since  grown  to  nearly  one  hundred. 
The  full  capacity  being  already  taxed,  the  directors  are  constrained  to 
refuse  a  large  number  of  applications  for  admission  every  year. 

The  home  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a  parklike  spot  a  short  distance 
outside  the  city  of  Joliet,  with  which  it  has  excellent  connections  by 
means  of  a  street-railway  line  and  a  good  driveway. 

The  treasurer's  report  of  1907  shows  disbursements  for  current 
expenses  for  the  year  last  past  aggregating  $8,000.  From  partly  paying 
inmates  the  home  had  an  income  of  $2,000.  The  grounds  of  the  institu- 
tion are  valued  at  $25,000  and  the  total  net  worth  is  about  $30,000. 

The  Salem  Home  for  tbie  Aged  at  Joliet 

The  Salem  Home,  at  Joliet,  111.,  which  is  an  old  age  retreat  for  the 
worthy  poor  among  the  Swedish  Lutherans,  is  the  most  recent  chari- 
table institution  established  by  the  Illinois  Conference.  In  1903  the 
need  of  such  a  home  was  officially  recognized  by  the  conference  in  the 
appointment  of  a  committee  to  solicit  funds  and  prepare  tentative  plans, 
and  to  report  to  the  conference  at  the  subsequent  meeting.  Certain 
property  was  offered  by  parties  in  Chicago  on  condition  that  the  insti- 
tution be  located  in  that  city,  and  other  conditional  donations  were 
promised.  As  locations  were  suggested  Joliet  and  West  Irving  Park, 
Chicago.  This  being  reported,  the  conference  in  1904  definitely 
decided  that  an  old  people's  home  should  be  established,  but  left  it 
with  another  committee  to  propose  the  location  and  continue  the 
preparatory  work.  The  following  year  it  was  resolved  to  locate  the 
new  institution  adjacent  to  the  orphans'  home  in  Joliet,  on  ground 
belonging  thereto.  By  February,  1906,  some  three  thousand  dollars 
had  been  raised  and  the  committee  in  charge  accepted  plans  for  the 
proposed  building,  a  two-story  building  with  basement,  30  by  86  feet, 
to  contain  thirty  rooms.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  May  6,  1906, 
during  the  conference  meeting  held  that  year  at  Joliet.  A  permanent 
board  of  directors  was  elected,  with  instructions  to  complete  the 
building  at  an  added  cost  not  to  exceed  $12,000,  and  to  prosecute  the 
work  of  soliciting  funds  so  that  the  institution  should,  if  possible,  be 
completed  without  debt.  In  the  fall  of  1906,  the  exterior  of  the 
building  was  completed,  the  total  cost  so  far  being  $9,500.  In  May, 
1907,  the  conference  authorized  the  board  to  take  a  loan  of  $5,000  in 
order  to  complete  the  interior  and  put  the  building  in  condition  for 


THE    AUGUSTANA    SYNOD 


541 


occupancy  without  further  delay,  and  early  in  the  present  year  the 
Salem  Home  welcomed  its  first  inmates.  By  resolution  of  the  con- 
ference in  May,  1908,  the  home  for  the  aged  and  the  orphanage  were 
placed  under  one  board  of  management.  The  object  of  the  institution 
is  to  provide  and  maintain  a  Christian  home  for  worthy  old  people, 
with  preference  given  to  members  of  the  Illinois  Conference. 

The    Augustana   Synod 

The  relation  existing  between  the  Illinois  (Mississippi)  Conference 
and  the  Augustana  Synod,  of  which  it  is  now  but  a  part,  reminds  one 
of  the  adage,  "The  child  is  father  of  the  man,"  for  the  greater  of  these 
bodies  is  virtually  the  product  of  the  smaller. 

Pursuant  to  a  resolution  passed  at  the  common  convention  of  the 
Chicago  and  Mississippi  Conferences  in  Chicago,  the  Scandinavian 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Augustana  Synod  of  North  America  was  organ- 
ized June  5,  1860,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church 
of  Jefferson  Prairie,  Kock  county,  Wisconsin.  Delegates  were  present 
from  the  aforesaid  conferences  and  from  the  Minnesota  Conference, 
forty  all  told.  The  numerical  strength  of  the  new  organization  at  the 
time  is  shown  by  the  following  figures :  Swedish — 36  congregations, 
3,753  communicants,  17  ministers ;  Norwegian — 13  congregations,  1,220 
communicants,  10  ministers,  making  a  total  of  49  congregations,  4,967 
communicants  and  27  ministers.  There  were  21  Swedish  and  8  Nor- 
wegian church  edifices. 

The  next  synodical  convention  of  great  importance  was  that  of 
1870,  at  Andover.  After  having  worked  together  in  harmony  for  a 
decade,  the  Swedish  and  Norwegian  brethren  now  decided  upon  a 
friendly  separation.  The  growth  of  the  synod  and  the  complexity  of 
work  seemed  to  both  sides  to  demand  such  a  step,  while  all  were  agreed 
that  the  union  had  lent  strength  to  the  synod  in  its  early  stages.  In 
the  official  name  of  the  Augustana  Synod  the  word  "Swedish"  was 
substituted  for  "Scandinavian,"  and  the  new  body  was  named  the 
Norwegian-Danish  Augustana  Synod.  To  preserve  amicable  relations 
between  the  sister  synods  it  was  resolved  that  each  send  representatives 
to  the  conventions  of  the  other ;  that  neither  should  admit  ministers  or 
congregations  to  membership  except  by  mutual  agreement,  and  that 
in  places  where  the  Scandinavians  were  few  in  number  all  be  recom- 
mended to  join  one  local  church,  be  it  Swedish  or  Norwegian.  At  this 
convention  also  was  adopted  a  constitution  for  the  congregations  in  all 
its  essentials  corresponding  to  the  one  adopted  by  the  Chicago  and 
Mississippi  conferences  in  1857. 

The  progress  made  during  the  past  ten  years  was  shown  in  figures, 
as  follows:  congregations — Swedish.  99,  Norwegian,  30,  mixed.  13. 


542 


THE    LUTHERANS 


total,  152;  communicants — Swedish,  16,376,  Norwegian,  1,784,  total, 
18,160;  general  membership — Swedish,  26,322,  Norwegian,  2,880,  total, 
30,555;  church  edifices,  76  in  all;  ministers — Swedish,  46,  Norwegian 
27,  total,  73. 

In  1870  three  new  conferences  were  organized  as  integral  parts 
of  the  synod.  This  meant  a  decentralization  of  power  and  entailed  a 
change  in  the  plan  of  operation,  so  much  of  the  authority  of  the  synod 
being  vested  in  the  subordinate  bodies  as  almost  to  make  them  co- 
ordinated district  synods.  Prior  to  this,'  all  mission  work  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  central  mission  board,  and  the  various  institutions  were  un- 
der synodical  control,  but  after  the  change  in  the  direction  of  Congre* 
gationalism  the  bulk  of  the  mission  work  was  left  to  the  conferences,  as 
were  also  existing  educational  and  charitable  institutions,  except 
Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary,  together  with  authority 
to  establish  and  maintain  new  ones,  and  sole  responsibility  for  the 
same;  the  power  of  exercising  church  discipline  as  well  as  the  duty 
of  installing  pastors  and  dedicating  churches  was  transferred  from  the 
synodical  to  the  conference  officials,  the  right  of  ordination  alone 
being  reserved  by  the  synod.  The  real  or  apparent  need  of  these 
constitutional  changes  lay  in  the  growth  of  the  synod  far  beyond  the 
bounds  of  expectation  and  the  local  needs  arising  from  changing  con- 
ditions. The  loss  by  the  separation  in  1870  was  more  than  made  up 
by  the  organization  of  the  three  new  subdivisions,  the  Iowa,  Kansas 
and  New  York  conferences. 

The  growth  and  activity  of  the  synod  will  appear  from  the  follow- 
ing concentrated  statistics,  exclusive  of  the  Norwegian  element  of  the 
first  decade : 

Statistics  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  I860— 19O6 


Year 

Minis- 
ters 

Congre- 
gations 

Church 
B'ld'gs 

Commu- 
nicants 

Total 
Membe 
ship 

General 
Contri- 
butions 

Local  Ex- 
penditures 

Total  Dis- 
bursements 

1860 

17 

36 

21 

3,753 

Not  Known 

$        622 

$           8,549 

$          9,171 

1870 

46 

99 

51 

16,376 

26,322 

7,38l 

124,707 

132,088 

1880 

147 

332 

226 

41,976 

74,7i6 

36,757 

217,155 

253>912 

1890 

325 

637 

499 

84,583 

145,503 

75,467 

552,986 

628,453 

1900 

449 

921 

781 

121,446 

201,100 

154,887 

794,977 

949,864 

1906 

558 

1,049 

9°3 

154,39° 

243,705 

212,190 

1,338,193 

1,550,383 

The  synod  has  sixteen  benevolent  institutions  worth,  less  debts, 
$570,000,  and  nine  educational  institutions  whose  net  present  worth 
aggregates  $825,000.  Two  schools  have  been  discontinued,  namely, 


THE    AUGUSTANA    SYNOD 


543 


Hope  Academy,  located  at  Moorhead,  Minn.,  and  Martin  Luther  Col- 
lege, at  Chicago.  The  total  value  of  church  property,  according 
to  the  statistics  for  1906,  was  $7,290,162,  and  debt  on  same  was 
$849,682,  showing  a  net  worth  of  $6,440,480. 

The  Augustana  Synod  now  comprises  eight  conferences,  the 
Nebraska  Conference  having  been  organized  in  1886,  and  the  Columbia 
and  California  conferences  in  1893.  In  addition,  mission  work  is 
carried  on  in  three  large  districts,  known  as  the  Utah,  Montana  and 
Alabama  mission  districts.  Rounding  out  the  figures,  we  fi*id  that  in 
a  period  of  fifty  years  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  America  grew 
to  one  thousand  congregations,  served  by  five  hundred  ministers, 
and  that  this  church  body  now  contributes  annually  more  than  one 
and  one-half  million  dollars  to  Christian  work. 


The  Swedish  Baptist  Church 

Earliest    Known    Swedish    Baptists 

NDIVIDUAL  Swedish  Baptists  are  known  to  have  lived 
and  labored  in  the  United  States  long  before  any  Baptist 
church  of  the  Swedish  nationality  was  organized  here 
or  in  the  old  country.  As  they  were  affiliated  with  the 
general  Baptist  congregations  in  the  localities  where 
they  happened  to  live,  there  is  no  special  record  of  them,  except  as  they 
asserted  themselves  through  religious  activity.  The  first  of  whom  we 
have  any  record  was  one  Robert  Nordin.  In  their  writings  on  Swedish 
Baptist  history  A.  G.  Hall  and  G.  W.  Schroeder  make  no  reference 
to  him,  but  from  other  sources  we  learn  that,  he  came  over  from  Eng- 
land to  West  Virginia  as  early  as  1714  and  there  preached  the  gospel 
until  his  death  in  1735.  The  second  of  these  isolated  Swedish  Baptists 
to  be  historically  traced  is  John  Asplund.  A  Swede  by  birth,  he  went 
to  England  in  1775  and  served  in  the  British  navy,  deserting  which  he 
came  over  to  North  Carolina.  There  he  joined  the  church  at  Ballard's 
Bridge,  and  soon  afterward  removed  to  Southampton  county,  where  he 
was  ordained.  More  than  a  century  ago,  when  Washington  served  his 
first  term  as  president  of  the  United  States,  Asplund  traveled  seven 
thousand  miles  in  eighteen  months,  mostly  on  foot,  through  all  the 
states  and  territories  of  the  newly  formed  Union,  collecting  facts  and 
statistics  of  the  American  Baptist  churches,  which  he  first  published 
in  a  yearbook  in  1790.  This  work,  entitled  the  "Baptist  Register,"  and 
forming  an  invaluable  record  of  the  Baptist  denomination  for  that 
period,  was  afterwards  issued  in  revised  editions  for  several  years  in 
succession,  up  to  and  including  1794.  Of  his  first  published  register 
or  yearbook  only  two  copies  are  known  to  be  in  existence,  and  copies 
of  those  for  the  following  years  are  very  rare.  The  two  original  copies 
are  preserved  in  the  archives  of  Colgate  University.  John  Asplund 
lived  for  many  years  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  labored  as- 
siduously in  behalf  of  the  church.  He  settled  lastly  in  Maryland,  and 
met  his  death  in  Virginia  in  1807,  being  accidentally  drowned  in  at- 
tempting to  cross  Fish  Creek. 


EARLIEST    BAPTISTS 


545 


For  almost  forty  years  following  the  death  of  John  Asplund,  we 
have  no  record  of  any  Swedish  Baptist,  until  Gustavus  W.  Schroeder, 
then  a  sailor  before  the  mast  and  later  a  sea-captain,  was  baptized  in 
New  York  City.  "When  I  became  a  Baptist,"  says  Captain  Schroeder 
in  his  memoirs,  "I  did  not  know  of  the  existence  of  another  Swedish 
Baptist  in  the  whole  world."  The  erroneous  supposition  that  he  was 
the  first  Swedish  Baptist  known,  Schroeder  himself  corrects  by  refer- 
ence to  the  aforementioned  John  Asplund. 

Gustavus  W.  Schroeder,  while  on  a  voyage  from  New  York  to  New 
Orleans,  was  converted  in  April,  1844,  through  Methodist  agencies,  in 
the  latter  city.  His  purpose  was  to  join  a  Methodist  church  in  New 
York  after  his  return  from  a  subsequent  voyage  to  England.  In  the 
meantime,  the  articles  of  faith  and  practice  issued  from  the  Baptist 
Seamen's  Bethel  in  New  York  won  him  over  to  the  views  therein  ex- 
pressed, and  on  Nov.  3,  1844,  he  was  baptized  in  East  River,  near 
Corlear's  Hook,  and  became  a  member  of  the  Seamen's  Bethel,  sub- 
sequently known  as  the  First  Baptist  Mariners'  Church,  and  its  house 
of  worship  as  the  Mariners'  Temple.  In  1894,  fifty  years  later,  the 
Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  New  York  celebrated  the  third  of  Novem- 
ber as  a  day  of  jubilee,  in  commemoration  of  the  event.  Schroeder, 
although  brought  in  touch  quite  extensively  with  the  Swedish  Baptists, 
both  in  this  country  and  in  Sweden,  has  remained  almost  continuously 
a  member  of  the  American  Baptist  Church. 

Prior  to  1853,  probably  for  a  number  of  years,  one  John  Akerblom, 
a,  well  to  do  Swede,  was  a  deacon  and  an  influential  member  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  A  Swedish  nobleman,  one 
€ount  Piper,  and  a  daughter  of  Katharina  Broberg,  one  of  Sweden's 
pioneer  Baptists,  both  were  members  of  American  Baptist  churches  in 
New  York  at  an  early  date.  Captain  Schroeder  states  that,  having  be- 
come a  Christian,  his  first  desire  was  to  go  to  Sweden  to  make  known 
his  new  religious  views  among  relatives  and  friends ;  but  heretofore  no 
one  of  these  pioneer  Swedish  Baptists,  as  far  as  known,  had  undertaken 
to  labor  especially  among  their  own  countrymen. 

The  founder  of  the  first  Swedish  Baptist  church  in  America  was 
still  to  come.  This  was  Gustaf  Palmquist,  a  former  schoolmaster,  who 
came  over  in  1851  and  joined  the  American  Baptist  Church  in  Gales- 
burg  the  year  following.  He  was  soon  after  engaged  by  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  to  missionate  among  his  fellow- 
countrymen  and  was  instrumental  in  organizing  at  Eock  Island,  111., 
the  first  Swedish  Baptist  church  in  the  United  States.  The  first  Baptist 
church  on  Swedish  soil  had  been  organized  just  four  years  prior,  and 
Palmquist  had  inclined  to  Baptist  views  before  emigrating.  Five  days 
.after  the  organization  of  the  Rock  Island  church  Rev.  Anders  Wiberg, 


546  THE   BAPTISTS 

who  had  left  the  ministry  of  the  Lutheran  state  church  of  Sweden  and 
embraced  the  Baptist  faith,  landed  in  New  York  and  there  labored 
among  his  countrymen  for  eight  months,  but  without  building  up  a 
separate  congregation,  the  converts  being  brought  into  the  fold  of  the 
Mariners'  Church.  This  church  is  notable  in  the  history  of  the  Swedish 
Baptists  for  having  mothered  two  of  their  eminent  pioneers  and  lead- 
ers, namely  Capt.  Schroeder  and  Dr.  J.  A.  Edgren,  while  Col.  Broady. 
prominent  in  the  work  in  Sweden,  was  originally  a  member  of  the 
Tabernacle  church  in  the  same  city. 

Pioneer  WorH.   in   Sweden 

In  most  cases  the  Swedish-American  religious  denominations 
have  been  transplanted  from  Sweden  to  America,  but  in  the  ease  of  the 
Baptists  the  order  was  reversed,  inasmuch  as  the  seed  from  which 
sprung  the  Baptist  Church  in  Sweden  was  sown  first  by  Schroeder, 
followed  by  a  number  of  other  workers,  who  had  embraced  the  Baptist 
faith  in  this  country  or  had  labored  here  for  greater  or  less  periods. 

Schroeder 's  desire  to  preach  Baptism  in  Sweden  was  soon  realized. 
In  May,  1845,  a  few  months  after  his  conversion  and  baptism  in  the 
United  States,  he  started  for  Sweden  and  arrived  a  month  later  in 
Goteborg.  After  the  home  salutations  were  over,  his  first  call  was  on 
Predrik  Olaus  Nilson,  the  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society's  mis- 
sionary in  that  city,  to  whom,  in  their  first  interview,  he  related  how 
he  had  become  a  Baptist.  The  following  Sunday  Nilson  and  his  wife 
were  invited  to  Schroeder 's  old  home,  four  miles  from  the  city,  for 
private  worship.  Nilson  preached  to  a  small  gathering  of  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  after  the  close  of  the  services  proper,  Schroeder  spoke 
to  the  gathering  about  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  Baptists. 
Thus,  in  his  childhood  home,  Schroeder  was  the  first  to  expound 
Baptist  doctrines  publicly  in  Sweden.  Schroeder  also  visited  Stock- 
holm and  northern  Sweden,  meeting  with  groups  of  Pietists  and  dis- 
senters, but  refraining,  according  to  his  own  statement,  from  pro- 
selyting among  them. 

In  1843,  two  years  prior  to  Schroeder 's  visit,  a  Danish  Baptist 
preacher  named  Ryding  had  visited  the  village  of  Mala  in  southern 
Sweden,  where  lived  a  single  Baptist  who  had  been  converted  and 
baptized  in  Copenhagen.  Ryding  had  come  intent  on  preaching,  but 
encountering  bitter  public  prejudice  he  confined  himself  to  operations 
strictly  private.  He  was  soon  compelled  to  return  home,  and  the  lone 
convert  emigrated  to  America  to  escape  persecution. 

Schroeder  left  for  Hamburg  without  any  direct  attempt  to  win 
Nilson  over  from  Methodism,  which  he  professed,  but  his  conversations 
and  certain  tracts  sent  from  that  city  convinced  Nilson  on  the  subject 


ROCK   ISLAND 


547 


of  baptism  so  that  he  himself  went  to  Hamburg  where  he  obtained 
further  instruction  by  J.  G.  Oncken,  a  pioneer  German  Baptist  preacher, 
and  was  baptized  by  him  in  the  river  Elbe  Aug.  1,  1847.  As  between 
emigrating  to  America,  where  he  might  worship  and  preach  according 
to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  and  remaining  in  Sweden  to 
propagate  Baptism  in  the  face  of  persecution,  Nilson  chose  the  latter. 
After  one  year  the  Hamburg  church  sent  A.  P.  Forster,  a  Danish 
preacher,  to  assist  him,  and  by  united  effort  they  organized  the  first 
Baptist  church  in  Sweden.  This  took  place  in  the  house  of  Bernt 
Nikolaus  Nilson  in  Landa  parish,  province  of  Halland,  Sept.  21,  1848. 
The  members  were  six  in  number,  including  Nilson,  five  other  persons 
having  been  baptized  in  the  sea,  near  Goteborg,  by  Rev.  Forster,  under 
cover  of  darkness  the  night  before.  The  ceremony  took  place  at 
Ullervik,  and  those  baptized  where  Nilson 's  wife  Sofia,  his  brothers 
Sven  Christian  and  Bernt  Nikolaus,  Andreas  Wrang  and  Abraham 
Anderson.  Sven  Christian  Nilson,  who  was  the  first  to  be  immersed, 
like  his  brother  Fredrik  had  been  in  the  United  States,  where  both 
were  converted  among  the  Methodists.  He  emigrated  and  in  1898  was 
still  living  in  Wastedo,  Minn.  His  was  the  first  baptism  by  immersion 
that  took  place  in  Sweden,  the  foregoing  adherents  of  the  movement 
having  been  baptized  in  Copenhagen  or  Hamburg. 

The  Swedish   Baptist  Church   of  RocH.   Island 

Of  the  origin  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Rock  Island, 
the  mother  church  of  the  Swedish-American  Baptists,  there  is  but 
meager  information  available.  It  appears  that  a  few  members  of  a 
party  of  so-called  "  Hedbergians, "  who  came  over  from  Sweden  in  1850, 
located  in  Rock  Island  and  Moline.  Among  these  people  Gustaf  Palm- 
quist  was  in  good  repute  in  Sweden  and  he  came  to  America  for  the 
specific  purpose  of  serving  as  their  pastor.  Upon  his  arrival  he  found 
his  intended  parishioners  widely  scattered,  and  when,  after  joining  the 
American  Baptist  Church  in  Galesburg,  he  was  made  missionary  to  the 
Swedish  settlements,  it  was  most  natural  for  him  to  turn  first  to  this 
little  group.  He  soon  won  them  over  to  his  views,  and  Rock  Island  thus 
became  in  the  summer  of  1852  the  starting-point  for  the  propagation 
of  the  Baptist  doctrine  among  the  Swedish  people.  He  brought  in  his 
first  sheaves  from  the  new  harvest  field  on  the  8th  day  of  August,  when 
three  persons  were  baptized  by  him,  one  of  whom,  Peter  Soderstrom, 
had  been  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Moline.  On 
the  thirteenth  of  the  same  month*  a  church  was  formally  organized. 
Its  first  members  are  said  to  have  been  six  in  number,  to-wit :  A. 

*  The  date,  also  given  as  Sept.  13th  and  Sept.  26th,  cannot  be  definitely  fixed  owing 
to  the  absence  of  church  records. 


548  THE    BAPTISTS 

Theoclor  Mankee  (also  written  Mankie),  A.  Boberg,  Fredrika  Boberg, 
Peter  Soderstrom,  Karl  Johanson  (Charles  Johnson)  and  Anders 
Norelius.  The  organizer  and  first  pastor  of  this  flock  was  Palmquist, 
who,  from  the  absence  of  his  name  on  the  list,  appears  to  have  retained 
his  membership  of  the  Galesburg  church.  After  eight  months  the  new 
church  was  officially  recognized  by  a  council  of  delegates  from  Amer- 
ican churches,  who  met  in  Rock  Island  May  5,  1853,  when  Rev.  Anders 
Wiberg  of  Sweden  also  was  present,  having  came  on  a  visit  to  this 
country  shortly  before.  The  church  now  numbered  thirteen  members, 
all  of  whom  are  said  to  have  been  baptized  by  Palmquist.  The  addi- 
tional members  as  recorded  were :  Charles  Hakanson,  John  Asp,  G.  H. 
Peterson,  Hans  Smith,  formerly  of  the  Moline  Lutheran  church,  Hans 
Mattson,  Margreta  Peterson  and  Maria  Johnson.  A  number  of  the 
members  lived  in  Moline.  In  his  published  memoirs  Col.  Hans  Mattson 
makes  incidental  mention  of  his  connection  with  these  people  early  in 
the  year  1853.*  But  that  he  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the 
church  would  nevertheless  seem  uncertain  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he 
became  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  organized  at 
Vasa,  Minn.,  in  1855,  and  that  there  was  among  the  earliest  Swedish 
Baptists  another  person  of  the  same  name,  who  is  said  to  have  preached 
in  Altona  about  1858. 

A  revival  followed,  bringing  the  membership  up  to  fifty,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1853  Fredrik  Olaus  Nilson,  a  pioneer  Baptist  preacher 
of  Sweden,  arrived  with  a  small  number  of  followers  of  whom  three 
families  from  Berghem  parish  located  in  Moline  and  joined  the  Rock 
Island  church. 

With  the  support  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Missionary  So- 
ciety, Rev.  Palmquist  was  pastor  of  the  church  up  to  August,  1857,  but 
divided  his  time  between  his  pastoral  duties  and  mission  work  in  Iowa 
and  Minnesota,  also  in  Chicago  and  New  York  during  the  last  two 
years. 

Rev.  Palmquist  was  succeeded  by  Anders  Norelius,  who  had  pas- 
toral charge  until  April,  1858.  The  pulpit  was  now  vacant  until  the 
fall  of  1859,  when  F.  0.  Nilson  became  pastor  in  Rock  Island,  re- 
maining for  six  months,  until  his  return  to  Sweden.  After  that  the 
church  had  no  regular  pastor  till  the  fall  of  1862,  when  L.  L.  Frisk  was 
stationed  there.  Owing  to  lack  of  pastors  and  consequent  neglect  of 

*  As  forming  a  bit  of  the  history  of  this  church,  Mattson's  reference  is  here  quoted: 
"Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ober  (who  had  befriended  Mattson)  were  deeply  religious  people  and 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church;  and  as  I  was  now  under  their  influence  and  soon  came  in 
contact  with  Gustaf  Palmquist,  the  Swedish  Baptist  preacher,  and  the  handful  of  people  who 
formed  the  core  of  the  first  Swedish  Baptist  Church  in  America,  I  became  one  of  their  circle 
before  spring  and  doubtless  would  have  remained  one  of  them  to  this  day,  but  for  the  fact 
that  circumstances  over  which  I  had  no  control  brought  me  into  different  environments  and 
another  field  of  activity.  That  same  winter  Rev.  Wiberg-  of  Stockholm  visited  Moline,  when 
1  likewise  formed  his  acquaintance.1'  (Minnen,  p.  36.) 


ROCK   ISLAND 


549 


its  interests  this  first  church  did  not  attain  noteworthy  growth,  its 
membership  remaining  at  a  standstill  for  many  years.  In  1864  the 
total  was  but  72,  showing  little  increase  since  1853. 

A  period  of  prosperity  for  the  church  came  in  the  seventies,  while 
Rev.  Olof  Lindh  was  in  charge.  Lindh  came  there  in  the  winter  of  1870 
on  a  preaching  tour  and  in  July  located  in  Moline,  intent  on  leaving 
the  ministry  to  engage  in  ordinary  employment.  He  was  requested  to 
put  this  off  until  the  local  church  had  held  its  monthly  meeting,  when 
he  was  elected  its  pastor.  The  Rock  Island-Moline  church  was  at  this 
time  the  largest  in  the  denomination,  numbering  as  it  did  about  125 


The  Rock  Island  Church — First  Swedish  Baptist  House  of  Worship  in  America 

members.  Lindh  preached  here  for  several  years  with  but  indifferent 
success.  But  early  in  1873  a  revival  was  inaugurated  which  brought 
large  numbers  into  the  fold.  The  church  grew  to  a  membership  of  200, 
notwithstanding  many  removals,  and  a  hundred  or  more  converts 
should  be  credited  to  Rev.  Lindh 's  efforts. 

After  six  years  of  service  Lindh  contemplated  leaving  to  return 
to  Sweden.  His  ultimate  determination  so  to  do  led  indirectly  to 
an  amicable  division  of  the  flock  and  the  organization  of  the  Moline 
contingent  into  a  distinct  church.  For  many  years  past  they  had  had 
a  house  of  worship  in  Moline,  where  meetings  were  regularly  held. 
The  increase  had  been  greatest  among  the  Moline  members,  and  they 
now  felt  able  to  support  their  own  pastor.  When  the  Moline  church 
was  organized,  some  seventy-five  persons  joined  at  once,  depleting  the 
ranks  of  the  mother  church,  and  leaving  it  with  a  membership  about 


55° 


THE    BAPTISTS 


the  same  as  in  1870.  The  younger  church  wished  to  retain  Lindh  as 
pastor,  but  he  was  fixed  in  his  resolve  to  leave  for  the  old  country  and 
at  his  suggestion  Rev.  Olaus  Oekerson  was  called.  During  the  six 
years  Lindh  was  in  charge  the  Rock  Island  church  nourished  more  than 
at  any  time  before  or  afterwards.  While  the  daughter  has  grown  ever 
stronger,  the  mother  has  been  on  the  decline,  and  according  to  the 
statistics  of  1907  the  Rock  Island  church  numbered  but  36  members. 

The  church  was  without  a  house  of  worship  during  the  first  five 
years  of  its  existence.  In  1857  a  small  edifice  was  erected,  seating  70 
persons.  It  was  a  very  ordinary  frame  building,  remarkable  in  no 
other  respect  than  this  that  it  was  the  first  house  of  worship  erected 
by  Swedish  Baptists  in  the  United  States.  The  present  church  property 
is  valued  at  $5,000. 

The  Moline  church  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  234  members 
at  the  last  accounting  and  owning  a  church  edifice  valued  at  $15,875, 
seating  500,  and  a  parsonage  worth  $3,000.  Rev.  Detlof  Lofstrom  is 
the  present  pastor,  having  served  since  1905. 

The   Swedish  Baptists    of  Galesbxirg 

The  Baptist  movement  in  Galesburg  in  1852  was  not  without  effect 
upon  the  Swedish  people  there,  but  those  among  them  who,  like  Palm- 
quist,  embraced  that  faith,  apparently  joined  the  American  church, 
and  no  Swedish  church  was  organized  at  the  time.  Not  until  five 
years  later  was  such  a  step  taken,  when,  in  1857,  seven  persons  met 
and  organized  a  Swedish  Baptist  church.  Among  them  was  one  Ahn- 
berg.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  all  but  Ahnberg  removed  to  Altona, 
whereby  the  original  church  organization  in  Galesburg  was  dissolved. 
L.  L.  Frisk  served  as  their  pastor  in  both  places.  Galesburg,  however, 
was  for  a  time  the  headquarters  of  the  Baptist  propaganda,  inasmuch 
as  from  that  city  were  published  two  newspapers  in  the  interest  of  the 
church,  first,  ' '  Frihetsvannen, "  then  "Evangelisten,"  both  engaged  in 
hot  controversy  with  the  Lutheran  paper  ' '  Hemlandet. "  Of  the 
status  of  local  church  work  during  this  period  little  is  positively  known. 
The  fact  is  that  a  small  group  there  continued  without  an  organization 
until  1869,  when  Rev.  Lindh,  then  traveling  missionary,  and  Rev. 
Rundquist,  then  stationed  in  Altona,  met  in  Galesburg  and  organized 
a  church,  the  second  in  order  in  that  place.  A  young  preacher  named 
Hamilton  was  chosen  pastor,  superseding  Rev.  Liden,  who  had 
preached  in  Galesburg  and  vicinity  for  a  long  time.  They  held  theii 
initial  public  services  in  the  American  Baptist  church,  when  two  per- 
sons were  baptized,  making  ten  or  twelve  members  all  told.  This 
church  organization  went  the  way  of  the  first,  being  broken  up  after 
some  time. 


EARLY    CHURCHES 


551 


A  third  organization  was  formed  in  1879  or  1880  by  Rev.  C.  Silene, 
from  new  material  and  possibly  the  remnants  of  the  former  church. 
Even  this  did  not  attain  permanence,  and  in  1888,  for  the  fourth  time, 
the  Swedish  Baptists  in  Galesburg  went  through  the  forms  of  organiz- 
ing. The  church  then  formed  has  endured  to  the  present  day.  Rev.  P. 
E.  Sorbom  has  served  this  church  during  the  past  five  years.  The 
latest  statistics  give  it  a  membership  of  89.  The  Altona  church,  which 
sprung  from  the  first  one  in  Galesburg,  is  still  on  the  records  of  the 
denomination  and  was  credited  with  13  members  in  the  year  1907. 

General   Organization   of  Early  Churches 

During  the  period  of  1852  to  1864  there  were  organized  in  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Minnesota  fourteen  churches,  three  of  which  had  been  dis- 
rupted prior  to  the  latter  year.  The  oldest  churches  outside  of  Illinois 
which  still  survive  are:  Village  Creek,  la.,  organized  1853;  Stratford, 
la.,  1856 ;  Scandia,  Minn.,  1855. 

In  1856  the  first  step  toward  organic  union  of  the  Swedish  Baptist 
churches  was  taken  through  the  holding  of  a  conference,  June  20th  to 
25th,  at  Rock  Island.  Gustaf  Palmquist  presided  and  A.  Norelius 
acted  as  secretary.  Nine  churches  were  represented,  those  of  Rock 
Island  and  Chicago,  Allamakee  and  New  Sweden,  la.,  Root  River  (or 
Houston),  St.  Paul,  Clear  Water  Lake  and  Chisago  Lake,  Minn.,  and 
New  York  City.  There  were  reports  on  the  work  in  the  various  fields, 
but  this  and  several  successive  conferences  met  and  adjourned  without 
effecting  a  permanent  organization.  Little  interest  was  shown  in  these 
meetings.  Of  the  first  six,  all  but  two  were  held  at  Rock  Island,  and 
at  the  sixth  conference  but  one  church  besides  the  local  one  was 
represented.  No  conferences  took  place  in  1861  and  1863.  At  a  meet- 
ing, the  seventh  in  order,  held  at  Village  Creek,  la.,  June  16-18,  1864, 
the  Illinois-Iowa  Conference  was  formally  organized. 

With  those  of  his  followers  who  did  not  remain  in  Moline  and  Rock 
Island  F.  0.  Nilson  proceeded  to  Iowa  and  thence  to  Minnesota,  where 
they  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  church  in  Houston.  Nilson  preached  in 
various  localities  between  Houston  and  St.  Paul  and  three  other 
congregations  sprung  up  which  on  Sept.  18,  1858,  were  organized  into 
a  conference  of  their  own.  The  churches  were  at  Houston,  Scandia, 
Wastedo  and  Chisago  Lake  and  their  pastors  were  Nilson  and  Norelius. 
In  July.  1860,  the  Rock  Island  congregation  in  a  circular  letter  to  the 
sister  churches  submitted  the  question  whether  the  general  conference 
should  be  continued  and  how,  indicating  that,  although  Nilson  had 
been  present  at  the  preceding  annual  conference  at  Rock  Island,  the 
brethren  there  were  still  ignorant  of  the  existence  of  the  Minnesota 
Conference. 


552 


THE    BAPTISTS 


Swedish  Baptist  Founders  and   Leaders  —  Rev.  Gustaf   Palmquist 

Gustaf  Palmquist,  the  pioneer  Swedish  Baptist  preacher  in  the 
state  of  Illinois  and  the  West,  was  born  in  Solberga  parish,  Smaland, 
May  26,  1812.  At  the  age  of  six  he  lost  his  father  through  death. 
His  mother,  who  was  converted  at  the  deathbed  of  one  of  her  sons, 
gave  the  remaining  six  children  a  Christian  training,  resulting  in  their 
conversion,  Gustaf  last  of  all.  In  1839  he  obtained  a  situation  as 
school-teacher  in  Filipstad  and  later  held  a  like  position  at  Gustafs- 
berg,  near  Stockholm.  After  his  conversion  he  began  evangelizing 
among  his  pupils  and  in  the  tenements  and  prison  cells  of  the  capital. 


Gustaf  Palmquist. 


Rev.  Gustaf    Palmquist 

In  1850  a  group  of  Pietists  in  Norrland,  known  variously  as 
"Luther-Readers"  and  ' ' Hedbergians, ' '  prepared  to  emigrate  in  order 
to  secure  greater  liberty  of  worship  than  was  accorded  them  in  the 
state  church,  with  which  they  were  dissatisfied  also  on  doctrinal 
grounds.  In  the  United  States  they  intended  to  form  a  genuine  Luther- 
an congregation.  They  wished  to  secure  a  minister  on  whose  doctrinal 
soundness  they  could  depend  and  asked  Rev.  Anders  "Wiberg,  then  a 
clergyman  of  the  state  church,  to  accompany  them  to  America  as  their 
spiritual  teacher.  Himself  unable  to  accept  the  call,  Wiberg  suggested 
Palmquist,  who  agreed  to  come  over  the  following  year.  Upon  their 
arrival,  these  people  were  scattered  to  the  four  winds,  and  when  Palm- 
quist came,  in  August,  1851,  he  did  not  meet  one  of  their  number  for 


GUSTAF    PALMQUIST 


553 


several  months.  Some  had  located  in  Princeton,  others  in  Rock  Island 
and  Moline,  still  others  in  Andover  and  vicinity,  and  some  time  after 
a  few  went  to  McGregor,  la.  The  only  one  of  the  party  who  stuck  to 
the  original  plan  was  Per  Anderson  from  Hassela,  Helsingland,  who  in 
the  spring  of  1851  went  to  Minnesota  and  founded  the  Chisago  Lake 
settlement. 

According  to  his  own  statement  Palmquist  in  1845  and  thereafter 
had  his  belief  in  infant  baptism  shaken  by  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
church  history  and  the  writings  of  Luther,  Martensen,  Pengilly,  Hinton 
and  others,  and  by  conversations  with  Nilson  of  Goteborg  and  Johans- 


The  Present  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Galesburg 

son  of  Hull.  On  all  other  doctrinal  points  he  considered  himself  a 
sound  Lutheran,  and  his  new  position  did  not  ripen  into  full  con- 
viction and  open  profession  until  1852. 

Palmquist  came  to  Andover  in  the  fall  of  1851  and  remained  there 
a  short  time.  His  situation  was  rather  cheerless,  and  while  he  was 
debating  with  himself  whether  to  join  the  Swedish  Lutherans  or  not, 
Rev.  Esbjorn  suggested  that  he  go  to  Galesburg  to  preach  to  the  people 
under  his  spiritual  care,  which  he  did,  remaining  in  charge  over  winter. 
In  the  spring  he  made  a  trip  north,  visiting  Lansing,  la.,  St.  Paul, 
Stillwater  and  other  points  in  Minnesota  with  a  view  to  locating  some- 
where as  a  preacher,  but  finding  his  countrymen  few  and  living  far 
apart,  he  returned  to  Illinois.  During  a  Baptist  revival  at  Galesburg 
he  now  took  the  decisive  step,  and  was  baptized  June  27th,  joining 


554 


THE    BAPTISTS 


the  American  Baptist  Church.  He  severed  his  connection  with  the 
Lutherans  of  Galesburg  in  rather  dramatic  fashion  by  calling  his 
former  flock  together  as  if  to  rejoice  over  the  step  he  had  taken.  In 
July  he  was  assigned  as  Baptist  missionary  among  the  Swedish  settlers 
in  the  surrounding  territory.  Work  was  taken  up  at  Rock  Island, 
resulting  in  the  organization  of  a  small  church  there  in  the  late  summer. 
Palmquist  became  its  pastor.  During  his  six  years  of  service  he  spent 
much  time  in  the  mission  field  in  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  planting 
new  churches  wherever  practicable. 

In  August,  1857,  Rev.  Palmquist  went  back  to  Sweden  to  aid  in 
the  work  started  there  under  American  auspices  by  Rev.  Anders 
Wiberg  in  the  fall  of  1855.  Before  leaving,  he  gave  the  following  state- 
ment of  the  number  of  Swedish  Baptists  in  the  United  States :  Rock 
Island,  45;  Chicago,  25;  New  Sweden,  la.,  13;  Boone  county,  la.,  25; 
Allamakee  county,  la.,  45 ;  Scandia,  Minn.,  45 ;  Chisago  Lake,  Minn.,  20 : 
Houston  county,  Minn.,  17;  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  11;  besides,  there  were 
26  Swedish  Baptists  affiliated  with  American  churches,  viz.,  in  New 
York  City,  14,  in  Galesburg,  8,  and  in  Keokuk,  la.,  4,  making  a  total 
of  272.  The  predominance  of  the  figure  5  in  Palmquist 's  statement 
indicates  an  estimate.  It  should  be  noted  that  Palmquist  visited  and 
labored  in  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  places  named,  and  that  a  goodly  share 
of  the  result  must  be  credited  to  his  endeavors. 

In  Sweden  he  found  a  large  field.  The  cities  of  Stockholm,  Orebro 
and  Sundsvall  were  given  into  his  charge  and,  besides,  he  made 
extensive  missionary  trips  throughout  the  country.  In  both  Stockholm 
and  Orebro  he  conducted  private  schools  for  the  training  of  lay  preach- 
ers. After  ten  years  of  faithful  labor  in  Sweden,  where  his  success 
was  greater  and  the  growth  of  the  denomination  more  rapid  than  in 
its  early  stages  in  this  country,  Rev.  Palmquist  passed  away  Sept.  18, 
1867,  at  55  years  of  age.  Of  Palmquist 's  sermons,  which  are  said  to 
have  been  of  the  old-fashioned,  pithy  and  powerful  variety,  none  have 
been  preserved,  but  as  a  writer  of  religious  verse  he  has  left  a  rich 
heritage  to  his  church.  He  combined  poetic  genius  with  musical  talent, 
and  wrote  many  of  the  gospel  hymns  found  in  a  collection  entitled 
"Pilgrimssanger,"  first  published  in  1859. 

Rev.  Anders  Wiberg' 

Rev.  Wiberg  is  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Baptist  movement  among 
the  Swedish  people  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  His  biography  con- 
tains much  interesting  history. 

Anders  Wiberg  was  born  in  Tuna  parish,  near  the  city  of  Hudiks- 
vall,  Sweden,  July  17,  1816.  His  parents  were  farmers.  In  his  child- 
hood he  had  some  religious  impressions.  In  his  early  youth  he  attended 


ANDERS    WIBERG 


555 


a  so-called  Lancaster  school.  When  about  fourteen  years  old,  he  was 
near  being  drowned,  but  was  saved  as  by  a  miracle.  In  consequence 
he  became  anxious  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul  and  began  to  read  the 
Bible  and  other  religious  books,  among  which  was  "The  Holy  War," 
by  Bunyan.  He  was  at  that  time  a  shopkeeper's  clerk  in  Hudiksvall, 
but  had  an  ardent  desire  to  study  and  become  useful  in  God's  kingdom. 
For  a  year  he  was  under  the  guidance  of  a  pious  country  clergyman  in 
the  home  of  the  latter,  then  pursued  his  studies  at  the  Hudiksvall 
elementary  school  under  a  more  learned,  but  ungodly  teacher,  and  now 
yielded  to  worldly  influences.  In  1833-5  he  attended  the  Gefle  gym- 


Rev.  Anders  Wiberg 


nasium,  from  which,  after  his  college  graduation,  he  entered  Upsala 
University.  There  he  maintained  himself  by  private  tutorship  in  the 
homes  of  the  gentry.  During  his  four  years  at  the  seat  of  learning  he 
became,  from  associations  and  from  the  nature  of  his  studies,  an  infidel. 
At  the  end  of  this  period,  however,  he  reached  the  turning-point  in  his 
life  and  became  a  devout  believer. 

In  1843  he  became  a  minister  of  the  state  church,  after  a  course 
in  theology,  during  which  he  made  diligent  research  of  religious 
writings,  particularly  those  of  the  German  mystics.  He  was  now 
stationed  at  different  places  as  assistant  to  aged  clergymen,  and  was 
permitted  to  see  the  fruitage  of  his  preaching.  Scruples  soon  arose  in 
his  mind  about  admitting  the  ungodly  to  communion.  Having  obtained 
from  the  Upsala  consistory  leave  of  absence  from  duty,  he  was  occupied 


556  THE   BAPTISTS 

for  two  years  translating  and  publishing  certain  works  of  Luther  and 
in  editing  a  church  paper,  called  "Evangelisten." 

In  the  spring  of  1851  Wiberg  went  from  Stockholm,  where  he 
then  resided,  to  Hamburg  in  company  with  a  friend,  to  act  as  his  inter- 
preter. At  Hamburg  he  visited  the  Baptist  church  and  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Oncken  and  Kobner  and  other  Baptist  preachers.  The 
constitution,  discipline  and  the  pious  spiritual  life  which  he  discovered 
in  this  church  appealed  to  him  and  he  thought  he  saw  in  them  the  true 
apostolic  order.  To  their  doctrine  of  baptism,  however,  he  could  not 
assent.  After  warm  disputes  with  the  pastors  named,  he  left  them 
without  being  convinced  of  the  error  of  infant  baptism.  On  his  way 
home,  he  read  Pengilly's  treatise  on  baptism,  by  which  his  faith  in 
the  Lutheran  tenets  was  somewhat  shaken.  Later  he  eagerly  studied 
Hinton's  "History  of  Baptism,"  but  it  was  long  before  he  could  be 
fully  persuaded. 

Before  he  visited  Germany,  a  number  of  Christians  in  northern 
Sweden,  who  had  conscientious  scruples  against  the  state  church,  but 
put  confidence  in  Wiberg  as  an  evangelical  minister,  had  requested 
him  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  state  church  and  become  their 
pastor.  He  was  about  to  comply  with  their  request  when  he  became 
acquainted  with  the  Baptists  and  their  teachings.  After  that  he  sent 
them  word  about  his  change  of  views,  stating  that  as  he  was  about  to 
become  a  Baptist,  he  could  not  sprinkle  their  children  and  minister  to 
them  in  the  way  they  had  thought.  Shocked  and  amazed,  they  knew 
not  what  to  make  of  the  matter,  but  wrote  to  Kev.  Hedberg  of  Finland, 
a  man  of  learning  and  highly  esteemed  among  them,  for  advice.  He 
replied  by  drawing  a  very  dark  picture  of  the  Anabaptists,  and  making 
Wiberg  out  as  a  noxious  heretic  and  an  apostate.  Wiberg  endeavored 
to  convince  his  friends  of  his  biblical  position,  but  without  success. 
At  length,  he  promised  them  that  he  would  write  a  book  on  the  subject. 
Not  being  as  yet  fully  persuaded,  but  believing  the  truth  to  lie  on  the 
side  of  the  Baptists,  he  set  to  work  on  the  book.  Needing  help  and 
advice  on  many  points,  he  wrote  F.  0.  Nilson,  who  sent  him  Dr.  Carson's 
work,  "Baptism  in  Its  Mode  and  Subjects,"  and  also  several  tracts. 
Having  studied  these  and  compared  the  arguments  with  passages  in 
the  Greek  New  Testament,  he  finally  became  fully  satisfied  on  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  question  of  baptism.  His  own  work  on  the 
subject  was  completed  before  he  left  Sweden  for  America,  and  was 
left  in  the  hands  of  the  printer. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  Hamburg,  Wiberg  lay  dangerously  ill 
for  about  three  months.  During  his  convalescence  he  wrote  to  the 
consistory  requesting  his  dismission  from  the  state  church.  Before 
that  tribunal  he  had  been  twice  summoned  to  answer  to  the  charge  of 


ANDERS  WIBERG 


557 


affiliating  with  the  separatists  in  Northern  Sweden.  The  first  time, 
after  long  and  heated  disputes  with  several  members  of  the  consistory, 
he  was  suspended  from  the  ministry  for  three  months  for  non- 
conformity. The  second  time,  his  accuser,  a  dean  in  the  city  of  Hudiks- 
vall,  urged  that  Wiberg  should  be  banished.  The  latter  appealed  from 
the  ecclesiastical  to  the  civil  power,  but  in  the  meantime  his  accuser 
and  persecutor,  a  man  of  learning  and  ripe  age,  put  an  end  to  his  own 
life  by  hanging. 

Having  regained  strength,  Wiberg  began  to  preach  in  public,  but 
the  clergy  sought  to  prevent  these  assemblages,  and  twice  the  lord 
mayor  of  Stockholm  forbade  the  meetings. 

Still  infirm,  Wiberg  was  advised  by  his  physician  to  take  a  sea 
voyage  as  the  best  means  of  regaining  strength.  Several  of  his  friends 
in  Stockholm  were  just  then  building  a  vessel  for  carrying  emigrants 
to  the  United  States.  He  applied  for  and  obtained  free  passage,  much 
to  his  satisfaction,  as  he  greatly  desired  to  go  anywhere  out  of  Sweden 
to  be  baptized,  but  lacked  the  means.  The  vessel  sailed  from  Stock- 
holm July  17th.  At  Copenhagen  the  vessel  was  delayed  by  head  winds 
for  two  days.  Here  he  met  Rev.  F.  O.  Nilson,  who  was  in  exile,  and 
by  him  was  immersed  in  the  sea  at  11  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  July 
23rd,  in  the  presence  of  many  brethren  and  sisters. 

The  ship  arrived  in  New  York  harbor  on  Sept.  18th.  With  a  letter 
from  Nilson  recommending  that  Wiberg  he  employed  by  the  American 
Baptists  as  a  missionary  in  Sweden,  he  sought  Eev.  Steward  of  the 
Mariners'  Church.  Shortly  afterward  he  gave  an  account  of  himself, 
substantially  as  here  narrated,  in  the  Olive  Street  Church,  before  an 
audience  met  to  hear  the  annual  report  of  the  New  York  Baptist 
Female  Bethel  Union.  Having  been  given  a  cordial  public  welcome, 
Wiberg  was  soon  employed  by  the  Mariners'  Church  as  colporteur  and 
missionary  among  the  Scandinavian  immigrants  and  seamen.  He  was 
the  first  Swedish  Baptist  home  missionary  in  New  York  and  the  East. 
Having  united  with  the  church,  he  was  ordained  March  3,  1853,  as  a 
regular  Baptist  minister.  In  the  summer  of  the  same  year  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  of  Philadelphia  invited  him  to  come  there 
and  prepare  his  work  on  baptism,  and  when  ready  a  large  number  of 
copies  were  sent  over  to  Sweden  and  there  distributed. 

This  work,  entitled,  "Det  kristliga  dopet,"  was  published  in 
Philadelphia  in  1854.  It  is  a  duodecimo  volume  of  288  pages.  A 
pamphlet  of  36  pages  by  Wiberg,  entitled  "Ar  du  dopt?"  was  pub- 
lished the  following  year  by  the  same  society.  These  are  the  first 
known  Baptist  publications  in  the  Swedish  language  in  this  country. 

Next  to  the  banishment  of  Nilson,  the  fact  that  Wiberg,  a  devout 
man  and  a  scholar,  had  left  the  established  church  with  all  its  allure- 


558  THE    BAPTISTS 

ments  of  comfortable  living,  promotion  and  honors,  to  cast  his  lot  with 
the  despised  and  persecuted  sect  of  Baptists,  had  great  moral  effect 
on  the  advancement  of  their  cause  in  Sweden.  Calls  for  Wiberg  to 
return  to  the  old  country  were  both  frequent  and  urgent.  He  remained 
three  years  in  America  and  became  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
ways  and  means  of  operation  in  the  American  Baptist  Church.  After 
being  married  in  Philadelphia  Aug.  23,  1855,  to  Miss  Caroline  Linte- 
muth,  he  started  on  his  mission  to  his  native  land,  arriving  at  Stock- 
holm in  October.  From  now  on  the  work  in  Sweden  took  a  more 
organized  form,  and  under  his  able  direction  the  Baptist  propaganda 
attracted  widespread  attention. 

While  in  the  United  States,  Wiberg  solicited  means  for  the  erection 
of  a  Baptist  church  edifice  in  Stockholm,  and  for  a  long  time  he  received 
from  the  American  Baptists  support  for  his  work  in  Sweden. 

Wiberg 's  work  on  baptism  had  commanded  attention  and  aroused 
vigorous  opposition.  During  his  three  years'  sojourn  in  the  United 
States  no  less  than  fourteen  pamphlets  against  the  Baptists  had  been 
published,  and  these  were  but  the  beginning  of  a  "  watery  war  of 
words"  waged  by  a  host  of  clerical  writers.  Wiberg  ably  defended 
his  position  with  tongue  and  pen.  He  took  part  in  two  public  debates 
with  representatives  of  the  state  church,  held  a  few  weeks  after  his 
return,  the  latter  of  which  broke  up  in  a  riot.  Wiberg  and  his  associates 
narrowly  escaping  bodily  violence  by  fleeing  through  a  side  door. 

From  the  moment  Wiberg  set  foot  on  Swedish  soil,  he  was  strenu- 
ously at  work.  It  is  said  that  he  went  directly  from  the  docks  to 
preach  in  a  hall  where  an  expectant  crowd  had  assembled.  The  little 
bands  of  Baptists  everywhere  requested  his  aid  and  advice,  and  it 
devolved  upon  him  not  only  to  give  counsel  in  temporal  matters,  but 
also  to  make  the  doctrines  and  principles  which  they  professed  more 
clearly  understood.  It  is  said  of  Rev.  George  Scott,  the  pioneer  Meth- 
odist missionary  to  Sweden,  that  he  admittedly  questioned  the  right 
of  any  church  to  carry  on  mission  work  in  an  evangelical  land  and  laid 
himself  open  to  the  charge  of  hypocrisy  by  pretending  that  he  did  not 
seek  to  win  over  members  of  the  state  church.  Wiberg,  on  the  other 
hand,  worked  in  the  open  and  made  no  attempt  to  dissemble  or  com- 
promise. With  him  at  the  head  of  the  movement,  persecution  of  the 
Baptists  soon  ceased  in  the  capital,  but  still  continued  in  several 
provinces. 

The  day  after  Wiberg 's  arrival,  the  congregation  at  Stockholm, 
organized  in  the  spring  of  1854  and  numbering  now  eleven  souls, 
decided  to  rent  a  larger  meeting  hall  and  reorganized,  choosing  as 
elders  Wiberg  and  one  Mollersvard,  an  ardent  promoter  of  the  cause. 

At  Wiberg 's  initiative  the  first  general  conference  of  Baptists  in 


FREDRIK   OLAUS    NILSON 


559 


Sweden  was  opened  at  Stockholm  June  13,  1857.  At  that  time  he 
estimated  their  number  at  1,400,  and  the  number  of  delegates  present 
was  20,  besides  Wiberg,  who  presided.  He  was  also  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  establishment  of  a  Bible  institute  at  Stockholm,  named 
the  Bethel  Seminary.  The  matter  was  discussed  at  several  annual 
conferences  up  to  1861,  when  on  Wiberg 's  motion  it  was  resolved  to 
take  action.  Yet  the  plan  was  not  realized  for  several  years  to  come. 
In  1866,  while  Wiberg  was  in  the  United  States,  he  induced  two  in- 
fluential brethren,  Broady  and  Edgren,  to  accompany  him  to  Sweden 
and  take  charge  of  the  instruction  in  the  proposed  school.  With 
financial  aid  pledged  by  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union, 
through  Wiberg 's  efforts,  the  annual  conference  of  1866,  held  in  Stock- 
holm Aug.  27-28,  finally  took  the  decisive  step,  founding  the  institution 
and  electing  a  board  of  directors  and  a  corps  of  instructors,  K.  0. 
Broady  being  made  the  head  of  the  school  and  J.  A.  Edgren,  G-ustaf 
Palmquist  and  A.  Drake  associate  teachers. 

In  1864  Wiberg  spent  some  time  in  the  West,  visiting  the 
struggling  little  churches  in  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Minnesota.  Here  his 
genius  for  organization  was  again  in  evidence.  At  the  conference 
held  in  Village  Creek,  la.,  in  June,  1864,  he  presided  and  took  part  in 
the  formal  organization  of  the  Illinois-Iowa  Conference.  He  was  the 
soul  of  the  meeting,  the  proceedings  of  which  were  printed  and  form 
the  first  yearbook  of  the  Swedish- American  churches. 

During  the  thirty-two  years  that  Rev.  Wiberg  labored  so  effectually 
in  Sweden,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Baptist  Church  in  that 
country  grow  in  membership  from  1,000  to  30,000. 

We  have  indicated  the  extent  of  Wiberg 's  literary  labors.  His 
principal  works  are :  translations  of  works  by  Johan  Arndt  and  Luther ; 
"Hvilken  bor  dopas?"  -  a  work  on  baptism,  published  in  1852;  "De 
kristnas  enhet";  a  reply  to  P.  Waldenstrom 's  book,  "Barndopets  histo- 
ria  " ;  a  tract  entitled,  "  Ar  du  dopt  ? ' '  and  ' '  Det  christliga  dopet. ' '  For 
various  periods  he  edited  "Missionstidningen,"  published  "Evangelisk 
Luthersk  Tidskrift,"  edited  and  published  "Evangelisten,"  and  con- 
tributed to  "Kristianen."  He  assisted  in  editing  a  hymnal,  "Psalmis- 
ten,"  and  began  a  translation  of  the  New  Testament  which  was  never 
completed. 

Rev.  Wiberg  passed  away  Nov.  5,  1887,  in  his  seventy-second  year. 

Rev.    FredriK   Olaus   Nilson 

A  sketch  of  the  career  of  Fredrik  Olaus  Nilson,  Sweden's  first 
regular  Baptist  preacher,  who  subsequently  lived  and  labored  in  the 
United  States,  will  more  fully  illustrate  the  hampered  yet  successful 
progress  of  the  Baptist  movement  in  its  early  days. 


560 


THE    BAPTISTS 


He  was  born  on  Vandelso  on  the  coast  of  Halland,  Sweden,  July 
28,  1809.  His  parents,  who  were  of  the  middle  class,  gave  their  children 
the  religious  education  imparted  in  the  common  schools.  At  ten  years 
the  boy  awoke  to  his  spiritual  needs  and  seems  to  have  earnestly  sought 
salvation  until  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  went  to  sea,  leaving  Gote- 
borg  in  1827.  Spiritual  indifference  followed  until  1835,  when  a  ter- 
rific storm  off  Cape  Hatteras,  threatening  with  destruction  the  vessel 
on  which  Nilson  was  employed,  deeply  stirred  the  mind  of  the  young 
sailor.  Fearing  death,  he  took  the  works  of  Thomas  Paine,  which  he 
had  been  studying  at  leisure  moments,  and  threw  them  into  the  sea, 


Rev.  Fredrik  Olaus  Nilson 

with  a  solemn  promise  that,  should  his  life  be  spared,  he  would  become 
a  Christian.  Upon  his  return  to  New  York  safe  and  sound,  he  attended 
the  Mariners'  Temple,  and  there  found  peace  with  God. 

During  the  summer  af  1836  Nilson  was  employed  by  the  New  York 
Tract  Society  to  distribute  tracts  among  the  immigrants,  but  he  con- 
tinued seafaring  until  1839,  when  he  shipped  in  a  Swedish  vessel  and 
returned  home.  Several  souls  were  won  by  his  preaching  on  board  the 
ship,  a  fact  that  strengthened  his  desire  to  proclaim  the  gospel  among 
his  relatives  and  friends  at  home. 

During  the  next  few  years  Nilson  worked  as  an  independent 
evangelist  in  a  number  of  parishes  on  the  west  coast.  In  1842  he  was 
engaged  by  the  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society,  a  Methodist  organ- 
ization, as  a  missionary  among  the  seamen  in  the  harbor  of  Goteborg. 
During  the  sailing  season  he  was  stationed  in  the  city,  but  in  winter 


FREDRIK  OLAUS    NILSON  56i 

made  missionary  trips  inland  to  the  provinces  of  Halland,  Vestergot- 
land  and  Bohuslan.  In  1844  he  married  Ulrika  Sofia  Olson. 

When  he  became  a  Baptist,  Nilson  was  deserted  by  many  of  his 
former  followers.  The  little  Baptist  congregation  organized  at  Landa 
in  1848  was  the  result  of  Nilson 's  efforts,  but  not  until  May  8,  1849,  was 
he  ordained  as  a  regular  Baptist  preacher.  His  ordination  took  place 
at  the  Baptist  meetinghouse  in  Hamburg.  After  that  Nilson  received 
the  support  of  the  Baptist  Mariners'  Church  in  New  York. 

The  Baptists,  who  openly  attacked  the  doctrines  of  the  state 
church,  could  not  hope  to  escape  molestation.  At  first  they  worked 
privately  and  in  secret,  seeking  thereby  to  avoid  giving  offense  and  to 
escape  persecution.  Nilson  for  a  time  pursued  the  same  tactics,  but 
shortly  after  the  organization  of  the  first  church  opposition  to  the 
Baptist  ' '  proselyters "  appears  to  have  grown  more  bitter  than  before. 

At  Christmas,  1848,  while  a  little  group  of  Baptists  were  gathered 
in  Nilson 's  home  in  Grb'teborg  to  worship  and  break  bread  behind  closed 
doors,  a  crowd  collected  outside  and  began  to  bombard  the  house  with 
stones.  The  windows  were  shattered  and  the  candles  extinguished  by 
the  wind.  In  the  darkness  the  worshipers  escaped  and  hid  in  the 
attic  while  their  assailants  stormed  the  house  and  destroyed  everything 
they  could  lay  their  hands  on.  Many  instances  of  similar  outrages 
have  been  recorded.  Nilson 's  followers  were  frequently  accosted  in 
the  streets  with  vile  epithets  or  bodily  assaulted,  and  the  saying  was, 
that  "it  costs  but  eighteen  shillings  to  kill  a  Baptist."  These  outrages 
were  committed  by  the  lawless  element,  but  with  the  connivance  of  the 
clergy.  The  Baptists  were  persecuted  in  other  ways,  by  being  dis- 
charged from  work,  boycotted  by  shopkeepers,  ostracized  from  the 
society  in  which  they  were  wont  to  move,  and  in  some  instances 
expelled  from  their  own  families.  By  the  pastors  they  were  repri- 
manded and  disciplined,  and  Nilson  himself  was  summoned  before  the 
consistory  of  Goteborg.  After  a  hearing  on  July  4,  1849,  he  was  de- 
clared an  apostate  and  charged  with  teaching  heresy.  He  escaped  with  a 
severe  reprimand  and  an  order  to  cease  spreading  dangerous  doctrines 
at  the  peril  of  punishment  to  the  full  extent  of  the  law.  Nilson,  how- 
ever, continued  preaching  unmolested  by  the  civil  authorities  the 
remainder  of  the  year. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1850,  Nilson  was  conducting  divine  worship 
in  the  house  of  one  Abraham  Anderson  in  Berghem  parish  of  Elfsborg 
Ian.  In  the  day  they  had  set  watch  to  guard  against  surprise,  but 
in  the  evening,  reassured  by  the  absence  of  any  show  of  molestation, 
the  watchmen  had  left  their  posts  to  join  the  brethren  inside.  About 
to  celebrate  communion,  the  worshipers  were  alarmed  by  a  loud  rap 
at  the  door.  When  it  was  opened,  they  found  the  house  surrounded 


562  THE    BAPTISTS 

by  men  armed  with  sticks,  clubs,  rusty  old  sabers,  pistols  and  muskets. 
Led  by  a  fjerdingsman,  the  men  made  a  rush  for  Nilson,  who  was 
violently  kicked  and  beaten.  The  constable,  after  demanding  Nilson 's 
name,  had  him  bound  hand  and  foot,  dragged  from  the  house,  placed 
in  a  sleigh  and  driven  first  to  another  village,  where  he  was  confronted 
with  the  lansman,  or  sheriff,  thence  to  the  Skened  jail.  After  six  days 
spent  in  a  cold,  dark  cell,  he  was  taken  to  the  prison  in  Goteborg  to 
await  trial,  but  was  released  in  two  hours,  through  the  intercession  of 
his  wife  with  the  governor  of  the  province. 

A  month  later  Nilson  was  summoned  before  the  high  court  at  Jon- 
koping  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  preaching  false  doctrine.     He  was 


The  First  Edifice  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Rockford 

on  trial  March  8th  and  llth,  resulting  April  26th  in  a  verdict  of  banish- 
ment from  the  realm.  Through  the  publicity  given  the  trial  Baptist 
teachings  were  made  known  generally  throughout  Sweden. 

Nilson  went  to  Stockholm  and  made  a  personal  appeal  for  pardon 
before  the  king,  who  denied  the  petition.  Sixteen  petitions  in  his 
behalf,  addressed  to  the  leading  men  in  the  state  church,  and  signed 
by  one  thousand  Baptist  churches  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  were 
ignored.  Availing  himself  of  every  recourse,  including  the  court  of 
last  appeal,  Nilson  was  able  to  remain  in  Sweden  for  more  than  a  year 
from  the  time  the  verdict  was  pronounced.  He  left  the  country  on 
July  4,  1851,  and  came  to  the  United  States  after  one  year  spent  in 
Copenhagen. 

He  arrived  in  New  York  in  June,  1853,  at  the  head  of  a  party  of 
23  of  his  followers  from  Sweden.  They  proceeded  westward  via 
Chicago  to  join  their  brethren  in  the  faith  in  Rock  Island  and  Moline. 
Only  a  few  of  the  party  located  there,  while  Nilson  with  others  of  the 
party  seems  to  have  proceeded  shortly  afterwards  to  Burlington,  la., 
and  in  1855  to  Minnesota.  There  he  labored  practically  alone  for 


JOHAN    ALEXIS   EDGREN  563 

several  years,  organizing  a  number  of  the  earliest  Swedish  Baptist 
churches  in  the  state.  While  in  Burlington  he  converted  and  baptized 
John  Erickson  and  John  Anderson,  both  prominent  workers  in  the 
early  days  of  the  church. 

In  the  fall  of  1859  Nilson  assumed  charge  of  the  church  in  Rock 
Island,  remaining  as  its  pastor  for  six  months.  In  December,  1860,  the 
Swedish  law  punishing  dissenters  with  banishment  was  rescinded  and 
Nilson  forthwith  returned  to  his  native  country.  During  his  absence, 
the  handfuls  of  Baptists  in  various  localities  had  been  scattered,  not 
a  few  of  them  having  left  for  the  New  World.  The  remnants  of  the 
church  in  Goteborg  now  rallied  and  reorganized,  electing  Nilson  pastor, 
with  Captain  Schroeder  as  his  right  hand  and  chief  backer. 

In  1862  Nilson  returned  to  the  United  States  and  continued  to 
preach  for  many  years.  Ultimately  he  wavered  in  the  faith,  and  is 
registered  in  Baptist  history  as  a  " backslider."  He  spent  his  last 
years  at  his  home  in  Houston,  Minn.,  where  he  died  Oct.  21,  1881,  at 
72  years  of  age. 

Rev.  Johan  Alexis   Edgren. 

An  event  af  prime  importance  to  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of 
America  was  the  founding  of  its  first  institution  of  learning  by  Rev. 
J.  A.  Edgren,  in  1871,  at  Chicago.  His  work  in  behalf  of  the  Swedish 
Baptists  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  probably  was  of  broader  scope 
than  that  of  any  other  man. 

Johan  Alexis  Edgren  was  born  at  Ostana,  Vermland,  Sweden, 
Feb.  20,  1839,  being  the  eldest  child  of  Axel  Edgren,  superintendent  of 
the  Ostana  steel  works.  A  younger  son  was  Hjalmar  Edgren,  deceased, 
who  fought  in  the  Civil  War,  and  afterward  became  renowned  as  an 
educator,  author,  scholar  and  linguist,  who  during  his  last  years  was 
connected  with  the  Nobel  Institute  of  Stockholm.  Johan  Alexis  en- 
tered the  Karlstad  elementary  school  in  1849,  but  abandoned  his  studies 
after  three  years  to  go  to  sea,  following  his  boyish  penchant  for 
adventure.  In  Goteborg  he  attended  a  school  for  intending  sailors 
for  a  short  time,  then  hired  out  to  a  Norwegian  sea-captain  and  made 
his  first  trip  on  board  a  rotten  old  brig  destined  for  a  French  port  with 
a  cargo  of  lumber.  With  a  few  needful  hints  the  captain  put  the  boy 
to  work  in  the  kitchen,  and  his  first  maritime  experience  consisted  in 
an  attempt  to  cook  peas,  porridge  and  coffee  for  the  crew,  while  the 
first  attack  of  seasickness  was  playing  havoc  with  his  own  stomach. 
When  he  returned  home  the  following  Christmas  the  lad  had  had  his 
thirst  for  adventure  quenched  to  a  considerable  extent,  having  been 
almost  shipwrecked  in  a  severe  storm  while  outward  bound  and  robbed 
of  all  his  savings  by  a  Norwegian  stage  driver  on  his  way  home.  Un- 


564 


THE    BAPTISTS 


dismayed  by  these  reverses,  he  returned  on  shipboard  at  the  opening 
of  the  next  season,  but  being  disabled  by  over-exertion  he  spent  almost 
a  year  at  home  and  subsequently  entered  the  school  of  navigation  in 
Stockholm,  graduating  after  a  year's  studies  as  captain's  mate.  The 
next  fall  he  went  to  sea  as  ship's  constable,  a  position  which  proved 
so  distasteful  to  him  that,  contrary  to  his  sense  of  duty,  he  deserted 
on  reaching  England,  and  went  with  the  English  clipper  "Wild  Wave," 


Rev.  Johan  Alexis  Edgren 

bound  for  Malta  with  a  cargo  of  powder  for  the  British  forces  then 
engaged  in  the  Crimean  War.  At  Valetta  Edgren,  not  quite  restored 
from  his  former  injuries,  was  again  prostrated  by  illness  and  when 
dismissed  from  the  hospital  found  himself  a  penniless  stranger  in  a 
strange  city.  To  raise  money  for  his  next  meal  he  sold  his  blouse  to  a 
Maltese  laborer.  He  was  fortunate,  however,  in  finding  in  the  harbor 
a  Swedish  bark,  with  which  he  shipped  to  Alexandria  and  thence  back 
to  Sweden. 


JOHAN   ALEXIS   EDGREN  565 

At  London  Edgren  joined  the  crew  of  an  American  vessel,  bound 
for  New  York.  Beaching  that  port  he  learned  accidentally  that  there 
was  a  letter  for  him  at  the  Methodist  Bethel  ship  in  East  River.  This 
brought  him  in  contact  with  the  Methodist  seamen's  missionaries, 
whose  ardent  prayers  for  his  soul  so  impressed  the  young  sailor  that 
he  himself  from  that  moment  began  to  seek  the  way  of  salvation. 

Edgren  next  shipped  with  a  brig  bound  for  the  West  Indies. 
.Returning  to  New  York  the  following  year,  he  again  sought  the  society 
of  Christians,  visiting  various  churches.  On  his  next  voyage,  to  the 
coast  of  Virginia,  he  gave  his  heart  to  God  and  during  a  terrible  storm 
pledged  himself  to  the  Lord's  service  as  a  missionary,  whenever  called, 
provided  his  life  was  spared.  Back  in  New  York,  he  again  sought  the 
brethren  and  brought  them  the  joyful  news  of  his  regeneration.  His 
intention  now  to  visit  his  old  home  was  changed  when  he  was  offered 
a  place  on  a  large  frigate  bound  for  Valparaiso.  With  this  long  voyage 
he  planned  to  finish  his  practical  course  in  common  seamanship  before 
eventually  adopting  another  vocation. 

Touching  at  New  York  again  on  returning  from  the  South  Amer- 
ican trip,  Edgren,  while  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  denomination  of 
Christians  to  affiliate  with,  chanced  to  visit  a  Baptist  seamen's  mission 
chapel,  where  he  was  partially  convinced  that  baptism  should  follow, 
not  precede,  conversion.  He  reasoned  with  his  Methodist  friends,  but 
found  their  arguments  unconvincing,  and  after  inner  struggles  and 
earnest  scriptural  study,  was  baptized  by  Rev.  I.  R.  Steward  in  the 
spring  of  1858,  just  before  starting  for  his  home  in  Sweden. 

With  a  two  years'  course  ahead  of  him,  Edgren  again  entered  the 
Stockholm  school  of  navigation,  but  succeeded  in  completing  his  studies 
in  one  year,  and  the  following  spring  gave  his  parents  a  pleasant  sur- 
prise by  showing  a  captain's  diploma,  with  the  highest  honors  of  the 
class  and  a  first  prize  besides. 

On  a  subsequent  voyage  to  American  ports  as  second  mate  on  a 
Swedish  brig,  Edgren  visited  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  there  received  his 
first  direct  impressions  of  the  curse  of  slavery,  impressions  that  later 
prompted  him  to  lend  a  hand  in  blotting  it  out.  His  plan  to  enter  the 
Swedish  navy  having  miscarried,  Edgren  was  still  in  the  service  of  the 
merchant  marine  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  He  chanced  to  be  on 
board  a  vessel  off  Charleston  at  the  time  and  became  an  eye-witness 
to  the  first  shots  exchanged  in  that  great  conflict. 

In  the  fall  of  1861  a  friend  in  Sweden  proposed  to  Edgren  that 
they  open  a  navigation  school  in  the  United  States,  but  he  had 
planned  to  fit  himself  further  by  taking  an  advanced  course  at  Stock- 
holm and,  unable  to  choose,  cast  lots,  which  fell  in  favor  of  the  latter 
plan.  In  the  capital  he  came  in  contact  with  Rev.  Wiberg  and  preached 


5  66  THE    BAPTISTS 

now  and  then.  Some  two  years  prior,  he  had  preached  his  first  sermon 
on  Christmas  Day,  1859,  to  a  ship's  crew  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
Though  urged  by  Wiberg  to  forsake  the  sea,  Edgren  did  not  yet  see  his 
future  mission  clear.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  came  over  to  the  United 
States  as  a  passenger,  to  visit  his  brother  Hjalmar,  who  was  in  the 
Union  army  and  had  just  been  through  the  memorable  battle  of  Hamp- 
ton Roads.  He  found  him  at  Fort  Rip  Raps,  and  returning  to  New  York 
at  once  applied  for  service  in  the  navy  as  a  non-commissioned  officer, 
but  was  given  a  commission  upon  passing  examination.  He  first  served 
as  navigator  on  board  a  bark  participating  in  the  blockade  of  the  At- 
lantic ports.  When  his  brother,  now  an  officer  of  staff,  resigned  from 
the  army  on  account  of  illness  and  left  for  Sweden,  he  also  left  the 
service  and  took  up  theological  studies  at  Princeton  University. 
Still  undecided  about  entering  the  ministry,  he  resumed  his  com- 
mission in  the  navy  at  the  end  of  the  school  year.  He  was  now 
given  command  of  the  small  armored  steamer  "Catalpa"  and  ordered 
to  report  to  Admiral  Dahlgren  at  Port  Royal.  Disliking  the  inactivity 
on  board  the  blockading  ships,  he  applied  for  service  in  a  battery  at 
Gumming 's  Point.  From  now  until  the  fall  of  Charleston  he  was  almost 
constantly  on  the  firing  line,  and  was  present  when  on  that  memorable 
15th  of  April,  amid  the  thunder  of  guns  and  deafening  cheers,  General 
Anderson  again  hoisted  the  selfsame  Union  flag  he  had  been  compelled 
to  haul  down  at  the  opening  of  the  war,  over  the  shattered  ramparts  of 
Fort  Sumter. 

The  close  of  the  war  was  at  hand,  and  after  commanding  for  a  time 
a  confederate  vessel  taken  as  a  prize,  Edgren  resigned  from  the  navy 
and  was  engaged  by  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  as  a  col- 
porteur and  seamen's  missionary  in  New  York.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he 
entered  Madison  University.  After  one  year's  study  he  was  appointed 
missionary  by  the  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  accompanied  Rev.  Wiberg 
to  Stockholm,  and  became  professor  of  mathematics  and  natural  science 
at  the  Bethel  Seminary  at  the  opening  of  the  institution.  He  was 
accompanied  to  Sweden  by  his  wife,  formerly  Miss  Annie  Abbott  Chap- 
man of  Becket.  Mass.,  whom  he  married  at  Hamburg,  March  10,  1866. 

When  Dr.  Warren,  secretary  of  the  Missionary  Union,  on  a  visit 
to  Stockholm,  found  too  many  missionaries  stationed  there,  Edgren 
resigned,  and  removed  to  Upsala  to  devote  himself  to  preaching  and 
theological  study.  Of  the  local  church  there  was  but  a  remnant  left, 
almost  all  the  members  having  become  adherents  of  one  Helge  Akes- 
son,  who  taught  Christian  perfectionism.  The  church,  after  being 
reorganized,  again  had  begun  to  grow  when  Edgren  was  compelled  to 
leave,  his  wife  being  unable  to  endure  the  climate.  The  following 
winter  he  labored  as  a  missionary  at  Goteborg  and  in  the  spring  the 


JOHAN    ALEXIS    EDGREN  567 

pair  returned  to  America.  Edgren  now  accepted  a  call  to  the  Chicago 
church  and  served  until  its  chapel  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire. 

The  need  of  missionary  forces  in  the  West  was  apparent,  and 
Edgren  soon  conceived  the  idea  of  meeting  this  want  by  means  of  a 
Bible  school.  In  the  fall  of  1871  he  was  about  to  begin  instruction  in 
the  rooms  of  the  Baptist  chapel,  when  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
in  Morgan  Park,  which  planned  to  open  a  Scandinavian  department, 
invited  him  to  establish  his  school  in  conjunction  with  it.  Edgren 
accordingly  made  arrangements  to  move  and  his  library  was  saved 
from  destruction  by  being  removed  just  a  few  days  before  the  fire. 

At  first  the  students  of  Edgren 's  department  were  very  few,  and 
he  gave  part  of  his  time  to  study  at  the  seminary,  preaching  and  edit- 
ing a  religious  monthly.  Failing  health  soon  forced  his  complete  retire- 
ment for  one  year.  Almost  destitute,  he  was  enabled  by  a  friendly 
donation  to  go  back  to  his  old  home  for  a  rest.  The  vessel  on  which  he 
returned  was  almost  battered  to  pieces  in  a  storm  and  he  was  in  greater 
peril  of  his  life  than  ever  before  in  his  seafaring  career.  In  New  York 
he  met — and  left — his  wife,  who  without  informing  him,  had  hired  out 
as  wetnurse  in  order  to  earn  a  living  for  herself  and  children. 

He  resumed  his  professorship  in  Chicago,  which  was  in  no  sense  a 
sinecure,  the  incumbent  being  required  to  raise  the  means  of  maintain- 
ing himself  and  the  school.  Before  long  his  family  could  rejoin  him  at 
Morgan  Park.  For  fifteen  years  Edgren  remained  at  the  head  of  the 
Swedish  department  of  the  seminary,  which  meanwhile  reached  a 
maximum  attendance  of  40.  Owing  to  failing  health,  Edgren  in  1887 
withdrew  from  his  various  activities  and  since  lived  in  retirement  in 
California  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  Jan.  26,  1908. 

Prof.  Edgren,  who  in  1880  received  from  the  Chicago  University 
the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.,  was  a  noted  biblical  scholar  and  com- 
mentator, and  has  written  interesting  memoirs  of  his  life.  His  literary 
work,  aside  from  newspaper  editing,  comprises  these  published  vol- 
umes: "Bibeln  en  gudomlig  uppenbarelse"  (1867)  ;  "Minn en  fran  haf- 
vet  och  kriget"  (1872)  ;  "Efter  doden;"  "Den  oppna  kommunionen  i 
skriftens  ljus;"  "Sabbaten  och  Herrens  dag,"  the  last  three  revised 
and  re-published  under  the  common  title,  "Brannande  fragor;"  "Min- 
nen  fran  hafvet,  kriget  och  missionsf  altet "  (1878),  a  revised  reprint; 
"Bibeln  Guds  bok"  (1878);  "Forsoningen,"  a  lecture  (1880);  "Epi- 
phanea:  A  Study  in  Prophecy"  (1881);  "Bibeltolkningens  lagar;" 
"Kristlig  troslara  for  barn;"  "Biblisk  troslara;"  "Ofversattning  och 
utlaggning  af  Mattei  evangelium,"  and  "Pa  lifvets  haf"  (1898).  The 
church  papers  edited  by  Dr.  Edgren  were,  "Zions  Vakt, "  started  in 
1873  and  continued  for  a  brief  period,  and  "Evangelisk  Tidskrift, " 
established  in  1877  and  continued  by  him  until  1880. 


568 


THE    BAPTISTS 


Capt.  Gustavus  W.  Schroeder 

Gustavus  W.  Schroeder  was  born  near  Goteborg  April  9,  1821.  At 
sixteen  he  became  a  sailor  and  followed  the  sea  for  the  next  thirty 
years.  He  was  twenty-three  years  of  age  when  baptized  by  Rev.  Ira  E. 
Steward  in  New  York  and  continued  for  29  years  a  member  of  the 
Mariners'  Church.  While  in  Sweden  in  1845  he  learned  that  his  two- 
brothers,  one  master,  the  other  second  officer  of  a  Chilian  bark,  were  in 


Capt.  Gustavus  W.  Schroeder 

Hamburg.  He  met  them  there,  and  being  tendered  the  chief  officer's: 
place,  shipped  for  Valparaiso,  where,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  was 
made  captain  of  a  vessel.  Four  years  later  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Steward,  daughter  of  his  pastor,  and  in  1861  located  in  Goteborg  to 
champion  the  cause  of  the  little  flock  of  Baptists  in  that  city.  After 
two  years  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  and  lived  first  in  Illinois, 
then  in  California  until  he  again  located  in  Goteborg  about  1883  and 
joined  the  church  in  which  he  had  formerly  labored.  In  1891  he  came 
back  to  this  country  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Memorial  Baptist 
Church  of  Brooklyn. 

The  Baptist  congregation  in  Goteborg  had  just  been  organized, 
when  Captain  Schroeder  came  there  in  1861.  He  built  a  house,  in 
which  a  large  room  was  fitted  up  as  a  meeting  hall.  Here,  as  elsewhere 
in  Sweden,  the  state  church  resisted  the  movement  as  heretical.  The 


THE    CHICAGO    FIELD 


569 


local  consistory  appealed  to  the  police  to  have  the  hall  closed  and 
brought  suit  against  F.  O.  Nilson,  pastor  of  the  church,  and  Captain 
Schroeder,  charging  the  former  with  holding  religious  meetings  illegal- 
ly, and  the  latter  with  aiding  and  abetting  the  crime.  After  a  vigorous 
fight  by  Nilson  and  Schroeder,  the  case  was  decided  against  them  and 
a  fine  of  100  crowns  was  imposed  on  the  latter.  The  course  of  the 
clergy  was  at  the  time  publicly  criticised  as  unwise,  to  say  the  least,  as 
the  persecution  of  the  leaders,  instead  of  serving  to  suppress  the  move- 
ment, had  the  opposite  effect  and  proved  a  moral  victory  for  the 
Baptists. 

The  Chicago   Field 

The  earliest  Swedish  Baptist  church  in  Chicago  existed  from  1853 
to  1864.  It  was  organized  by  some  thirty  persons,  formerly  members 
of  the  American  First  Baptist  Church.  These  are  known  to  have  been 
among  the  organizers,  viz.,  Peter  Peterson,  Peter  Modine,  Andrew 
Anderson,  John  Uberg,  Matthew  Mat-son,  Fred  Blomquist,  "William 


The  First  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago,  Second  Edifice 

Wigland,  Ira  J.  Ceilings,  F.  M.  Winterset,  one  Mr.  Mullen,  all  with 
their  wives.  L.  L.  Frisk  was  ordained  to  become  their  first  pastor. 
Meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of  members  until  November,  1854, 
when  the  American  church  raised  $900,  for  which  sum  a  small  edifice 
situated  at  La  Salle  avenue  and  Erie  street  was  purchased  from  the 
German  Lutherans  for  the  use  of  the  Swedish  brethren.  It  was 
removed  to  Bremer  street  in  1858  and  there  used  as  a  house  of  worship 


570 


THE    BAPTISTS 


until  destroyed  by  fire  in  1860  or  1861.  A  schoolhouse  was  then  rented, 
in  which  the  meetings  were  held  for  an  indefinite  period.  Rev.  Frisk 
remained  as  pastor  until  1857,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Palm- 
quist,  who  served  for  six  months.  After  him  the  church  appears  to 
have  had  no  permanent  pastor,  but  the  congregation  continued  in 
existence  until  1864,  when  the  unsettled  conditions  incident  to  the 
Civil  War  caused  the  members  to  scatter,  which  resulted  in  the  dis- 
integration of  the  church. 


r 


The  First  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago,  Present  Edifice 

The  present  First  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago,  therefore, 
is  not  the  original  one.  It  was  not  called  into  existence  until  1866. 
On  Jan.  16th  of  that  year  a  little  group  of  persons  who  had  belonged 
to  Baptist  churches  in  Sweden  met  at  the  house  of  J.  C.  Fasten  to  talk 
over  the  outlook  for  a  local  church.  The  meeting,  over  which  Captain 
R.  E.  Jeanson  of  New  York  presided,  was  barren  of  results.  After  six 
months  a  second  meeting  was  held  at  the  same  place,  when  it  was 
unanimously  resolved  to  organize  a  church.  Nine  preliminary  meetings 
were  held  before  action  was  taken. 

In  the  meantime  a  party  of  Baptists  from  Hudiksvall.  Sweden, 
arrived.  With  them  were  two  preachers,  Olof  Lindh  and  N.  E.  Axling, 
and  their  presence  in  Chicago  hastened  action  in  the  matter.  The  new- 
comers first  joined  their  brethren  at  a  meeting  in  the  house  of  one 
Nylund,  at  185  Townsend  street,  held  on  the  19th  of  July,  when  the 


THE    CHICAGO    FIELD 


571 


plan  to  organize  a  church  was  further  matured.  Some  were  members 
of  the  Danish  Baptist  Church,  which  opposed  the  plan ;  others  carried 
their  letters  of  membership  in  their  pockets.  A  couple  of  weeks  later 
came  John  Ring  and  J.  H.  Ullmark,  also  Baptist  preachers  from 
Sweden.  Finally,  on  Aug.  19,  1866,  the  formal  organization  took  place 
in  the  edifice  of  the  North  Star  Baptist  Church,  which  had  been  opened 
for  the  use  of  the  Swedish  brethren.  On  this  occasion  Lindh,  Axling 
and  Ring  officiated.  John  Ring,  who  had  been  called  as  pastor  at  a 


The  Englewood  Swedish  Baptist  Church 

salary  of  $150  a  year,  was  installed  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  and  the 
invocation  of  the  blessing. 

The  church  numbered  from  the  outset  38  members.  That  same 
fall  the  new  church  was  recognized  by  a  council  held  in  the  Danish 
church.  The  services  were  held  there  and  in  the  North  Star  Church 
on  Division  street  until  November,  when  a  Presbyterian  schoolhouse 
on  Bremer  street  was  rented  for  the  purpose. 

Rev.  Lindh  remained  a  member  of  this  church  untO  the  following 
spring,  when  he  accepted  a  call  from  Altona.  He  assisted  Rev.  Ring 
in  the  work,  taught  the  Bible  class*  and  served  at  Ring's  request  as 
chairman  of  the  church  council.  Ring  resigned  in  the  spring  of  1869, 


572 


THE    BAPTISTS 


whereupon  Lindh  stepped  in  and  filled  the  pulpit  temporarily,  until 
Rev.  C.  W.  Segerblom,  a  Baptist  preacher  from  Sweden,  arrived 
and  was  at  once  claimed  by  this  church  as  their  pastor.  Segerblom 
was  an  erratic  character  and  proved  untrustworthy  as  a  leader.  He 
did  not  last  long  in  Chicago.  Subsequently  he  went  over  to  Methodism 
and  became  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Church  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  operated  to  the  detriment  of  that  church.  He  next, 
flopped  to  Lutheranism  and  changed  his  name  to  Sidger.  This  clerical 
turncoat  died  in  Missouri,  time  unknown. 


The  Lake  View  Swedish  Baptist  Church 

In  1868  the  congregation  built  its  own  edifice,  on  Oak  street, 
between  Sedgwick  and  Townsend  streets.  This  church,  which  was 
dedicated  May  14th,  had  a  seating  capacity  of  700  and  cost  $5,000, 
inclusive  of  the  lot.  When  it  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  the 
congregation  was  on  the  point  of  disbanding,  but  its  scattered  members 
rallied  and  built  a  new  edifice,  seating  300  persons  and  costing  $2,500. 
This  was  dedicated  Feb.  15,  1873.  An  addition  was  built  in  1876. 
Having  far  outgrown  its  capacity,  the  congregation  in  1889  erected  a 
$37,000  edifice  at  Milton  avenue  and  Elm  street,  which  was  dedicated 
the  first  Sunday  in  March,  1890.  This  structure,  which  is  one  of  the 


THE   CHICAGO    FIELD 


573 


costliest  owned  by  the  Swedish  Baptists,  accommodates  an  audience  of 
one  thousand  people. 

The  pastors  of  this  church,  permanent  or  temporary,  have  been : 


The  Humboldt  Park  Swedish  Baptist  Church 

John  Ring.  Olof  Lindh,  C.  W.  Segerblom,  J.  A.  Edgren,  E.  Wingren, 
E.  Lundin.  John  Ongman.  P.  A.  Hjelm,  G.  A.  Hagstrom  and  Thorsten 
Clafford,  the  present  incumbent. 


574 


THE    BAPTISTS 


Rev.  John  Ongman  who  served  the  church  as  its  pastor  from  1875 
to  1881  and  again  from  1885  to  1886,  making  a  total  of  eight  years, 
came  to  Chicago  from  Sweden  in  1868,  but  soon  left  for  Minnesota, 
where  he  labored  for  the  church  in  various  localities  for  about  thirteen 


years,  including  the  pastorate  of  the  First  church  in  St.  Paul,  which 
he  served  during  three  different  periods,  aggregating  ten  years.  Since 
1890  he  has  been  active  in  the  Baptist  Church  of  Sweden.  Rev.  Ong- 
man's  labors  in  this  country  were  very  fruitful.  He  was  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  Swedish  Baptist  General  Conference  at  the  organization 
of  that  body  in  1879  and  served  for  three  consecutive  years. 


THE    CHICAGO   FIELD  575 

During  Rev.  P.  A.  Hjelm 's  term  of  service,  from  August,  1888, 
until  October,  1896,  the  church  made  remarkable  progress.  It  was  his 
privilege  to  welcome  no  less  than  711  new  members,  240  of  whom 
were  baptized  by  him.  In  the  same  period  there  was  a  loss  of  644 
through  death,  removals  and  expulsion,  leaving  a  net  increase  of  67. 
The  principal  drain  on  the  membership  was  caused  by  the  organization 
of  four  daughter  churches,  each  of  them  claiming  members  directly 
from  the  First  church  and  indirectly  impeding  its  growth. 

Succeeding  Hjelm,  Rev.  G.  A.  Hagstrom  served  this  pastorate  for 
ten  years.  In  1902  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Swedish  Baptist 
Church  of  America  was  celebrated  in  this  church,  with  a  jubilee  held 
in  connection  with  the  General  Conference  sessions. 

The   fortieth    anniversary   of   the   founding   of   the   church   was 


Rev.  John  Ongman  Rev.  P.  A.  Hjelm 

celebrated  Oct.  18-21,  1906.  At  that  time  a  historical  review  was 
published,  giving  many  data  and  figures. 

Five  daughter  churches  have  been  organized  from  the  membership 
of  the  First  church,  viz.,  the  Evanston  church,  in  1886,  with  26  mem- 
bers, to  which  have  been  added  59,  total  gain  from  the  First  church, 
85 ;  the  Lake  View  church,  in  1889,  members,  30,  total  gain  from  First 
church,  96;  the  Salem  church,  in  1890,  members,  9,  total  gain  from 
First  church,  20;  the  Austin  church,  in  1891,  members  9,  total  gain 
from  First  church,  27;  the  Humboldt  Park  church,  in  1891,  members, 
16,  total  gain  from  First  church,  64.  Beyond  this,  the  First  church 
has  lost  to  other  Chicago  churches  a  large  number  of  members,  includ- 
ing 56  to  the  Second  church,  81  to  Englewood  and  34  to  American 
churches. 

Up  to  1880  this  church  had  gained  549  members  and  lost  316, 
retaining  a  net  total  of  233;  in  1890  it  had  515,  in  1898,  695 
and  in  1907,  657  members.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  Swedish  Baptist 
churches  in  this  county,  leading  the  largest  in  Minneapolis  and  St. 


576 


THE    BAPTISTS 


Paul  by  about  70  and  those  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn  by  about  200 
members.     The  church  property  is  valued  at  $43,000. 

Rev.   John    Ring 

John  Ring,  who  became  pastor  of  the  Chicago  church  at  its  organ- 
ization in  1866,  had  just  come  over  from  Sweden,  where  he  had  preached 
for  five  or  six  years.  He  was  born  in  Delsbo  parish,  Helsingland,  Feb. 
16,  1829.  After  his  conversion  and  baptism  in  1859  he  began  to  preach 
the  Baptist  doctrine  in  his  home  locality  and  shared  the  persecution 
then  contingent  on  teaching  at  variance  with  the  state  church.  For 
holding  services  during  the  hours  of  10-12  a.  m.  on  Sundays,  reserved 


Rev.  John  Ring 

by  law  for  the  state  church,  he  was  arrested  and  convicted,  and  served 
a  sentence  of  one  month  in  the  Hernosand  jail  in  the  winter  of  1862-3. 
He  was  pastor  of  the  Chicago  church  from  its  inception  in  August, 
1866,  until  May,  1869,  when  he  located  as  a  farmer  at  Trade  Lake,  Wis. 
He  became  instrumental  in  organizing  a  church  there  and  later  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  First  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Minneapolis.  Sub- 
sequently Ring  removed  to  Omaha,  where  he  lived  for  many  years,  at 
various  periods  in  charge  of  the  local  Swedish  Baptist  church.  For 
three  years,  1877-80,  he  was  in  pastoral  charge  at  Kiron,  la.,  then  for 
five  years  conducted  a  jewelry  store  in  Oakland,  Neb.,  and  removed 
the  business  to  Omaha,  where  he  died  Oct.  6,  1896,  from  injuries 
received  in  a  bicycle  accident.  Ring  was  twice  married  and  had 
three  children. 

Rev.   Olof  Lindh 

Among  the  successful  Swedish  Baptist  workers  in  Illinois,  as  well 
as  in  the  Eastern  states  and  in  Sweden,  Rev.  Olof  Lindh  holds  an 
eminent  place.  He  was  born  in  Helsingtuna,  Sweden,  Sept.  24,  1835. 
His  father,  a  prominent  farmer  and  a  trusted  man  in  the  community, 


OLOF    LINDH 


577 


was  a  lay  preacher  among  the  religionists  styled  Readers.  The  son  Olof 
was  deeply  influenced  from  childhood  by  his  father's  pious  precept  and 
right  living,  but  did  not  experience  regeneration  of  the  heart  until  his 
twenty-fifth  year.  He  was  baptized  in  the  sea  near  Hudiksvall  on  May 
8,  1860,  by  his  brother,  Per  Lindh,  and  began  preaching  after  much 
trepidation  some  two  years  later,  meanwhile  supporting  himself  by 
his  trade  as  shoemaker.  For  four  years  he  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Hudiksvall,  then  emigrated  and  located  in  Chicago.  There 
he  helped  to  organize  the  church  in  August,  1866,  and  was  elected 
elder  at  the  time.  Prior  thereto  he  preached  his  first  sermon  here 


Rev.    Olof   Lindh 

on  July  22nd,  a  week  after  his  arrival.  He  took  turns  with  Ring  in 
preaching  in  Chicago,  then  was  stationed  for  a  time  at  Altona  in  1867-8, 
and  next  became  traveling  missionary  in  Illinois  and  Iowa.  In  1869, 
during  the  vacancy  after  Rev.  Ring,  and  before  the  arrival  of  Seger- 
blom,  his  successor,  Lindh  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  Chicago  church 
for  a  brief  period.  Segerblom  made  things  so  disagreeable  for  him 
that  he  left  Chicago,  determined  to  give  up  preaching.  Going  to  Moline 
to  work  at  his  trade,  he  was  by  the  Swedish  Baptists  there  and  in  Rock 
Island  induced  to  become  their  pastor  and  served  them  for  the  next 
six  years.  In  that  period  no  less  than  139  members  joined  the  church 
at  Rock  Island. 

Lindh  returned  to  Sweden  in  1876  and  labored  there  for  three 
years,  serving  as  pastor  in  Sundsvall  and  Hassjo.  In  that  time  he  was 
instrumental  in  bringing  a  large  number  of  new  members  into  the 
Baptist  churches. 


578  THE    BAPTISTS 

Returning  to  the  United  States,  Lindh  had  a  call  to  preach  in 
Boston,  but  owing  to  the  burning  of  Tremont  Temple,  where  the 
Swedish  Baptists  met,  just  after  his  arrival,  he  left  in  discouragement. 
After  a  brief  stay  in  Moline,  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  in  New 
York,  which  was  about  to  go  to  pieces,  but  under  his  leadership  began 
to  flourish  and  has  thrived  greatly  ever  after.  During  his  eight  years 
in  New  York  Lindh  began  mission  work  in  a  number  of  places,  includ- 
ing Brooklyn  and  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ;  Bridgeport,  New  Haven,  Meriden 
and  New  Britain,  Conn.,  and  Antrim  and  McKeesport.  Pa.,  and  organ- 
ized churches  in  the  places  named.  In  1887  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Boston  church,  but  left  the  following  year  to  become  traveling  mission- 
ary of  the  Eastern  Conference.  As  such  he  labored  until  1891, 
whereupon  he  was  stationed  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  until  1893,  when  he 
went  again  to  Sweden,  returning  in  1895.  He  withdrew  from  pastoral 
work  in  1900,  after  serving  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  Concord,  N.  H.,  and 
New  Haven,  Conn. 

Rev.  Lindh 's  work  as  a  pastor  and  preacher  during  thirty-eight 
years  has  been  blessed  in  more  than  ordinary  measure.  He  has  organ- 
ized a  score  of  churches  in  this  country,  including  three  in  Illinois,  and 
baptized  500  converts  in  the  United  States  and  300  in  Sweden.  Among 
those  converted  through  his  instrumentality  several  have  become  pro- 
minent Baptist  preachers.  Lindh  has  lived  a  life  rich  in  experience, 
and  these  he  recounts  in  a  goodnatured  and  entertaining  manner  in  a 
volume  of  reminiscences,  entitled,  "Minnen  och  iakttagelser  fran  en 
forfluten  lefnad."  published  in  1907. 

The  Swedish  Theological  Seminary  of  the  University  of  Chicago 

The  founder  of  this  the  theological  seminary  of  the  Swedish 
Baptists  of  America  was  Dr.  J.  A.  Edgren.  He  returned  in  1870  from 
Sweden,  where  he  had  taught  in  the  Bethel  Seminary  at  Stockholm, 
with  a  live  sense  of  the  importance  to  the  Swedish  Baptists  in  this 
country  of  educating  their  own  preachers  and  pastors,  as  their  brethren 
in  Sweden  were  doing.  After  the  decision  had  been  reached  to  begin 
instruction  in  the  Oak  Street  church,  the  Baptist  Union  Theological 
Seminary  invited  Edgren  to  take  up  this  work  at  that  institution,  art 
offer  thankfully  accepted.  In  the  fall  of  1871  the  course  was  opened 
with  an  attendance  of  one  student — Christopher  Silene.  Later  a  few 
others  were  added. 

In  1873,  after  an  interruption  in  his  work,  caused  by  ill  health, 
Edgren  was  officially  called  to  conduct  a  Scandinavian  department  at 
the  seminary,  with  the  added  burden  of  providing  for  the  support  and 
maintenance  of  himself  and  the  department.  Undismayed  by  such  a 
prospect,  he  accepted  the  position  and  worked  under  the  same  disheart- 


THE   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


579 


ening  conditions  for  the  next  five  years.  The  opening  attendance  in 
1873  was  four,  and  among  the  first  graduates  were  N.  Hayland,  A.  A. 
Linne,  C.  Silene  and  A.  B.  Orgren.  In  1877  the  seminary  was  removed 
from  Chicago  to  the  suburb  of  Morgan  Park,  where  the  Scandinavian 


department  was  conducted  by  Edgren  until  1884.  A  desire  on  the  part 
of  the  Swedish  brethren  to  have  a  school  distinctly  their  own  then 
ripened  into  action,  after  a  resolution  to  that  effect  had  been  passed  by 
the  General  Conference  three  years  before,  designating  Minneapolis  as 


580  THE    BAPTISTS 

its  location.  During  the  following  year  instruction  was  given  at  St. 
Paul,  pending  a  definite  location  of  the  institution.  That  year  ample 
means  for  its  support  were  contributed,  while  no  less  than  $20,000 
were  subscribed  to  a  building  fund  and  a  site  between  the  twin  cities 
was  offered. 

A  year  later,  however,  the  school  was  removed  to  Stromsburg, 
Neb.,  where  it  had  been  given  10  acres  of  land  and  a  bonus  of  $10,500. 
Apparently  the  desired  end  had  now  been  attained,  yet  it  has  been 
intimated  that  this  move  probably  did  more  than  anything  else  to  cross 
the  purpose  of  the  Swedish  Baptists  to  build  up  their  own  school.  Its 
location  there  seems  to  have  been  dictated  by  private  interests,  and  the 
name  now  given  to  the  institution — The  Central  Bible  Seminary — was 
a  misnomer  from  the  church  point  of  view.  As  early  as  1888  it  was 
generally  realized  that  a  mistake  had  been  made,  and  a  majority  of  the 
directors  favored  a  more  central  location.  Negotiations  were  taken  up 
for  moving  the  institution  back  to  Minneapolis-St.  Paul,  or  Chicago. 
Rev.  Eric  Sandell,  having  secured  acceptable  terms  from  the  Baptist 
Theological  Union,  the  question  of  reuniting  with  the  Chicago  institu- 
tion was  taken  up  the  same  year  by  the  General  Conference,  when 
the  proposition  was  carried  by  a  vote  of  42  to  7. 

In  1887  Edgren  's  impaired  health  had  compelled  his  withdrawal 
from  the  teacher's  chair  occupied  by  him  for  fifteen  years,  and  now 
Rev.  C.  G.  Lagergren  was  called  from  Sweden  to  take  his  place.  The 
other  teachers,  Eric  Sandell  and  N.  N.  Morten,  were  continued  in  the 
service.  At  the  opening  of  the  school  year  we  find  the  school  again  at 
Morgan  Park,  after  having  received  pledges  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  department  and  aid  for  its  students  from  the  Baptist  Theological 
Union  and  the  Baptist  Education  Society.  The  former  organization 
agreed  to  provide  lecture  halls  and  lodgings  for  the  students  in  Walker 
Hall  at  Morgan  Park  and  to  pay  the  salaries  of  two  of  the  Swedish 
professors,  while  the  entire  department  was  to  be  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Divinity  School  of  the  University  of  Chicago.  In  1895 
Sandell  and  Morten  were  succeeded  by  Profs.  W.  A.  Peterson  and  0. 
Hedeen.  and  Prof.  Lagergren,  who  accepted  the  call  in  1888,  remains 
at  the  head  of  the  Swedish  instruction.  Others  who  have  taught  for 
longer  or  shorter  periods  are :  E.  Wingren,  N.  P.  Jensen,  Frank  Peter- 
son, John  Ongman  and  A.  B.  Orgren. 

At  the  celebration  of  the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  seminary  it  was 
reported  that  instruction  had  been  received  by  87  students,  of  whom 
63  were  Swedes,  17  Danes  and  9  Norwegians. 


"FRIDHEM"  58i 

Tine    Home   of  Rest   at   Morgan   ParH. 

A  donation  of  $25  received  from  a  benevolent  lady  in  the  spring 
of  1898,  by  Rev.  Eric  Rosen,  started  the  fund  through  which  the 
Swedish  Baptist  home  for  the  aged  has  been  realized.  Rev.  Rosen, 
who  had  cherished  the  idea  for  some  time,  continued  to  speak  for  the 
cause,  presenting  the  matter  at  various  conferences,  yet  without  calling 
forth  definite  action.  Four  years  passed  without  any  advancing  step. 
Then  a  devout  couple  promised  to  donate  $1,000  to  the  cause,  as  a 
memorial  to  their  deceased  son,  and  this  gave  the  impulse  to  a  definite 
movement  among  the  Swedish  Baptists  toward  establishing  an  old 
people's  home.  At  a  private  meeting  of  interested  persons,  held  Nov. 
26,  1902,  it  was  resolved  to  accept  the  gift  and  proceed  to  incorporate 
an  association  whose  object  should  be  to  found  such  an  institution. 
The  date  of  incorporation  was  Jan.  14,  1903,  and  the  object  of  the 
association  was  thus  stated:  "to  provide  a  home  and  place  of  rest  for 
aged  and  destitute  Swedish  Baptists  and  other  worthy  persons  in  need 
of  a  temporary  or  permanent  home." 

During  1904  the  cause  did  not  advance  beyond  the  drawing  up  of 
plans  for  a  building  to  be  erected  in  sections  according  to  the  future 
needs.  It  being  deemed  advisable  to  open  the  home  without  further 
delay,  a  private  house  at  236  Sunnyside  Ave.,  Chicago,  was  leased  from 
Dec.  12,  1904,  to  May  1,  1906,  and  opened  as  an  old  age  retreat.  Its 
first  inmate  was  Johan  Gunnarson,  aged  80  years,  who  arrived  on  Jan. 
28,  1905.  The  dedication  of  the  temporary  home  took  place  Feb.  19th 
following.  During  the  year  ten  other  inmates  were  accepted.  Rev.  C. 
J.  Almquist  was  employed  as  traveling  solicitor  for  the  institution  and 
in  six  months  raised  $7,000  in  cash  and  subscriptions. 

A  permanent  location  for  the  home  having  been  selected  in  Morgan 
Park,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  theological  seminary, 
building  operations  were  begun,  and  the  central  section  of  the  proposed 
structure  was  completed  and  occupied  in  1906.  This  the  permanent 
building  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  home  for  the  aged  was  formally 
dedicated  in  connection  with  the  holding  of  the  General  Conference  in 
September  of  the  same  year.  The  present  valuation  of  $24,000,  less  a 
debt  of  $7,000,  shows  the  net  present  worth  of  the  institution  to  be 
$17,000,  while  outstanding  subscriptions  amount  to  $14,000. 

Prior  to  the  eighties  the  work  of  the  Swedish  Baptists  showed  no 
great  results  in  Illinois,  there  being  but  four  or  five  small,  struggling 
churches  in  the  state  up  to  that  time,  the  youngest  of  which  was  that 
of  Princeton,  organized  in  1877.  During  the  last  twenty-five  years 
greater  success  has  attended  their  efforts.  In  Chicago  and  vicinity 
thirteen  congregations  have  been  added,  nine  of  them  being  among 
the  most  populous  ones  in  the  state.  The  church  in  Rockford,  organ- 


582  THE    BAPTISTS 

ized  in  1880,  now  has  a  membership  of  270,  and  is  the  largest  in  the 
state,  outside  of  Chicago. 

The  statistics  of  1907-8  showed  that  the  state  conference  comprised 
35  churches,  with  a  total  membership  of  4,392.  The  number  of  ministers 
was  22;  the  total  value  of  church  property,  $297,157.  The  total  dis- 
bursements for  the  year  were  $70,614,  including  $36,708  for  local 
current  expenses  and  $33,906  for  all  other  purposes. 

From  Illinois  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church  has  been  extended  to 
every  section  of  the  country  populated  by  Swedish  people.  Its  greatest 
gains  have  been  made  in  the  state  of  Minnesota,  where  work  was  begun 
almost  as  early  as  in  Illinois.  Today  the  church  is  subdivided  into  21 


"Fridhem,"  The  Swedish  Baptist  Home  for  the  Aged,  Morgan  Park 

conferences,  each  embracing  one  or  several  states,  in  addition  to  which 
there  are  a  number  of  scattered  congregations  in  other  states  and  in 
Canada.  A  General  Conference  is  held  annually  since  1879,  when  it  was 
organized  at  Village  Creek,  la. 

The  statistics  published  in  1908  give  the  following  figures:  Con- 
gregations, 357 ;  ordained  ministers,  208  ;  preachers  and  woman  mission- 
aries, 135;  church  buildings,  305;  net  increase  in  membership  for  the 
year  last  past,  902 ;  total  membership,  26,645 ;  value  of  church  property, 
$1,837,830;  debt  on  same,  $327,514;  local  disbursements,  $400,075; 
contributions  to  missions  and  benevolent  purposes,  $88,375. 

Besides  the  theological  school,  there  are  two  educational  institu- 
tions, Adelphia  College,  in  Seattle,  Wash.,  and  Bethel  Academy,  in 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  also  an  orphans'  asylum,  located  at  New  Britain, 
Conn.,  all  of  which  receive  their  main  support  from  the  Swedish  Baptist 
Church. 


CHAPTER    X 

The  Swedish  Mission  Church 

The    Movement   Defined 

HE  denomination  of  believers  known  as  the  Mission 
Friends  is  one  of  the  outgrowths  of  a  movement  within 
the  state  church  of  Sweden  toward  deeper  spirituality, 
greater  freedom  from  dogmatism  and  set  forms  of  wor- 
ship and  church  practice,  the  exclusion  of  all  but  true 
Christians  from  participation  in  the  holy  communion  and  ultimately 
the  reorganization  of  the  church  on  the  basis  of  admitting  as  members 
true  believers  only.  Many  of  the  adherents  of  this  movement,  known 
by  the  common  and  reproachful  name  of  Headers,  remained  loyal  to 
the  Lutheran  state  church,  but  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century 
numbers  of  them  became  Methodists,  Baptists  and  Erik  Janssonists. 
In  the  sixties  and  seventies  another  part  of  this  same  church  element, 
organized  into  local  "communion  societies"  and  more  general  mission 
societies,  began  to  crystallize  into  a  new  denomination  of  dissenters, 
who  became  known  as  Mission  Friends  and  in  1878  established  a  free 
church,  named  the  Mission  Covenant  of  Sweden.  Its  counterpart  in 
this  country  is  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant  of  America, 
organized  in  1885.  This  is  the  only  well-defined  body  of  the  Mission 
Friends  in  the  United  States,  who  are  otherwise  divided  into  three 
groups,  the  Mission  Covenant,  the  Swedish  Congregationalists  and  the 
Swedish  Free  Mission.  The  lines  of  demarkation  between  these  cannot 
be  distinctly  drawn.  Owing  to  a  peculiar  looseness  in  organization, 
these  groups  overlap  and  run  into  one  another.  Thus,  by  way  of 
illustration,  a  pastor  who  is  duly  registered  as  a  member  of  the  Mission 
Covenant  may  be  in  charge  of  a  church  not  organically  connected  with 
the  Covenant,  but  either  independent  of  all  church  denominations  or 
allied  with  the  Congregational  Church,  and  vice  versa.  The  so-called 
Free  Mission  Friends  are  the  ultras,  who  at  first  frowned  upon  all 
forms  of  denominational  organization  as  unbiblical  and,  therefore, 


584  TRE   MISSION   CHURCH 

unchristian.  In  later  years  they  have  formed  an  organization  of  their 
own,  differing  from  the  Mission  Covenant  chiefly  in  the  higher  degree 
of  looseness  in  construction. 

Beginning'   of  the    Movement  in    Chicago 

In  the  year  1867,  a  number  of  Mission  Friends  from  the  city  of 
Jonkoping  and  vicinity  emigrated  and  came  to  Chicago.  Here  they 
joined  the  Immanuel  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  but  did  not  feel  at 
home  in  the  Augustana  Synod,  which  to  their  mind  was  no  great  im- 
provement on  the  state  church  of  the  old  country.  As  a  consequence 
they  soon  formed  a  group  by  themselves  and  began  to  hold  meetings 
in  the  various  homes.  One  Martin  Sundin  was  in  the  habit  of  reading 
to  them  from  the  religious  periodical  ' '  Pietisten, "  but  as  yet  they  had 
no  recognized  leader.  In  1868,  John  Peterson  and  several  others  from 
Jonkoping  came  over  and  joined  the  group.  Peterson,  who  had  been 
a  lay  preacher  in  Sweden,  naturally  took  a  leading  part  in  the  private 
meetings,  which  for  a  time  were  held  in  his  own  rooms.  Another  of 
the  earliest  preachers  was  C.  J.  Lindahl,  who  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  work  in  1869.  The  arrival  of  J.  M.  Sanngren,  and  a  powerful 
evangelical  sermon  preached  by  him,  is  said  to  have  given  the  real 
impetus  toward  a  distinct  organization,  and  on  December  26,  1868,  at 
a  meeting  held  in  the  home  of  Martin  Sundin,  134  E.  Superior  street, 
the  preliminary  steps  were  taken  in  the  organization  of  a  Mission 
Association  on  the  order  of  those  in  Sweden.  This  was  the  nucleus 
of  the  North  Side  Lutheran  Mission  Church  subsequently  established 
independently  of  the  Immanuel  Church.  The  growing  attendance  at 
these  meetings  necessitating  a  larger  meeting-place,  a  little  old  school- 
house  on  Bremer  street  (now  Milton  avenue)  was  procured  and  adapted 
for  the  purpose.  This  was  soon  taxed  to  its  full  capacity  and,  although 
put  in  fairly  good  condition,  threatened  to  fall  from  overcrowding. 
The  need  of  a  better  hall  was  apparent  and  work  to  that  end  was  begun, 
the  building  fund  starting  with  the  sum  of  18  cents.  A  sewing  society 
was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  fund  and  at  its  first 
auction  sale  the  sum  of  $117  was  realized.  One  of  the  brethren,  A.  W. 
Hedenschoug  by  name,  a  prominent  member  of  the  group,  suggested 
the  purchase  of  a  certain  property  on  Franklin  street,  comprising  three 
building  lots.  The  price,  $5,300,  looked  prohibitive,  but  one  Samuelson, 
a  leading  member  of  the  Immanuel  Church,  where  many  of  them  still 
were  enrolled,  came  to  their  assistance  by  mortgaging  his  own  home 
for  the  amount  needed.  The  purchase  was  made  May  21,  1869.  As 
soon  as  the  new  mission  house,  a  structure  80  by  42  feet,  had  been 
enclosed,  in  October,  a  meeting  was  held  there.  Brother  Peterson 
preaching  to  a  jubilant  audience  seated  on  planks. 


CHICAGO  585 

Having  attained  such  proportions,  the  movement  began  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  synodical  pastors,  who  endeavored  to  prevent  a 
separation  by  assuming  a  friendly  attitude.  The  dedicatory  services 
were  attended  by  Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  and  J.  G.  Princell,  an  Augus- 
tana  student,  then  continuing  his  studies  at  the  Chicago  University. 
Rev.  Hasselquist  and  other  ministers  showed  their  interest  by  preaching 
in  the  new  mission  house.  They  offered  the  suggestion  that  this  be 
made  a  "week-day  church,"  while  all  should  attend  the  Sunday 
services  at  the  Immanuel  Church,  as  formerly,  or  that  it  be  turned  into 
a  refuge  for  the  needy.  Neither  suggestion  was  agreed  to.  The  breach 
widened,  and  the  trend  was  in  the  direction  of  a  separate  church,  with 
or  without  any  such  intention  on  the  part  of  those  involved.  The 
primary  purpose  had  been  to  hold  evangelistic  meetings  in  the  spirit 
of  the  "Readers'  meetings"  in  the  old  country;  to  this  was  added 
the  secondary  one  of  missionating  and  building  up  a  society  or  congre- 
gation of  true  believers  only,  patterned  after  the  mission  societies  in- 
Sweden.  At  this  juncture  a  certain  lawyer  inquired  whether  any 
legal  organization  had  been  affected.  Being  instructed  by  him  as  to 
the  necessity  and  advantage  of  such  organization,  the  adherents  of  the 
movement  proceeded  to  organize,  adopting  the  name  of  The  Swedish 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Missionary  Association  of  Chicago.  The  next 
question  raised  was  that  of  "recording"  or  incorporating  the  associa- 
tion, which  was  also  done.  A  Swedish  newspaper  now  propounded  the 
question,  what  was  the  spirit  and  tendency  of  the  so-called  Mission 
Friends,  and  in  its  next  issue  answered  by  stating  categorically  that 
they  were  " un-Lutheran,  unchurchly  and  unchristian."  At  a  meeting 
of  Mission  Friends  held  in  Princeton  in  the  fall  of  1869  two  brethren, 
Peterson  and  Hedenschoug,  were  selected  to  call  upon  the  ministerium 
of  the  Augustana  Synod  for  a  correction  of  that  uncharitable  state- 
ment. The  onus  was  then  thrown  upon  a  certain  editor  employed  on 
the  newspaper  who,  in  resigning  his  position  shortly  afterward,  gave 
it  out  that  certain  clergymen  were  responsible  for  the  article  in 
question. 

The  association  thus  formed  for  a  time  existed  as  an  organization 
within  the  Immanuel  Church.  It  had  a  board  of  ten  or  twelve  directors, 
its  first  set  of  officers  being  Martin  Sundin,  president ;  Olof  Anderson, 
secretary,  and  S.  Samuelson,  treasurer,  and  the  total  membership  in 
the  association  during  the  first  month  of  its  existence  probably  did 
not  exceed  a  score.  C.  J.  Lindahl,  the  first  preacher  engaged  by  the 
association,  was  a  brother  of  Rev.  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl  of  the  Augustana 
Synod,  and  had  previously  been  in  the  service  of  the  Swedish  Lutherans 
of  Chicago  as  city  missionary,  but  was  discharged  on  the  ground  of 
"hyper-evangelical"  tendencies.  Lindahl,  who  was  engaged  by  the 


5  86  THE    MISSION   CHURCH 

association  in  February,  1869,  remained  only  a  few  months  in  its 
service,  subsequently  going  over  to  the  Lutheran  General  Synod  to 
serve  as  its  missionary  among  the  Swedish  people.  Lindahl  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  summer  of  1869  by  J.  M.  Sanngren,  the  first  regular 
pastor  of  this  flock. 

When  the  mission  society  had  taken  the  decisive  step,  separating 
from  the  church  and  founding  an  independent  congregation,  one  of 
its  first  cares  was  how  to  obtain  a  regularly  ordained  pastor.  After 
some  trepidation  as  to  the  propriety  of  celebrating  the  holy  communion 
without  the  services  of  a  minister,  the  society  had  accepted  the 
Eucharist  at  the  hands  of  Sanngren,  but  while  they  held  him  competent 
as  a  layman  to  administer  the  sacraments,  there  was  still  a  difference 
of  opinion  among  the  members  as  to  whether  ordination  by  a  clergy- 
man of  the  church  was  a  prerequisite  for  exercising  the  functions  of 
the  apostolic  ministry.  At  its  incorporation  the  society  was  invested 
\vith  authority  to  license  preachers,  and  the  first  four  to  be  licensed 
were  its  own  preachers,  Sanngren  and  J.  Peterson,  and,  at  the  request 
of  other  societies,  C.  A.  Bjork  and  H.  Blom.  Others  who  shortly  after 
were  given  their  licenses  were :  C.  P.  Mellgren,  P.  Wedin  and  C.  J. 
Magnuson.  But  that  a  mere  license,  granted  by  the  civil  authorities, 
was  quite  different  from  the  biblical  consecration  for  the  holy  ministry, 
was  clearly  realized,  and  soon  all  were  agreed  that  to  come  into  the 
full  exercise  of  ministerial  functions  the  preacher  should  be  con- 
secrated by  prayers  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  without  agreeing, 
however,  as  to  who  was  the  proper  person  to  perform  this  act. 

For  light  on  this  mooted  question  the  New  Testament  as  well  as 
the  writings  of  Luther  and  Kosenius  were  consulted.  The  latter 
authorities  were  found  to  support  the  position  that  the  consecration 
of  men  to  the  ministry  is  the  function  of  ordained  ministers.  These 
writers  being  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  the  brethren,  no  one  ventured 
to  oppose  them,  although  several  differed  with  them  on  this  point.  The 
outcome  was,  that  the  Mission  Society  of  Chicago  through  C.  Anderson, 
a  Danish  pastor  belonging  to  the  Lutheran  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois, 
petitioned  for  J.  M.  Sanngren 's  ordination  by  that  body.  The  request 
was  granted,  and  accordingly,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  society, 
Sanngren  was  by  the  said  synod  ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel.* 
The  question  of  "apostolic  succession"  having  been  thus  settled,  so  far 
as  the  society  was  concerned,  C.  A.  Bjork  was  ordained  by  Sanngren 
in  1870  and  the  same  order  has  been  subsequently  followed. 

Traveling  missionaries,  supported  by  this  church,  were  sent  out 
to  different  parts  of  the  country  to  preach,  including  the  aforesaid 
John  Peterson,  and  through  their  efforts  or  independently  little 

*   Bowman:     Missionsvannerna  i  Amerika. 


CHICAGO  587 

groups  of  Mission  Friends  sprung  up  in  various  localities,  such  as 
Princeton  and  Galesburg,  111.,  Swede  Bend,  Keokuk  and  Des  Moines, 
la.,  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  elsewhere. 

The  Mission  Church  on  the  north  side,  which  dates  its  independent 
existence  from  the  early  part  of  1869,  prospered  and  finished  its  house 
of  worship  in  a  short  time,  but  hardly  had  this  been  done  when  the 
great  fire  of  1871  swept  it  away.  The  members  were  now  scattered 
in  all  directions,  the  majority  taking  refuge  on  the  west  side.  There 
they  were  sheltered  in  a  schoolhouse,  together  with  other  refugees  of 
all  nationalities.  John  Peterson  was  appointed  quartermaster  for  this 
aggregation  of  hungry  and  ill-clad  fire  sufferers,  who  were  furnished 
food  and  clothing  by  the  relief  committee.  Scrupulously  avoiding 
every  suspicion  of  selfishness  or  mismanagement,  Peterson  would  not 
appropriate  a  single  thread  of  clothing  for  his  own  use,  but  turned  to 
his  personal  friend  D.  L.  Moody,  who  had  charge  of  a  relief  station 
near  by,  for  what  he  needed  for  himself.  Moody  regretted  to  say  that 
he  came  too  late,  all  his  supplies  having  been  exhausted  the  day  before. 
"But,"  said  he,  "I  have  here  an  old  coat  from  a  Catholic  priest,  if  you 
care  to  take  it. ' '  Grateful  for  any  favor,  Peterson  donned  the  garment 
and  returned  to  his  party.  There  he  was  at  once  surrounded  by 
Catholic  women  who  called  him  "Father"  and  implored  him  to 
administer  the  sacraments  to  them.  He  refused  them  on  the  ground 
of  not  being  a  priest,  but  they  were  insistent  in  their  prayers,  and  as 
against  the  silent  testimony  of  that  coat  no  arguments  could  convince 
them  of  their  mistake.  When  Peterson  shortly  afterward  was  sent  to 
preach  in  Des  Moines  that  long,  black,  ecclesiastical  garment  so  shocked 
the  free  church  friends  there  that  they  ushered  him  post  haste  to  a 
clothier's  shop  and  bought  him  a  coat  of  more  "evangelical"  cut. 

After  the  fire,  the  Mission  Friends  at  first  held  their  meetings 
in  a  rented  church  on  the  south  side,  but  bent  their  efforts  toward 
rebuilding  the  mission  house  on  the  north  side.  When,  after  a  few 
months  spent  in  Des  Moines,  Peterson  returned  to  Chicago,  he  was 
engaged  to  solicit  funds  for  a  new  edifice.  In  the  short  period  of  six 
weeks  he  raised  $2,600.  C.  A.  Bjork,  who  had  begun  preaching  in 
Swede  Bend,  la.,  came  to  his  assistance  and  succeeded  in  raising 
$4.000  more.  With  these  funds  a  new  and  more  commodious  mission 
house  was  reared  on  the  site  of  the  first.  Rev.  Sanngren  continued  in 
charge  of  the  church  from  1869  till  1877,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Bjork.  He  served  the  church  for  a  period  of  seventeen  years, 
until  February,  1895,  when  he  was  required  to  devote  his  entire  time 
to  his  duties  as  president  of  the  Covenant.  His  successor  was  Rev. 
August  Pohl,  who  resigned  in  1899.  The  next  permanent  pastor  was 
Rev.  K.  F.  Ohlson.  who  was  in  charge  from  May,  1900,  till  the  end  of 


588 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


the  year  1903.     Rev.  F.  M.  Johnson,  the  present  pastor,  succeeded  to 
the  pastorate  Jan.  1,  1904. 

The  splendid  edifice  in  which  the  congregation  now  worships  was 
dedicated  in  December,  1887.  The  lots  which  it  occupies  were  pur- 
chased in  1886  for  $10,000  and  the  same  year  ground  was  broken  for 
the  new  structure,  which  was  completed  and  furnished  at  a  cost  of 


The  Swedish  Mission  Church,  Orleans  and  Whiting  Streets 

$35,000.    A  parsonage  also  was  built,  and  the  property  of  the  congre- 
gation is  valued  at  $60,000. 

Simultaneously  with  that  on  the  north  side,  the  Mission  Friends 
started  a  movement  on  the  south  side.  Meetings  were  held  in  a  hall 
on  Archer  avenue  until  after  Rev.  E.  A.  Skogsbergh  had  been  called 
from  Sweden  to  labor  in  this  field,  when  the  attendance  reached  a 
point  where  it  was  found  necessary  to  make  other  arrangements. 
Funds  were  secured  through  Skogsbergh 's  efforts  and  in  the  summer 
of  1878  a  tabernacle  measuring  90  by  70  feet  was  erected  on  a  piece 
of  ground  comprising  three  ordinary  building  lots. 


JOHAN    MAGNUS    SANNGREN 
Rev.   JoKan   Mag'nus   Sanng'ren 


589 


Johan  Magnus  Sanngren  was  born  in  Alsheda  parish,  Smaland, 
Sweden,  July  -i.  1837.  He  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  age 
of  twenty,  when  after  his  conversion  he  entered  Rev.  Ahlberg's 
seminary  at  Ahlsborg,  Smaland.  He  preached  while  a  student,  and 
after  having  finished  the  course  of  instruction,  he  labored  fruitfully 
for  five  years  as  a  preacher  in  his  native  province.  In  1868  he 
emigrated,  reaching  Chicago  in  September.  Appearing  in  the  pulpit 
of  the  Immanuel  Church,  he  impressed  favorably  those  not  contented 
with  the  average  Augustana  minister.  After  having  lived  for  a  short 
period  in  Altona,  and  preached  in  the  Lutheran  churches  roundabout, 
Sanngren  was  called  to  the  newly  organized  mission  society  in  Chicago, 
which,  upon  its  subsequent  organization  as  the  North  Side  Mission 


Rev.  Johan  Magnus  Sanngren 

Church,  retained  him  as  its  pastor  until  the  year  1877.  Seeking  to  im- 
prove his  impaired  health  by  a  change  of  climate,  he  removed  to  Red 
Wing.  Minn.,  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  upon  a  call  to  the  local  Mission 
Church.  Here  his  condition  grew  worse,  and  after  a  period  of  confine- 
ment to  the  sick-bed  Rev.  Sanngren  passed  from  this  life  Sept.  26,  1878, 
survived  by  his  wife  and  son. 

Sanugren  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Mission  church  movement  in  this 
country  and  the  first  regular  pastor  of  the  first  organized  church  of 
that  denomination.  When  the  Mission  Synod  was  organized  in  1873, 
Sanngren  was  chosen  its  head,  and  held  the  presidency  until  his  death. 
At  the  synodical  meeting  in  Bethesda,  Saunders  county.  Neb.,  in  May, 


590 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


1878,  he  preach  what  proved  to  be  his  farewell  sermon  to  the  church 
body  he  had  so  faithfully  served. 

Sanngren  has  been  described  as  a  man  of  rich  gifts  but  of  peculiar 
temperament  and  odd  manners  in  the  pulpit.  He  often  spiced  his 
sermons  with  a  dash  of  humor  and  punctuated  them  with  violent 
gesticulation.  Some  would  take  offense  at  his  manner  and  reject  the 
course  on  account  of  the  dish  in  which  it  was  served.  Far  from  defend- 
ing his  eccentricities,  he  regretted  them,  but  as  they  were  tempera- 
mental, he  strivtd  in  vain  to  overcome  these  faults.  But  he  was  sincere 
and  free  from  affectation,  and  those  who  knew  him  best  lost  sight  of 
his  shortcomings  in  their  appreciation  of  his  worth.  If  the  pulpit 
humorist  drew  smiles  from  his  hearers,  it  was  apparently  without 
intent,  for  the  next  moment  he  would  hurl  a  thunderbolt  of  divine 
truth  with  a  vigor  that  bespoke  intense  seriousness. 

Rev.  John  A.  Peterson 

John  A.  Peterson,  one  of  the  first  preachers  among  the  Mission 
Friends  in  this  country,  was  born  March  24,  1838,  in  Ljunga  parish, 
Smaland,  Sweden.  In  his  infancy  he  lost  his  mother  by  death.  After 


Rev.  John  A.  Peterson 

attending  common  school,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  shoemaker  at  four- 
teen years  of  age  and  at  nineteen  began  to  ply  that  trade  on  his  own 
account.  He  was  converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  In  1862  he 
removed  to  Svenarum,  where  he  was  married  to  Anna  Sofia  Asp.  After 
two  years  they  moved  to  Jonkoping  where  Peterson  opened  a  shoe-shop. 
He  was  now  called  by  the  Mission  Society  of  Jonkoping  to  aid  in  its 


ERIK   AUGUST   SKOGSBERGH  59I 

work  through  preaching  and  colportage  of  religious  books  and  tracts. 
In  April,  1868,  Peterson  emigrated  with  his  family,  and  reached 
Chicago  May  20th.  Here  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  work  of  the 
Mission  Friends,  then  recently  begun,  and  he  holds  an  honored  place 
among  the  early  preachers  of  the  Mission  Church  in  Chicago.  Respond- 
ing to  a  call  from  Des  Moines,  la.,  Peterson  removed  from  Chicago  in 
the  fall  of  1871,  shortly  after  the  fire.  He  served  as  pastor  of  the 
Mission  Church  of  Des  Moines  for  a  period  of  eight  years  with  un- 
qualified success.  His  next  removal  was  to  the  Salem  Church,  a  country 
congregation  in  Burt  county,  Nebraska,  which  remained  in  his  charge 
for  twenty-four  years.  With  his  wife  he  is  now  living  in  the  city  of 
Oakland,  while  his  sons  are  cultivating  a  farm  owned  by  him  in  the 
same  county.  He  resigned  the  pastorate  several  years  ago,  but  con- 
tinues to  preach  occasionally.  Rev.  Peterson  is  revered  as  one  of  the 
fathers  of  the  Mission  Church,  to  which  he  has  given  the  best  efforts 
of  a  long  and  useful  life.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  directors  of 
the  Mission  Covenant  and  was  often  called  to  offices  of  honor  and 
trust  in  the  various  branches  of  its  activity. 

Rev.  EriK  August  SKogsbergh. 

In  1876  the  Mission  Friends  of  Chicago  and  elsewhere  were  stirred 
to  religious  activity  as  never  before,  chiefly  by  the  virile  evangelistic 
work  of  one  man — Rev.  Erik  August  Skogsbergh.  He  had  just  come 
over  from  Sweden  to  assist  Rev.  Sanngren,  but  soon  became  the  leading 
factor  in  a  notable  revival.  Skogsbergh,  who  was  born  at  Elga,  Verm- 
land,  June  30,  1850,  and  was  pursuing  studies  at  Jonkoping  when  called 
to  Chicago,  took  up  the  work  here  with  a  will  and  energy  remarkable 
in  so  young  a  man.  His  first  sermon  in  Chicago  was  preached  on  the 
day  of  his  arrival,  Oct.  10,  1876.  With  a  burning  zeal  for  the  salvation 
of  men's  souls,  he  at  once  kindled  his  hearers,  and  people  went  to  hear 
this  "Swedish  Moody"  in  ever  growing  numbers.  Skogsbergh  proved 
both  a  preaching  and  a  singing  evangelist,  who  wielded  a  twofold 
influence  over  his  audiences. 

He  was  assigned  a  field  on  the  south  side,  where  the  north  side 
church  had  conducted  a  mission  since  1871.  From  there  the  revival 
resulting  from  Skogsbergh 's  sermons  and  songs  spread  to  the  north 
side.  From  the  mission  a  separate  congregation  was  soon  formed, 
named  the  Tabernacle  Church,  and  Skogsbergh  became  its  pastor.  The 
mission-house  having  become  inadequate,  a  large  structure,  known  as 
the  Mission  Tabernacle,  was  erected  in  1877,  where  Skogsbergh  con- 
tinued to  preach  to  large  audiences  for  upwards  of  eight  years.  His 
reputation  meanwhile  spread  to  the  other  mission  churches,  and  during 
the  same  period  he  was  in  constant  demand  for  evangelistic  work  in 


592 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


other  fields.  In  January,  1884,  he  removed  to  Minneapolis  and  his 
labors  there  as  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle  Church  for  almost  a  quarter 
century  have  been  richly  blessed.  He  there  founded  a  school  of  which 


u 


North  Park  College  in  Chicago  is  a  continuation,  and  subsequent  to 
the  removal  of  this  institution  he  has  been  engaged  in  educational  work 
at  Minneapolis.  As  a  preacher  and  religious  leader  Skogsbergh  for 


thirty  years  has  held  a  pre-eminent  position  in  the  Mission  Church  of 
the  United  States. 

TKe   Mission   Movement  in   Galesburg' 

The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg  had  been  organized 
with  some  difficulty,  and  formed  from  rather  heterogeneous  elements. 
Part  of  the  membership  consisted  of  persons  of  free  church  tendencies 
from  Sweden,  who  had  been  fostered  among  the  Readers  and  mission 
societies  in  the  old  country.  Hasselquist,  its  first  permanent  pastor, 
made  concessions  to  this  element.  This  church  did  not  as  a  whole 
sanction  the  act  of  the  Swedish  Lutherans  in  leaving  the  Synod  of 
Northern  Illinois  to  form  the  Augustana  Synod.  When  Hasselquist 
was  succeeded  by  Dahlsten  in  1863,  the  services  became  too  ritualistic 
to  suit  the  liberalists,  who  now  began  to  gather  in  private  for  devotional 
services  led  by  laymen.  Among  the  initiators  was  S,  W.  Sundberg. 
Warnings  against  the  separatists  did  not  have  the  desired  effect,  and 
the  active  opposition  of  the  pastor  seemed  rather  to  hasten  actual 
separation.  The  feud  continued  for  several  years,  not  without  un- 
charitable bitterness  on  both  sides.  To  the  annual  convention  of  the 
Augustana  Synod  in  1868  the  congregation  sent  through  its  lay  delegate 
a  protest  against  the  ritualistic  order  of  services  prescribed  by  the 
synod  and  certain  other  regulations  not  conforming  to  the  ideas  of  this 
church.  One  of  its  demands  was  that  the  lay  delegate  should  be 
admitted  to  the  closed  session  of  the  ministerium.  Rev.  Hasselquist 
and  one  or  two  other  pastors  were  sent  to  Galesburg  to  reprimand 
the  rebellious  church  and  admonish  it  to  remain  true  to  Lutheran 
doctrines  and  usages.  All  but  about  40  members  submitted,  and  no 
further  action  was  taken  at  the  time. 

About  this  time  a  lay  preacher  named  Bergenskold,  who  had  been 
educated  at  the  Fjellstedt  school  in  Upsala  and  served  as  preacher  at 
Count  Stackelberg's  factory  in  Ofverum,  came  to  Galesburg.  His 
friends  asked  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  preach  occasionally  in  the 
church,  but  when  the  pastor  refused  him  his  pulpit,  Bergenskold 's 
friends,  several  of  whom  were  on  the  board  of  deacons,  arranged  private 
devotional  services,  led  by  Bergenskold.  Alarmed  by  the  spread  of  the 
"New  Evangelism"  in  his  church,  the  pastor  called  in  Hasselquist, 
Carlsson  of  Chicago  and  Swensson  of  Andover,  who  administered  a 
second  reprimand. 

In  August  five  deacons  and  several  other  members  met  for  counsel 
in  the  home  of  Olof  Johnson,  the  Sunday  school  superintendent,  Ber- 
genskold being  absent.  Johnson  declared  the  situation  intolerable 
and  announced  his  decision  to  leave  the  church.  Others  shared  his 
views,  and  then  and  there  it  was  resolved  to  form  a  mission  society 


594 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


modeled  on  those  in  Sweden.  The  organization  took  place  at  a  sub- 
sequent meeting,  when  about  forty  persons  signed  for  membership. 
A.  hall  was  procured,  where  Bergenskold  now  preached  regularly. 

The  need  of  a  legally  incorporated  church  and  a  regularly 
ordained  minister  was  soon  felt.  Bergenskold  was  only  a  lay  preacher, 
who  had  no  inclination  to  join  any  particular  denomination.  Many  of 
the  new  society  still  felt  kindly  toward  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois, 


Rev.  S.  W.  Sundberg 


and  favored  joining  that  body  and  calling  the  aforementioned  Rev. 
Carl  Anderson  as  their  pastor.  •  The  proposition  and  call  were  sub- 
mitted in  November,  at  the  synodical  convention,  and  after  the  society 
had  adopted  the  confession  and  constitution  of  the  synod  it  joined  that 
body  under  the  name  of  the  Second  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of 
G-alesburg.  Eev.  Anderson,  after  having  been  duly  elected,  succeeded 
to  the  pastorate  upon  Bergenskold 's  departure  for  Iowa  in  April,  1869. 
At  first  the  church  held  strictly  to  the  purity  rule,  but  after  join- 
ing the  synod  it  became  more  lax  in  the  admission  of  members.  Years 
of  contention  on  this  point,  followed  and  not  until  after  the  year  1876, 
when  Rev.  J.  Gr.  Sjoquist  assumed  pastoral  charge,  was  any  effective 
attempt  made  to  weed  out  the  worldly-minded  members.  This  process 
was  completed  by  his  successor,  Rev.  E.  G.  Hjerpe,  whose  efforts 
resulted  in  the  expulsion  of  many.  This  church,  now  known  as  the 
Mission  Church  of  Galesburg,  is  the  second  oldest  in  the  denomination. 
Shortly  after  Rev.  Anderson's  succession  to  the  pastorate  in  1869,  a 


CARL   ANDERSON 


595 


building  lot  was  purchased  for  $1,200,  on  which  a  church  edifice  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $10.000.    This  building  is  the  one  still  in  use. 

Rev.  Carl    Anderson 

Rev.  Anderson  was  a  man  af  more  than  ordinary  ability.  His 
American  education  and  his  familiarity  with  conditions  in  this  country 
placed  him  in  the  forefront  of  the  Scandinavian  churchmen  of  his 
period.  In  1871,  while  pastor  in  Galesburg,  he  started  a  church  paper, 
"Zions  Baner, "  which  for  a  time  was  the  mouthpiece  of  the  Mission 
Friends  and  did  much  to  advance  their  interests.  Later  it  changed  its 
tone  and  became  an  advocate  of  the  plans  and  interests  of  the  General 
Synod  and  more  especially  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  anent  the 
Scandinavians.  Prior  thereto,  Anderson's  paper  had,  however,  earned 
the  thanks  of  the  Mission  Friends  as  the  first  to  champion  their  cause. 

The  proposal  to  organize  the  mission  societies  or  churches  into  a 
general  body  originated  with  Anderson.  His  secondary  purpose  was 
to  make  the  new  organization  a  part  of  the  General  Synod,  but  finding 
this  idea  unpopular  among  the  brethren,  he  declared  his  willingness 
to  aid  in  forming  an  independent  synod  of  the  Mission  Friends.  When 
some  such  measure  was  proposed  at  a  meeting  in  Princeton  in  July, 
1871,  action  was  deferred  for  fear  that  it  would  lead  to  a  worldly 
church. 

In  1873,  after  having  lost  part  of  his  prestige  among  the  Mission 
Friends,  Anderson  left  Galesburg  for  Keokuk,  la.,  where  a  Swedish 
church  of  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  had  been  established  in  1870. 
Here  he  started  a  school  for  the  training  of  preachers,  which  was  the 
forerunner  of  Ansgarius  College  in  Knoxville. 

TKe    Mission  Church  of  Princeton 

The  beginning  of  the  mission  church  at  Princeton  was  a  family 
named  Lundholm,  man  and  wife,'  who  arrived  there  in  1867.  They 
began  missionating  among  their  countrymen  after  the  manner  of  the 
Readers  of  Sweden,  to  whom  they  had  belonged,  thereby  gathering  a 
little  group  of  persons  who  later  united  into  a  mission  society.  In  the 
fall  of  the  next  year,  C.  P.  Mellgren,  a  lay  preacher,  arrived.  He  was 
born  at  Torpa,  Smaland,  March  7,  1836.  Converted  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  he  began  to  testify  in  intimate  circles  of  the  faithful  and 
was  a  few  years  later  assigned  as  colporteur  by  the  Sunnerbo  Mission 
Society.  He  labored  as  such  for  six  years  prior  to  his  emigration. 
After  his  coming  to  Princeton,  where  he  was  dependent  on  the  labor 
of  his  own  hands  for  his  support,  he  continued  preaching,  meetings 
being  usually  conducted  in  a  schoolhouse  outside  the  city.  On  the 


596  THE    MISSION    CHURCH 

14th  of  December,  1868,  there  was  organized  a  mission  society  of  30 
members,  which  in  1871  was  incorporated  as  a  church.  The  second 
general  meeting  of  the  various  mission  societies  was  held  in  Princeton 
in  the  fall  of  1869,  the  first  having  taken  place  in  Chicago  in  July  of 
the  same  year. 

While  in  Princeton,  Mellgren  extended  his  labors  to  other  places 
in  Illinois,  including  Altona,  Geneseo,  Galesburg  and  others.  He  often 
undertook  long  missionary  journeys  to  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Missouri  and 
Kansas.  In  1873  he  removed  to  Osage  City,  Kans.,  where  he  has  ever 
since  resided.  His  successor  was  P.  Wedin,  born  at  Agunnaryd,  Sma- 
land,  March  1,  1835,  died  in  Aurora,  Neb.,  April  11,  1907.  Wedin  came 
to  Princeton  direct  from  Sweden  in  1870,  and  at  first  obtained  work 
on  the  railroad.  He  preached  on  occasion,  prior  to  Mellgren 's  leaving, 
and  subsequently  filled  his  place  for  seven  years,  during  which  time 
the  Mission  church  flourished,  and  became  one  of  the  strongest  of  the 
early  ones  of  the  denomination.  Wedin  was  engaged  for  several  years 
as  traveling  missionary  of  the  Mission  Synod,  and  during  that  period 
preached  the  gospel  throughout  the  country  from  coast  to  coast. 

Wedin  opposed  the  organization  of  the  Mission  Covenant  in  1885, 
demanding  a  strict  and  clearly  defined  confession  in  place  of  the  one 
proposed.  Yet,  when  the  Mission  Synod  to  which  he  belonged  vir- 
tually joined  the  Covenant  in  a  body,  Wedin  automatically  became  a 
member,  but  withdrew  from  his  former  brethren  and  for  a  short  time 
was  a  member  of  the  Augustana  Synod.  During  his  last  years  he  be- 
longed to  no  church  body,  but  continued  to  preach  to  little  bands  of 
followers  at  places  in  Texas,  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  where  he  lived. 

The   RocKford   Field 

A  little  group  of  Mission  Friends  in  Rockford  were  wont  to  hold 
private  meetings  there  as  early  as  1868.  The  same  year  P.  Undeen 
came  there  from  Sweden  and  went  to  work  for  a  neighboring  farmer, 
meanwhile  forming  the  acquaintance  of  these  people  and  eventually 
becoming  their  preacher.  While  working  as  a  painter  in  the  city,  he 
acted  as  pastor  of  the  little  flock,  which  was  not  formally  organized 
as  a  church  until  1875.  The  first  man  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to 
the  charge  of  this  church  was  Rev.  P.  J.  Lindell. 

Undeen,  who  was  in  a  way  the  founder  of  this  church,  was  born 
at  Undenas,  Vestergotland,  Aug.  13,  1835.  He  is  known  to  have  at- 
tended Rev.  Ahlberg's  seminary  prior  to  1865,  whereupon  he  worked 
in  Vermland  and  elsewhere  as  a  Bible  colporteur  and  lay  preacher  in 
the  service  of  Evangeliska  Fosterlandsstiftelsen.  After  the  loss  of  his 
wife,  whom  he  married  in  1866,  he  pursued  studies  at  the  same  school 


THE   MISSION   SYNOD  597 

for  another  year  prior  to  his  emigration.  Engaged  as  a  traveling  mis- 
sionary by  the  first  conference  of  Mission  Friends,  Undeen  soon  after 
entered  the  service  of  the  General  Synod  of  the  American  Lutherans, 
and  was  ordained  by  that  body  in  1870.  The  change  is  thought  to  have 
been  prompted  by  lack  of  support  from  the  Mission  Church.  He  re- 
moved to  Swift  county,  Minnesota,  and  his  labors  in  the  northwest 
bore  rich  fruit.  The  founding  of  the  Mission  churches  in  Red  Wing  and 
Minneapolis,  as  also  in  Lund,  Wis.,  is  credited  to  his  efforts.  Undeen 
joined  in  organizing  the  Mission  Synod  in  1873,  and  devoted  his  last 
years  to  the  service  of  that  body.  He  passed  away  at  Lund,  Wis., 
Feb.  9,  1876. 

TKe   Swedish  Lutheran   Mission  Synod 

As  the  movement  grew  and  groups  of  Mission  Friends  were 
formed  in  various  Swedish  localities,  the  need  of  union  and  co-operation 
became  apparent,  and  at  a  meeting  held  at  Princeton  in  1871,  it  was 
proposed  to  unite  all  Mission  Friends  in  a  synod,  the  initiative  being 
taken  by  the  North  Side  Mission  Church.  Acting  on  the  suggestion, 
a  little  group  of  preachers  and  laymen  met  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  on 
May  22,  1873,  organized  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Mission 
Synod.  On  the  same  day  the  synod  was  incorporated  under  the  laws 
of  the  state  of  Iowa,  the  incorporators  being  the  following  five  persons : 
Peter  Englund,  Charles  Anderson,  C.  G.  Svenson,  S.  W.  Sundberg  and 
C.  A.  Bjork.  Of  these,  Englund,  Svenson  and  Bjork  were  elected 
trustees  for  the  first  year.  In  the  articles  of  incorporation  the  object 
and  business  of  the  organization  was  stated  to  be :  "To  organize  and 
govern  churches,  to  educate  and  ordain  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  to 
promote  the  cause  of  home  and  foreign  missions,  to  hold  synodical 
meetings  in  the  state  of  Iowa  and  elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  and 
to  promote  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  therein."  In  all  matters  speci- 
fied in  the  articles  of  incorporation  the  synod  was  to  be  governed  by  the 
constitution  adopted.  In  Art.  II  of  said  constitution,  the  synod  pro- 
claimed its  adherence  not  only  to  the  three  oldest  Symbola,  the 
Apostolic,  the  Nicene  and  the  Athanasian,  but  also  to  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  thereby  affirming  allegiance  to  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
principle.  By  way  of  reassurance,  the  last  article  stipulated  that  said 
Art.  II  was  to  stand  unaltered  forever.  The  representation  at  the 
synodical  meetings  was  to  be  by  delegations  of  three,  the  minister  and 
two  lay  members,  from  each  and  every  congregation  having  adopted 
the  synod's  constitution. 

Subsequent  events  in  the  Mission  Synod  may  be  briefly  sum- 
marized. In  1874  the  synod  began  publishing  a  religious  monthly, 
called  "Missions-Wannen,"  patterned  after  "Pietisten. "  published 


598 


THE    MISSION   CHURCH 


in  Sweden  by  C.  0.  Rosenius,  a  paper  extensively  read  by  the  Devo- 
tionalists  in  the  old  country.  Later  a  songbook,  entitled  "Samlings- 
sanger,"  was  published,  which  was  in  general  use  throughout  the 
synod  for  a  number  of  years.  At  the  synodical  meeting  of  1879,  held 
in  Chicago  May  27th  to  June  2nd,  it  was  recommended  that  the  in- 
dividual congregations  adopt  the  plans  and  practices  of  church  gov- 
ernment prevailing  in  the  Mission  Covenant  of  Sweden.  At  this  same 


Rev.  Carl  A.  Bjork 


meeting  the  council  of  the  Ansgarius  Synod,  a  Swedish  church  or- 
ganization similar  to  the  Mission  Synod,  the  chief  difference  being 
the  latter 's  greater  freedom  in  receiving  members,  proposed  a  union  of 
the  two  synods.  A  plan  of  union,  based  on  the  constitution  and  by-laws 
of  the  Mission  Covenant  in  Sweden  and  conditioned  on  the  dissolution 
of  both  synods,  was  laid  on  the  table  after  some  discussion,  the  matter 
being  postponed  on  the  ground  that  the  time  was  not  yet  ripe  for  such 
a  step. 

In  1881  the  Tabernacle  Church  on  the  south  side  in  Chicago 
withdrew  from  the  Mission  Synod.  This  action  was  the  result  of 
agitation  against  all  forms  of  organization  or  federation  of  local 


THE    ANSGARIUS    SYNOD 


599 


congregations  or  societies  into  larger  church  bodies,  those  holding 
this  view  maintaining  that  such  organizations  are  contrary  to  biblical 
precept  and  endanger  and  hamper  Christian  life  and  liberty.  Agitation 
on  this  point  for  years  finally  divided  the  Mission  Friends  into  two 
camps,  the  anti-organization  people  being  thenceforth  known  as  the 
Free  Mission  Friends. 

In  the  late  fall  of  1884,  a  circular  authorized  by  the  Tabernacle 
Church  was  issued  to  the  ministers  of  the  Ansgarius  and  Mission  synods, 
inquiring  whether  they  desired  a  general  meeting  in  Chicago  for  the 
purpose  of  devising  plans  of  unification.  The  proposition  was  dis- 
cussed at  the  subsequent  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the  Mission 
Synod,  held  at  Kandolph,  Kans.,  Dec.  4 — 8,  and  a  resolution  was 
passed  fixing  Feb.  18,  1885,  as  the  date  of  the  proposed  meeting,  also 
stipulating  that  the  sessions  be  equally  divided  between  the  Taber- 
nacle and  the  North  Side  Mission  Church.  At  this  meeting  the  pro- 
position carried  and  a  new  church  body,  entitled  the  Swedish  Evan- 
gelical Mission  Covenant  of  America,  came  into  existence.  The  two 
synods  were  not  thereby  dissolved,  the  question  of  joining  the  new 
organization  being  left  to  the  individual  congregations. 

The   Ansgarius   Synod 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Ansgarius  Synod  of  the  United 
States  was  organized  at  Galesburg,  111.,  May  18,  1874.  The  Mission 
Church  in  that  city,  organized  in  1868  as  an  independent  Lutheran 
congregation  under  the  name  of  the  Second  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
had  called  as  its  minister  Kev.  C.  Anderson.  He  was  of  Danish 
descent  but  was  educated  in  this  country  and  had  worked  as  a  Scan- 
dinavian missionary  under  the  auspices  of  the  Synod  of  Northern 
Illinois. 

In  1873  he  started  a  theological  school  in  Keokuk,  la.,  and  was 
one  of  the  men  who  organized  the  Mission  Synod  in  that  city  the  same 
year.  He  had  expected  this  synod  to  become  a  Scandinavian  depart- 
ment or  district  of  the  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  but  finding  the 
brethren  unwilling  to  affiliate  with  that  body,  he  withdrew  before  the 
close  of  the  meeting.  Several  mission  churches  already  belonging  to  the 
"Synod  of  Northern  Illinois  did  not  join  the  Mission  Synod.  Kev.  An- 
derson, desirous  of  obtaining  funds  for  a  school  building,  issued  a  cir- 
cular in  English  setting  forth  the  purposes  and  plans  of  his  institute. 
A  copy  fell  into  the  hands  of  James  Knox,  a  wealthy  banker  of  Knox- 
ville,  111.,  who  summoned  Anderson  to  his  home  and  offered  to  donate 
$12,000  toward  a  Swedish  institution  of  learning  to  be  located  in  the 
city  of  Knoxville.  The  donor  stipulated  that  the  teaching  was  to 
conform  to  the  professed  doctrines  of  the  church  under  whose  auspices 
-the  school  was  to  be  established,  otherwise  it  should  become  the  proper- 


6oo 


THE   MISSION   CHURCH 


ty  of  the  city.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  city  subscribed  $5,000 
more,  while  the  sum  of  $3,000  was  raised  among  the  Swedish  people. 
Anderson,  realizing  the  need  of  an  organization  to  back  him  and  the 
institution,  became  the  prime  mover  in  organizing  the  Ansgarius  Synod. 
This  was  done  at  a  conference  of  the  Swedish  churches  of  the  Synod 
of  Northern  Illinois,  held  in  Galesburg  May  16 — 20.  Anderson  and 
C.  J.  Lindahl  from  Brantford,  Kans.,  seem  to  have  been  the  only 
ministers  present.  Among  the  laymen  was  J.  Anjou,  a  teacher  in 
Anderson's  school  at  Keokuk,  who  was  chosen  president  of  the  new 
organization.  The  synod  affirmed  its  adherence  to  the  Augsburg  Con- 


Ansgarius   College,  Knoxville 

fession  and  adopted  a  constitution  very  similar  in  other  respects  to- 
that  of  the  Mission  Synod.  But  Anderson's  arbitrary  action  aroused 
suspicion  among  the  Mission  Friends.  A  misunderstanding  between 
the  two  synods  existed  for  a  time,  and  petty  quarrels  among  the 
leaders  and  ministers  on  either  side  forced  the  two  organizations 
farther  and  farther  apart.  The  breach  was  still  further  widened  when 
the  Ansgarius  Synod  officially  joined  the  Lutheran  General  Synod. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  years,  however,  the  differences  were  so  far 
obliterated  that  the  Ansgarius  Synod,  at  its  fourth  annual  meeting, 
held  in  Galesburg  June  5-12,  1878,  resolved  to  invite  the  co-operation 
of  the  Mission  Synod  with  especial  reference  to  the  educational  work 
carried  on  by  the  Ansgarius  College  at  Knoxville. 

The  religious  revival  in  Sweden  was  intensified  in  the  seventies, 
by  the  great  agitation  against  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  atonement  and 


THE   ANSGARIUS    SYNOD  6oi 

justification,  led  by  P.  Waldenstrom,  a  prominent  free  church  man, 
whose  views  of  the  atonement  have  been  briefly  stated  by  himself  as 
follows:  ''The  Scriptures  teach  that  no  change  took  place  in  God's 
disposition  towards  man  in  consequence  of  his  sin ;  that,  therefore,  it 
was  not  God  who  needed  to  be  reconciled  to  man,  but  it  was  man  who 
needed  to  be  reconciled  to  God ;  and  that,  consequently,  reconciliation  is 
a  work  which  proceeds  from  God  and  is  directed  towards  man,  and 
aims  not  to  appease  God,  but  to  cleanse  man  from  sin,  and  to  restore 
him  to  a  right  relation  with  God. ' ' 

The  movement  had  a  similar  effect  on  this  side  of  the  water,  the 
powerful  preaching  of  Skogsbergh,  Bjork,  and  others,  together  with 
the  defection  of  Waldenstromians  from  the  regular  Lutheran  con- 
gregations, combining  to  bring  large  numbers  of  converts  into  the 
Mission  churches.  Waldenstrom 's  views  were  very  generally  accepted 
by  the  Missions  Friends.  His  rejection  of  dogmas,  confessions,  and 
"man-made  rules,"  as  being  needless,  unauthorized  and  prejudicial  to 
a  correct  interpretation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  to  the  Christian 
life,  caused  both  the  Ansgarius  and  the  Mission  synod  to  amend 
their  constitutions  by  inserting  in  the  respective  articles  dealing  with 
the  creed  the  specification  that  the  Augsburg  Confession  was  to  be 
"interpreted  in  accordance  with  the  Bible."  The  revival  movement 
had  a  tendency  to  unify  the  Mission  Friends  spiritually,  and  thus 
paved  the  way  for  organic  union.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  Moline, 
May  30,  1879,  the  Ansgarius  Synod  had  reached  a  new  point  of  contact 
with  the  Mission  Synod,  according  to  the  statement  of  the  president 
that  true  Christianity  was  now  a  requisite  both  for  membership  and 
participation  in  the  breaking  of  bread.  At  the  same  occasion  the  result 
of  the  overtures  for  consolidation  was  reported.  The  answer  of  the 
Mission  Synod  was  favorable  in  sentiment  but  pointed  out  that,  in  the 
absence  of  hearty  sympathy  and  true  harmony  on  which  the  outward 
union  should  be  based,  a  consolidation  had  better  be  postponed 
Hmtil  the  members  of  the  Mission  Synod  churches  themselves  should 
ask  for  such  a  move.  In  its  records  the  Ansgarius  Synod  made  note 
of  the  fact  that  many  churches  in  both  synods  favored  a  union  based 
on  the  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  Mission  Covenant  of  Sweden, 
and  urged  the  remainder  to  join  in  the  movement,  whereby  all  cause  for 
further  strife  would  be  eliminated. 

In  1880  the  synod  adopted  a  new  constitution  essentially  different 
from  the  one  in  force.  The  article  affirming  adherence  to  the  Augs- 
burg Confession  was  practically  annulled  by  an  amendment,  in  dis- 
regard of  a  specific  constitutional  provision  that  said  article  should 
never  be  changed.  To  get  around  this  legal  obstacle,  the  amendment 
was  made  a  separate  article. 


602  THE    MISSION   CHURCH 

The  control  and  management  of  the  Ansgarius  College  was  now 
entrusted  to  an  association  of  individuals  within  and  without  the 
synod,  for  a  term  of  three  years,  Anderson  and  his  associate  teacher, 
K.  Erixon,  having  disagreed  and  in  turn  left  the  institution.  The 
association  engaged  J.  G.  Princell  as  head  professor  and  carried  on 
the  work  until  the  spring  of  1884,  when  it  resigned  its  stewardship 
for  lack  of  encouragement  and  financial  support.  Two  years  before, 
the  Ansgarius  Synod  had  severed  its  connection  with  the  General 
Synod. 

The  constitutional  changes  proved  unsatisfactory  and  led  to 
further  difficulties.  The  regular  Lutherans  pointed  out  the  falsity  of 
the  synod's  position  in  not  living  up  to  its  professed  creed,  the  Augs- 
burg Confession,  while  the  Free  Mission  people  attacked  it  on  account 
of  its  alleged  adherence  to  that  creed.  Still  the  Ansgarius  people  dared 
not  summarily  dispose  of  the  troublesome  Art.  II  for  fear  of  invalid- 
ating the  incorporation  and  losing  its  property,  consisting  chiefly  of 
the  college  at  Knoxville.  At  the  annual  convention  in  1883,  in  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  ascertain  the  legal  status 
of  the  case.  In  the  event  that  desired  changes  could  not  be  made 
without  jeopardizing  the  corporation,  the  Synod  was  to  be  dissolved 
at  its  next  meeting.  When  the  synod  convened  in  Galesburg  the 
following  year,  the  committee  reported,  on  the  authority  of  the  secre- 
tary of  state  at  Springfield,  that  everything  in  the  constitution,  except 
Art.  II,  might  be  altered  without  hazard,  but  that  any  change  in  said 
article  would  annul  the  charter.  In  its  dilemma  the  synod  tentatively 
adopted  an  entirely  new  constitution,  drawn  up  by  J.  G.  Princell  and 
A.  Larson,  changing  the  name  to  "The  Swedish  Mission  Covenant 
of  America"  and  adopting  the  Bible  as  the  only  perfect  guide  in 
matters  of  faith  and  living.  Princell  himself,  who  had  previously  with- 
drawn from  the  synod,  agreed  to  abide  by  the  drafted  constitution 
at  the  sacrifice  of  certain  personal  convictions,  he  being  opposed  to 
any  denominational  organization  whatsoever. 

The  synod  re-assembled  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  August  the  same 
year  to  take  final  action  on  the  constitution.  Further  disintegration 
had  set  in,  aided  by  doctrinal  dissensions  and  personal  differences 
between  Princell  and  J.  Hagstrom,  the  former  leading  the  ultra  free- 
church,  or  anti-organization,  forces,  the  latter  belonging  to  the  party 
that  favored  organization.  No  agreement  could  be  reached,  and  for 
the  second  time  it  was  decided  to  dissolve  the  synod  at  its  next  annual 
meeting.  It  was  voted  to  turn  the  school  property  over  to  the  city  of 
Knoxville  on  the  first  day  of  September,  shortly  after  adjournment. 
The  synod  met  at  Moline  the  following  May,  to  wind  up  its  affairs,  and 
on  the  second  dav  of  June,  1885,  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran 


THE    MISSION    COVENANT  603 

Ansgarius  Synod  passed  out  of  existence.  At  the  synodical  meeting 
in  Worcester,  Princell  had  again  proposed  the  forming  of  some  sort 
of  a  general  body,  but  the  suggestion  found  little  favor  with  the 
delegates,  who  by  this  time  were  tired  of  the  strife  and  dissension  that 
had  characterized  the  synod  throughout  its  existence. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant 

The  convention  that  gave  birth  to  the  Mission  Covenant  was  not 
devoid  of  travail  and  partisan  bitterness.  At  the  opening  of  the 
meeting  55  ministers  and  lay  delegates  were  present,  seven  more  ar- 
riving later.  Rev.  C.  A.  Bjork  was  elected  chairman.  The  first  ques- 
tion raised  was  who  should  be  entitled  to  vote.  The  call  having  been 
understood  to  include  all  Mission  Friends  interested  in  the  question 
of  union  one  way  or  another,  several  anti-organization  men  came  to 
the  meeting,  chief  among  whom  were  Rev.  J.  G.  Princell,  leader  of  the 
Free  Mission  Friends,  and  John  Martenson,  publisher  of  "Chicago- 
Bladet, "  the  organ  of  that  movement.  By  raising  the  question  whether 
he,  as  a  pastor  and  elder,  although  not  a  member  of  either  synod  nor 
a  duly  elected  delegate  from  any  independent  Mission  church,  would 
be  entitled  to  a  seat  in  the  convention,  Princell  precipitated  a  warm 
debate,  resulting  in  a  resolution  seating  all  members  of  the  respective 
synods,  but  only  such  ministers  and  delegates  of  independent  churches 
as  favored  the  proposed  union.  Princell  declared  himself  in  favor  of 
the  unification  of  all  Christians  on  a  biblical  basis,  meaning  thereby 
unity  in  faith  and  good  works,  without  any  organic  connection,  but 
the  convention  held  that  this  did  not  bring  him  within  the  terms  of 
the  call  and,  putting  the  question  to  a  vote,  unseated  him  by  a  vote 
of  18  to  6,  less  than  half  of  the  delegates  voting.  Later,  by  a  vote 
af  11  ayes  to  17  noes,  the  convention  refused  to  reconsider  its  action. 
Princell  then  withdrew,  explaining  that  he  knew  very  well  he  could 
not  be  seated  according  to  the  letter,  but  only  according  to  the  spirit, 
of  the  call  issued  for  the  meeting.  The  principal,  though  not  the 
technical,  objection  to  seating  Princell  was  his  determined  effort  to  set 
at  naught  the  proposed  union  by  relentless  agitation  against  it  for 
months  before  the  meeting.  In  a  series  of  articles  in  "  Chicago-Bladet, " 
of  which  paper  he  was  then  the  assistant  editor,  he  denounced  the 
organization  movement  in  unmeasured  terms,  going  so  far  as  to  char- 
acterize the  combining  of  congregations  into  a  synod,  union  or  federa- 
tion of  any  kind  whatever  as  "lawlessness  from  a  scriptural  point  of 
view ;  rebellion  against  the  church  of  God  and  its  local  authorities ; 
ecclesiastical  communism ;  an  unchaste  relation  to  sister  congregations, 
and  faithlessness  and  harlotry  in  relation  to  the  betrothed  bridegroom 
of  the  church,  Jesus  Christ."  These  words  were  quoted  from  his  own 


604 


THE   MISSION   CHURCH 


paper  in  support  of  the  position  taken  by  the  convention,  which,  how- 
ever, stood  ready  to  reverse  its  action  on  condition  that  Princell  would 
withdraw  his  charges  against  the  brethren  supporting  the  movement. 
This  he  refused  to  do ;  on  the  contrary,  he  persevered  in  his  antagonism 
and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  stand  and  the  treatment  he  received  at 
the  hands  of  the  convention  that  quite  a  number  of  free  churches  re- 
fused to  join  the  Covenant  and  have  remained  independent  to  this 
day.  In  justice  to  the  Covenant,  it  should  be  added  that  at  a  sub- 


Rev.  John  G.  Princell 

sequent  meeting  it  admitted  its  mistake  by  apologizing  to  Princell  for 
its  action. 

Having  determined  the  basis  of  representation,  the  convention 
proceeded  to  discuss  the  main  issue.  Owing  to  the  difference  in 
opinion  as  to  church  organizations,  a  preliminary  discussion  was  held 
on  the  significant  subject:  "Is  it  right  or  wrong  for  Christian  con- 
gregations and  societies  to  combine  in  their  endeavor  to  further  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  on  what  basis  can  such  union  be  effected?" 
The  meeting  answered  the  question  as  follows:  "A  union  of  Christian 
congregations  ought  to  be  accomplished  on  a  scriptural  basis,  among 
such  Christian  believers  as  have  confidence  in  and  true  love  for  one 
another  and  are  actuated  by  a  desire  for  peace  and  harmony."  At 
the  third  session,  the  question  of  organizing  was  put  to  a  formal  vote. 


THE   MISSION    COVENANT  605 

By  a  rising  vote  the  proposition  was  almost  unanimously  carried,  only 
two  or  three  persons  remaining  seated  when  the  ayes  were  called  for. 

A  constitution  was  adopted,  closely  corresponding  to  that  of  the 
Mission  Covenant  in  Sweden.  Its  striking  resemblance  to  that  pro- 
posed for  the  Ansgarius  Synod  by  Princell  less  than  a  year  before 
bears  evidence  to  the  fact  that  the  dissension  between  the  Free  Mis- 
sion Friends  and  those  forming  the  Covenant  was  based  not  so  much 
on  principles  as  on  quibbles  and  personal  differences. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant  of  America,  now 
organized,  recognizes  no  creed  or  confession  beyond  the  words  of  the 
Bible  itself;  it  consists  of  congregations  and  associations,  whose  mem- 
bers are  required  to  be  converts  as  a  condition  of  admittance.  In  most 
other  respects,  the  Covenant  is  not  different  from  other  bodies  or 
synods,  except  in  its  lack  of  solidity  and  compactness,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  it  officially  includes  independent  churches  and  mission  societies 
as  well  as  those  having  joined  the  Covenant  in  the  prescribed  order. 

The  Mission  Synod,  after  ascertaining  the  wishes  of  the  individual 
churches  at  a  meeting  in  Des  Moines,  la.,  in  May,  1885,  joined  the 
Covenant  in  a  body,  while  those  of  the  dissolved  Ansgarius  Synod 
and  independent  congregations  were  required  to  make  individual 
application.  Many  of  the  latter  stood  aloof,  as  did  the  majority  of 
the  Free  Mission  churches.  The  Mission  Synod  not  having  been 
formally  dissolved  before  joining  the  Covenant,  a  number  of  its  min- 
isters resolved  to  maintain  the  old  organization  by  holding  a  legal 
meeting  each  year.  They  assembled  in  Phelps  Centre,  Neb.,  in  1886, 
and  there  decided  to  meet  only  when  it  would  be  found  necessary. 
The  attempt  to  keep  the  synod  alive  was  apparently  due  to  dissent 
from  the  opinion  of  the  majority  and  doubt  as  to  the  future  of  the 
Covenant,  but  the  precaution  proved  needless.  No  meeting  has  been 
held  since  1886.  and  the  synod  is  considered  legally  dead. 

The  Covenant  held  its  first  annual  meeting  in  Princeton,  Sept. 
25-30,  1885,  the  delegates  being  the  same  as  at  the  organization  meet- 
ing in  Chicago.  John  Martenson,  who  appeared  with  credentials  from 
the  Swedish  Christian  Church  of  North  Star  Hall,  Chicago,  signed  by 
Princell.  was  refused  a  vote  on  the  ground  that  the  church  he  rep- 
resented had  not  applied,  and  did  not  wish  to  apply  for  membership 
in  the  Covenant.  Martenson  was,  however,  made  advisory  member. 
At  the  meeting  46  congregations  were  admitted,  and  the  Christian 
Association  of  the  Northwest,  organized  in  1884,  was  given  two  del- 
egates, its  congregations  being  required  to  seek  admittance  singly. 
Ministers  of  independent  congregations  known  to  be  well  disposed 
toward  the  Covenant  were  admitted  at  their  own  request  and  regis- 
tered in  the  roll  of  ministers.  A  total  of  38  ministers  were  matriculated 


6o6 


THE   MISSION    CHURCH 


at  this  time,  several  newcomers  being  licensed  to  preached  for  one  year. 
In  order  to  further  the  mission  work  it  was  recommended  that  the 
churches  within  a  certain  state  or  geographical  division  be  organized 
into  conferences  and  these  be  subdivided  into  mission  districts.  Such 
conferences,  called  associations,  have  since  been  formed  in  several 
states,  but  only  those  of  Minnesota  and  of  Illinois  have  been  sub- 
divided into  districts. 


The  Swedish  Mission  Church  of  Moline 

One  of  the  most  important  questions  dealt  with  was  that  of  co- 
operation with  the  Swedish  Congregationalists  in  the  control  and 
support  of  a  theological  seminary.  The  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 
having  promised  to  open  a  Swedish  department  and  to  support  a 
teacher  to  be  selected  by  the  Covenant',  Prof.  F.  Risberg  from  Sweden 
had  been  called  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Covenant's  school  committe  and 
had  already  accepted  the  position,  and  this  arrangement  was  now 
sanctioned  by  the  Covenant.  The  Covenant  also  decided  to  incorporate 
and  selected  the  following  seven  men  to  carry  out  the  decision,  viz., 
C.  A.  Bjb'rk,  J.  0.  Heggen,  A.  Hallner,  Swen  Youngqvist,  A.  Larson, 


NORTH    PARK    COLLEGE  607 

C.  R.  Carlson  and  F.  G.  Haggqvist.  It  was  resolved  to  establish  a  home 
for  orphans,  poor  widows  and  invalids,  and  H.  Palmblad  was  appointed 
to  solicit  funds  in  Chicago  for  the  proposed  institution.  At  the 
following  annual  meeting,  held  in  Rockford,  it  was  reported  that 
a  charity  home  had  been  established  at  Bowmanville,  Chicago,  with 
twelve  inmates. 

At  the  annual  meeting  held  in  Chicago  in  September,  1888,  Rev. 
Princell,  claiming  to  represent  the  general  opinion  among  the  Free 
Mission  Friends,  proposed  a  constitutional  change,  permitting  three 
classes  of  members  in  the  Covenant,  which  change,  he  alleged,  would 
open  the  door  for  himself  and  his  followers.  While  maintaining  his 
views  on  church  organization,  he  admitted  that  even  the  Free  Mission 
Friends  now  recognized  the  need  of  some  form  of  organization.  The 
Covenant  respectfully  declined  to  adopt  the  change,  at  the  same  time 
apologizing  for  the  treatment  accorded  Princell  three  years  before. 

Owing  to  a  desire  on  the  part  of  many  Mission  Friends  in  each  of 
the  three  groups,  the  Covenant  in  1905  took  action  looking  to  the 
unification  of  the  Covenant,  the  Free  Mission  and  the  Swedish  Con- 
gregational churches.  It  was  recommended  that  a  committee  of  seven 
peacemakers  be  appointed  to  confer  on  the  matter  and  plan  the  pro- 
posed union.  Of  these,  two  were  to  be  appointed  by  each  of  the  three 
interested  parties,  the  seventh  to  be  chosen  by  these  six  and  to  act  as 
chairman  of  the  committee.  Representatives  were  appointed  to  act 
for  each  of  the  three  groups,  and  at  the  call  of  this  committee  a  union 
conference  was  held  in  Chicago  in  the  fall  of  1906.  This  conference 
recommended  the  establishment  of  a  common  divinity  school  in  place 
of  the  three  existing  ones,  and  suggested  as  additional  factors  for  the 
promotion  of  union,  frequent  interchange  of  pulpits  and  union  revival 
meetings,  common  evangelists  for  the  home  and  foreign  mission  fields, 
common  district  conferences  for  the  discussion  of  questions  of  faith 
and  doctrine,  and  common  religious  textbooks  and  hymnals.  The  re- 
commendations of  the  committee  have  subsequently  been  discussed  at 
the  various  annual  conventions,  but  no  decision  has  been  reached,  and 
the  main  question  of  unification  still  remains  open. 

North   ParK  College 

The  idea  of  establishing  an  institution  of  learning  within  the 
Swedish  Mission  Covenant  is  as  old  as  the  Covenant  itself.  In  its 
articles  of  incorporation  the  founding  and  maintenance  of  schools  is 
specifically  mentioned  as  one  of  its  prime  objects.  The  first  oppor- 
tunity to  realize  this  purpose  was  offered  the  same  year  that  the 
Covenant  was  formed,  when  the  Congregational  theological  seminary 
in  Chicago  agreed  to  establish  a  Swedish  department  to  be  partly 


6o8 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


— 


NORTH   PARK    COLLEGE 


609 


under  the  control  of  the  Covenant.  This  was  done,  but  the  arrange- 
ment did  not  prove  entirely  satisfactory,  and  the  idea  of  founding  a 
school  distinctly  its  own  was  never  abandoned  by  the  Covenant. 

The  first  step  leading  to  the  establishment  of  such  an  institution 
was  taken  in  1891,  at  the  annual  meeting  in  Phelps,  Neb.,  the  Covenant 
resolving  to  take  over  a  school  conducted  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Skogsbergh 
and  David  Nyvall  in  Minneapolis,  combining  theological  courses  with 
instruction  in  general  subjects  and  business  training.  For  the  next  two 
years  the  Covenant  maintained  this  school  at  its  old  location,  with 
comparative  success.  In  1894,  at  the  end  of  the  second  year,  the  total 


North  Park  College — General  View 

attendance  was  125,  including  31  in  the  theological  department,  a 
number  not  again  reached  until  very  recently.  The  school  was  in  a 
sound  condition  financially,  with  a  small  surplus  in  the  treasury. 

These  advantages  were  outweighed,  however,  by  the  difficulty  in 
obtaining  the  necessary  buildings  in  Minneapolis  and  the  offer  of  sub- 
stantial aid  from  people  in  Chicago,  on  condition  that  the  institution 
be  removed  to  this  city.  Accordingly  the  removal  was  brought  about, 
and  the  school  was  located  in  North  Park,  Chicago,  in  the  year  1894, 
and  named  North  Park  College.  A  tract  of  land  was  secured  and  sub- 
divided to  be  sold  in  building  lots  for  the  benefit  of  the  institution. 

The  inner  growth  of  the  school  did  not  keep  pace  with  the  material 
development  during  the  next  few  years.  Year  by  year  the  attendance 


6 io  THE    MISSION    CHURCH 

fell  off.  until  in  1899  the  lowest  mark  was  reached,  namely,  a  total  of 
51  students  in  all  departments  and  but  fourteen  in  the  divinity  school. 
But  from  that  time  on  there  has  been  a  uniform  increase,  to  62  in  1900. 
83  in  1901,  107  in  1902,  about  150  in  1903,  and  204  in  1907,  followed 
by  a  decrease  to  a  figure  below  190  in  the  last  year. 

The  institution  now  comprises,  besides  the  theological  department, 
a  complete  academy,  a  business  school  and  a  conservatory  of  music, 
the  collegiate  department  to  be  completed  by  the  adding  of  college 
classes  as  fast  as  the  growth  of  the  institution  warrants. 

There  are  three  buildings  on  the  college  premises,  a  main  building, 
a  dormitory,  and  the  president's  residence.  The  grounds  comprise 
8l/z  acres.  The  present  value  of  the  school  property  is  $56,800. 

The  number  of  teachers,  which  was  six  at  the  time  of  the  ^emoval 
to  Chicago,  has  since  reached  as  high  as  fourteen,  and  is  at  present 
twelve.  These,  with  the  subjects  taught  respectively,  are :  A.  W. 
Fredrickson,  A.  M.,  English  language  and  literature,  and  mathematics: 
A.  Mellander,  Old  Testament,  church  history  and  systematic  theology : 
Rev.  Carl  Hanson,  New  Testament,  homiletics  and  mental  science ;  C.  J. 
Wilson,  A.  M.,  Latin  and  natural  science;  Alfred  N.  Ahnfeldt,  Greek, 
German,  Swedish  and  history;  Lena  Sahlstrom,  English  and  arith- 
metic ;  Mrs.  Blanche  Waldenstrom,  piano ;  Esther  Wallgren,  piano ; 
C.  F.  Fredrickson.  violin;  F.  J.  Hollenbeck.  English  language  and 
literature;  A.  E.  Anderson,  mandolin  and  guitar. 

Prof.  David  Nyvall  was  president  of  North  Park  College  up  to 
the  close  of  the  school  year  in  1904.  After  having  served  as  acting 
president  in  the  interval,  Prof.  A.  W.  Fredrickson  was  regularly 
elected  to  the  position  by  the  Covenant  in  1905.  The  school  is  under 
the  control  of  a  board  of  twenty-three  directors,  elected  by  the  Cov- 
enant, and  Rev.  John  Hagstrom  serves  as  business  manager  and 
treasurer.  An  organization  named  the  Auxiliary  Society  has  lent 
material  aid  in  raising  fluids  for  the  institution  in  years  past. 

The  Swedish  Covenant   Hospital  and   Home  of  Mercy 

It  was  not  included  in  the  original  plans  and  purposes  of  the 
institution  now  known  as  the  Swedish  Covenant  Hospital  and  Home 
of  Mercy  to  make  it  a  regular  hospital  to  which  the  public  in  general 
might  have  access,  but  rather  a  home  for  the  aged  and  destitute. 
The  idea  of  founding  such  a  home  must  be  credited  to  Mr.  Henry 
Palmblad.  for  several  years  city  missionary  under  the  auspices  of  the 
North  Side  Mission  Church.  In  his  missionary  work  he  met  with 
many  of  his  countrymen  and  brethren  in  the  faith  who  were  home- 
less, destitute  and  sick.  Moved  by  compassion  for  these,  he  went 
before  the  Swedish  Mission  Covenant  at  its  annual  meeting  at  Prince- 


THK  HOME  OF  MERCY  6ll 

ton.  iii  September,  1885,  and  presented  his  cause.  His  project  met 
with  decided  approval,  and  a  committee  to  select  and  purchase  a  site 
for  the  proposed  home  of  mercy  was  at  once  appointed,  consisting  of 
the  following  Chicago  gentlemen,  Revs.  C.  A.  Bjork,  F.  M.  Johnson, 
J.  P.  Eagle,  and  Messrs.  H.  Palmblad,  S.  Youngquist  and  C.  G. 
Peterson. 

This  committee  at  once  began  its  work  with  the  result  that  the 
property  of  one  Mr.  Becker,  situated  on  West  Foster  ave.,  in  Bowman- 
ville,  within  the  city  limits  of  Chicago,  was  purchased.  This  property 
consisted  of  three  acres  of  ground,  a  two  story  brick  house  and  a 


The  Swedish  Covenant  Hospital  ami  Home  of  Mercy,  Ec\vnianville 

stable.  The  price  was  $5,500,  of  which  $2,500  was  to  be  paid  May  1, 
1886.  and  the  balance  in  annual  installments  of  $1,000.  So  well  did 
the  committee  succeed  in  raising  funds  that  on  the  following  May  first 
the  entire  balance  of  the  purchase  money  was  paid.  Additional  con- 
tributions proved  adequate  for  repairing  and  remodeling  the  buildings 
at  a  cost  of  $1.400,  and  the  purchase  of  furnishings  and  chattels  for 
$1,200. 

In  the  early  part  of  May,  1886,  the  home  was  opened  for  the 
acceptance  of  wards  and  patients.  Shortly  afterward  everything  was 
in  readiness  for  the  public  opening,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
number  of  its  friends  and  supporters  the  institution  was  solemnly 
dedicated  on  the  27th  of  June,  Rev.  C.  A.  Bjork  delivering  the 
dedicatory  address. 

It  did  not  take  a  great  while  until  the  Home  was  filled  and  unable 
to  accept  all  who  sought  admission.  The  committee  went  to  the 
annual  meeting  at  Galesburg,  in  1890.  with  a  proposition  to  enlarge 
it.  and  the  Covenant  authorized  such  enlargement  as  the  treasury  and 


612  THE   MISvSION   CHURCH 

additional  funds  received  for  the  purpose  might  warrant,  and  a  loan 
in  addition  thereto  not  to  exceed  $2,000.  At  the  next  annual  meeting 
of  the  Covenant,  held  in  Septembr,  1891,  the  president  of  the  home 
was  able  to  report  that  a  large  two-story  addition  had  been  erected 
and  improvements  made  in  the  other  buildings,  all  at  a  cost  of  some- 
what over  $7,000. 

From  the  Swedish  Home  of  Mercy  has  developed  the  Swedish 
Covenant  Hospital.  Many  of  the  inmates  of  the  former  soon  after 
their  arrival  were  found  to  be  in  need  of  medical  treatment  or  surgical 
operations.  The  home  had  enlisted  the  services  of  several  able 
physicians,  including  Dr.  C.  W.  Johnson  and  Dr.  F.  I.  Brown,  and  these 
men  soon  attracted  patients  from  Chicago  and  elsewhere.  Although 
the  home  was  enlarged  in  1891,  yet  the  many  applications  for  admission 
to  the  hospital  department  created  a  demand  for  a  hospital  building, 
well  equipped  and  modern  in  all  its  appointments. 

In  the  meantime  the  question  of  raising  funds  for  such  a  building 
was  much  pondered,  but  several  years  passed  before  anything  could 
be  done.  Two  financially  able  persons  had  held  out  promises  of  sub- 
stantial aid  toward  the  erection  of  such  a  building,  one  preferring 
that  it  be  located  in  Lake  View.  At  the  Covenant's  annual  meeting 
in  Duluth  in  1901  this  matter  was  taken  up,  resulting  in  definite  action. 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  select  a  site  and  confer  with  the  would- 
be  donors.  It  developed,  however,  that  these  parties  withdrew  their 
offers  because  of  the  decision  of  the  committee  to  build  the  hospital 
adjacent  to  the  Home  of  Mercy.  Prior  to  their  decision,  however,  the 
committee  had  issued  a  general  appeal  to  the  people  of  the  Mission 
Covenant  for  means  wherewith  to  purchase  a  new  site,  but  the  lack 
of  response  caused  them  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  old  one.  A  definite 
decision  to  erect  a  hospital  building  on  the  grounds  of  the  Home  of 
Mercy  was  reached  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Covenant  at  Gales- 
burg,  in  1902.  Ground  was  broken  for  the  new  building  early  in 
October  that  year,  and  the  cornerstone  was  laid  on  the  nineteenth 
of  the  same  month,  Rev.  K.  F.  Ohlson  officiating  and  Prof.  David 
Nyvall  delivering  the  address.  The  building  was  completed  during 
the  ensuing  winter,  and  was  dedicated  on  May  31,  1903.  The  hospital 
is  open  not  only  to  the  people  of  the  Swedish  Mission  Covenant,  but  it 
invites  patronage  from  all  denominations  and  nationalities. 

The  first  superintendent  or  manager  of  the  institution  was  Mr. 
Edward  Johnson,  and  the  first  trained  nurse,  Miss  Annie  Anderson. 
Mr.  Palmblad  for  many  years  was  the  president  of  the  board  of 
directors  and  general  superintendent  of  the  institution  he  had  fathered. 
Dr.  C.  W.  Johnson  served  as  chief  of  the  medical  department  for  a 
long  period. 


THE    FREE    MISSION  613 

The  present  personnel  of  the  institution  is  as  follows:  medical 
staff,  Drs.  0.  Th.  Roberg,  F.  I.  Brown  and  K.  L.  Thorsgaard;  super- 
intendent of  nurses,  Miss  Ida  C.  L.  Isaacson ;  manager,  Albin  Johnson, 
successor  of  Rev.  A.  Lydell,  who  served  for  a  number  of  years. 

A  training  school  for  nurses  is  conducted,  from  which  a  class  of 
trained  nurses  has  been  graduated  each  year  since  1900. 

The  only  large  donation  received  by  the  institution  was  one  of 
$2,500  from  the  late  Louis  Sand  of  Manistee,.  Michigan. 

The  hospital  has  accommodations  for  about  60  persons,  besides 
tne  force  of  attendants,  and  an  average  of  40  to  50  wards  are  being 
cared  for  at  the  home.  The  institution  during  the  last  fiscal  year  had 
resources  amounting  to  $21,310,  including  an  income  of  $10,691  from 
paying  patients.  The  present  Avorth  of  the  property  is  $46,350. 

The   Swedish   ILvang'elical    Free   Church 

Those  Mission  Friends  who  are  opposed  to  a  hard  and  fast  general 
organization,  whether  it  be  local  or  general,  have  maintained  local 
groups  or  societies  in  a  number  of  localities  ever  since  the  beginning 
of  the  Mission  Church  as  a  specific  Christian  denomination  in  the 
United  States.  Many  of  them  having  been  subjected  to  disciplinary 
measures  and  even  persecution  by  the  state  church  of  Sweden,  they 
had  formed  an  aversion  to  everything  savoring  of  established  church 
authority  and  for  that  reason  they  were  suspicious  of  every  form  of 
church  organization,  however  liberal  in  scope.  As  they  had  held 
aloof  from  the  Mission  and  the  Ansgarius  synods,  so  they  shrank 
from  affiliating  with  the  Mission  Covenant  formed  to  take  the  place 
of  the  other  two.  Besides,  there  was  a  great  deal  of  agitation  on  the 
subject,  in  which  the  very  defenders  of  organization  feared  to  commit 
themselves  to  too  rigid  a  system,  having  but  recently  left  the  regular 
Lutheran  Church  as  a  protest  against  formalism,  while  the  opposition 
went  to  extremes  both  in  their  denunciations  of  order  and  system  and 
in  their  demand  for  liberty  and  a  literal  return  to  the  customs  and 
usages  of  the  earliest  Christians.  Some  even  went  so  far  as  to  frown 
on  the  very  idea  of  binding  the  members  of  a  local  church  by  register- 
ing their  names.  Had  they  wished  to  join  the  Covenant,  no  creeds  or 
dogmas  stood  in  the  way,  for  it  pledged  allegiance  to  no  special  creed 
or  confession.  And  in  matters  of  faith  the  Mission  Friends  were  all 
one,  being  guided  in  the  main  by  Waldenstrom's  interpretation  of  the 
Bible  on  the  subjects  of  atonement,  justification,  sanctification, 
baptism,  eternal  punishment  and  other  essential  teachings.  It  appears, 
therefore,  that  the  main  difference  of  opinion  was  not  on  doctrines 
and  tenets,  but  on  methods  and  practices.  The  Free  Mission  Friends, 
in  maintaining  that  the  local  churches  shall  govern  themselves  and 


614  THE    MISSION    CHl'RCH 

be  independent  of  others,  really  favor  Congregationalism,  while  the 
Covenant  Mission  Friends  combine  Presbyterianism  with  Congrega- 
tionalism. 

The  first  sign  of  co-operation  among  the  Free  Mission  Friends 
was  a  meeting  held  in  Boone,  la.,  Oct.  14-19,  1884,  when  a  number  of 
pastors  gathered  for  Bible  study  and  discussion  of  common  interests. 
Six  articles  relating  to  the  church,  local  and  general,  its  functions, 
membership,  etc.,  were  agreed  upon,  printed  and  circulated  among 
the  congregations,  who  seem  to  have  adopted  the  article  without  a 
vote,  by  tacit  consent.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  arrange  for  a 
similar  meeting  the  following  year,  its  members  being  J.  G.  Princell, 
L.  Lindquist,  K.  Erixon  and  John  Martenson.  For  several  years, 
Princell  was  the  chairman  of  this  committee,  to  which  three  members 
were  added  at  the  second  annual  meeting  held  in  Minneapolis,  in 
March.  1885.  There  Martenson  was  elected  treasurer,  an  office  sub- 
sequently held  by  him  for  more  than  fifteen  years.  The  committee, 
elected  each  year,  was  merely  to  serve  as  an  agency  for  the  carrying 
on  of  mission  work  in  home  and  foreign  fields.  After  a  couple  of 
years,  meetings  were  held  semi-aniiually.  In  1890,  the  Swedish-Amer- 
ican Mission  Society  was  organized,  all  men  and  \vomen  being  admitted 
as  members  upon  pledging  themselves  to  give  one  dollar  a  year  to 
the  mission  fund.  The  society  existed  only  for  a  short  time.  In  189  i. 
the  sense  of  union  had  developed  to  the  extent  that  a  common  name 
and  title  was  adopted,  the  federation  being  thereafter  known  as  The 
Swedish  Evangelical  Free  Mission.  At  a  pastoral  conference,  held 
May  24-27  of  that  year,  a  decisive  step  toward  ordinary  church  organ- 
ization was  taken  by  the  adoption  of  a  set  of  by-laws,  defining  the 
doctrinal  tenets,  laying  down  rules  for  membership,  providing  for 
a  set  of  officers  and  even  going  so  far  as  to  stipulate  disciplinary 
measures.  In  several  essential  features,  these  by-laws  are  identical 
with  corresponding  provisions  in  the  constitution  of  the  Covenant, 
and  as  if  to  carry  out  the  parallel,  the  meeting  held  at  Chicago  in 
October.  1896,  adopted  "Rules,"  which  are  practically  a  constitution, 
completing  the  organization  of  the  federation  of  the  churches,  as  the 
aforesaid  by-laws  had  that  of  the  ministerial  association.  Grown  wise 
by  experience,  the  Free  Mission  Friends  have  abandoned  the  theories 
of  Princell  as  to  organization  and  changed  their  attitude  in  various 
other  respects.  Indeed,  they  have  faced  about  completely,  turning 
their  back  on  some  of  the  principles  held  most  sacred  during  the 
controversy  preceding  the  forming  of  the  Mission  Covenant.  At  that 
time,  the  leaders,  as  also  the  public  organ  of  the  Free  Mission  Friends. 
were  gratified  to  find  that  the  Covenant  did  not  give  every  pastor  a 
vote  at  the  meetings,  but  only  those  elected  as  representatives  of 


THK    OAK    STREET    MISSION  6l=; 

\J 

congregations,  thereby  avoiding  the  creation  of  "a  privileged  class 
of  ministers";  but  the  rules  of  the  Free  Mission  now  gave  a  vote  to 
every  preacher  in  good  standing.  Again,  when  its  ministerial  associa- 
tion assumed  the  right  to  discipline  and  expel  ministers  whose  teach- 
ings and  acts  are  not  in  accord  with  the  beliefs  and  objects  of  the 
association,  it  arrogated  unto  itself  an  authority  which  Princell  denied 
to  any  organization  but  the  local  congregation  itself  and  which  is  not 
even  granted  in  the  constitution  of  the  Mission  Covenant.  It  is 
especially  worthy  of  remark  that  the  congregations  themselves  were 
not  given  a  vote  in  the  disciplining  of  their  ministers. 

At  its  annual  meeting  in  June.  1908,  at  Minneapolis,  the  Free 
Mission  took  another  step  toward  better  organization.  It  was  there 
decided  to  incorporate  as  a  church  body  under  the  name  of  the  Swedish 
Evangelical  Free  Church,  thereby  practically  rejecting  the  original 
theory  underlying  the  movement.  The  organization  is,  however,  so 
liberal  as  to  give  representation  to  all  independent  congregations  who 
desire  to  co-operate.  Each  local  church  of  fifty  members  or  less  is 
allowed  one  lay  delegate,  two  delegates  for  one  hundred  members,  and 
one  delegate  for  each  additional  hundred.  Moreover,  a  vote  is  granted 
every  pastor,  preacher,  evangelist  and  missionary  affiliated  with  the 
church.  These  are  empowered  to  vote  and  act  on  all  matters  coming 
before  the  annual  meetings,  while  the  corporate  affairs  are  placed  in 
the  hands  of  a  board  of  trustees,  nine  in  number.  By  this  last  act 
the  Free  Mission  Friends  have  formed  a  church  organization  nominally 
distinct  and  tending  toward  greater  solidity. 

The  Free  Church  supports  missionary  work  in  Utah  and  southern 
China.  It  maintains  an  orphanage  with  a  capacity  of  50  to  60  children, 
founded  at  Phelps  Centre,  Neb.,  in  1888,  by  Rev.  A.  Nordin.  In 
Chicago,  Rev.  Princell  for  a  number  of  years  has  conducted  a  Bible 
institute  for  the  education  of  pastors  and  missionaries. 

The    OaK   Street    Swedish.   Mission 

As  the  educational  and  publishing  center  of  the  Swedish  Free 
Church  of  the  United  States  the  Oak  Street  Mission  in  Chicago  holds  a 
pre-eminent  place  in  the  denomination,  aside  from  the  fact  that  its  age 
and  size  lend  it  prominence. 

This  church  dates  its  origin  from  the  autumn  of  1880,  when  some 
seventeen  brethren  met  at  90  Milton  avenue,  then  known  as  Bremer 
street,  and  decided  to  hold  regular  devotional  meetings  thenceforth. 
When  this  meeting-place  would  no  longer  accommodate  the  worshipers, 
they  were  given  the  use  of  a  basement  in  the  building  occupied  by  John 
Martenson's  newspaper,  "Chicago-Bladet,"  at  308  Wells  street.  From 


616  THK    MISSION    CHURCH 

May,  1881,  week-day  meetings  also  were  held  in  the  Chicago  Avenue 
Church.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  Freja  Hall,  at  155  Chicago  avenue, 
was  secured  for  the  holding  of  meetings,  and  the  brethren  met  there 
for  the  first  time  on  Oct.  30, 1881.  As  yet  they  had  no  regular  preacher, 
the  most  gifted  among  their  number  taking  turns  in  speaking  at  the 
meetings.  At  intervals  visiting  preachers  appeared,  chiefly  Kev.  Sahl- 
strom.  During  the  two  years  the  Sunday  services  were  held  at  Freja 
Hall,  the  flock  increased  rapidly,  and  in  October,  1883,  the  church 
secured  larger  quarters,  at  243-5  Chicago  avenue,  where  an  old  shop 
was  remodeled  as  a  meeting  hall,  with  a  capacity  of  about  750.  It  was 
named  for  the  owner  of  the  building,  Bush  Hall.  From  now  on  all  the 
meetings,  including  the  week-day  meetings  continued  at  90  Milton 
avenue  and  the  Chicago  Avenue  Church,  were  held  here.  About  this 
time  a  Sunday  school  was  started,  comprising  six  or  seven  classes. 
Such  was  the  enthusiasm  among  those  who  desired  to  teach  that  if 
there  were  no  pupils  for  them,  they  went  out  in  the  streets  and  picked 
up  material  for  a  class  wherever  they  could  find  it. 

After  occupying  Bush  Hall  for  two  years,  at  an  annual  rental  of 
$900,  which  proved  too  heavy  a  burden,  the  congregation  removed  to 
North  Star  Hall,  on  Division  street,  near  Sedgwick  street,  which  was 
secured  for  $500  per  year.  For  the  next  two  years  Rev.  J.  G.  Princell 
preached  regularly  here.  His  successor  was  Rev.  J.  W.  Stromberg, 
who  served  for  one  year. 

Driven  from  North  Star  Hall  (now  Phoenix  Hall)  by  a  raise  of 
$300  in  the  annual  rental  in  1886,  the  congregation  in  January  of  the 
following  year  decided  to  purchase  the  old  church  on  Oak  street, 
owned  by  the  Swedish  Baptists.  By  its  failure  to  complete  the  deal 
after  paying  down  $200,  the  congregation  lost  that  amount.  In  antici- 
pation of  the  purchase,  the  church  was  incorporated  under  the  name 
of  the  Oak  Street  Mission. 

In  Sept.,  1888,  two  lots,  205  and  207  Oak  street,  and  a  frame  build- 
ing, were  purchased  for  $10,660.  Here  a  building  was  erected  in  1889, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $16,000,  the  total  debt  incurred  for  the  property 
being  $24,000.  The  structure  is  54%  by  109  feet,  two  stories  and  base- 
ment, and  contains,  besides  a  large  hall,  seating  about  800  people,  two 
apartments  and  two  stores  for  renting  purposes.  One  of  the  latter  has 
been  occupied  for  a  number  of  years  as  the  office  of  "Chicago-Bladet"; 
the  other  was  until  recently  used  as  a  smaller  meeting-hall  and  also 
served  as  quarters  for  a  Bible  school.  The  new  structure  was  formally 
dedicated  in  July,  1889,  when  addresses  wore  made  by  Rev.  Princell 
and  Prof.  P.  "Waldenstrom  of  Sweden. 

The  need  of  a  permanent  preacher  was  not  supplied  until  August, 
1891,  when  Rev.  Axel  Nordin  took  charge,  serving  until  July.  1901. 


THE    CONGREGATIONALISM'S  6I7 

During  this  decade  the  membership  was  doubled,  reaching  180,  while 
many  participated  in  the  work  of  this  church  without  being  registered 
members. 

In  the  fall  of  1898  the  congregation  opened  the  lower  hall  for  a 
divinity  school,  named  the  Swedish  Bible  Institute,  which  was  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  Princell,  assisted  by  the  pastor  of  the  church.  When 
in  July,  1901,  Rev.  G.  A.  Young  succeeded  to  the  pastorate,  he  entered 
energetically  into  the  work  both  as  a  preacher  and  a  teacher  in  the 
institute.  After  three  years'  work  his  flock  exceeded  250  in  number. 
In  1903  a  constitution  for  the  government  of  the  church  went  into  effect. 
In  1907  Rev.  Young  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Victor  Swift,  the  present 
pastor  of  the  Oak  Street  Mission.  The  membership  of  the  church  now 
approaches  250. 

Tine  Swedish   Cong'reg'ationalists 

A  number  of  Mission  Friends  have  associated  themselves  with  the 
American  Congregational  Church,  the  first  step  being  taken  in  1881 
by  the  Mission  Church  of  "Worcester,  Mass.  The  cause  for  this  defec- 
tion is  twofold :  first,  the  education  of  Mission  ministers  at  the  Chicago 
Theological  Seminary,  a  Congregational  institution ;  second,  the  chance 
of  obtaining  financial  aid  from  the  American  Congregationalists  for 
the  Swedish  Mission  churches.  Doctrinally,  the  Swedish  Congrega- 
tionalists do  not  differ  from  other  Mission  Friends,  and  if  they  did,  that 
could  not  cause  a  separation  on  their  part,  holding,  as  they  do,  that 
all  true  believers  may  unite  with  their  churches  while  still  remaining 
Lutherans,  Methodists,  Baptists  or  whatever  they  may  be.* 

The  fountain-head  of  Swedish  Congregationalism  is  located  in 
Chicago,  at  the  Swedish  Institute  of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary, 
but  the  main  stream  has  run  eastward.  In  the  New  England  and  other 
eastern  states,  that  group  has  the  bulk  of  its  membership,  and  it  is 
freely  admitted  that  the  mission  funds  of  the  American  Congregational 
Church  are  largely  responsible  for  the  general  transition  of  the  Mission 
churches  in  the  East  to  Congregationalism. 

There  were  no  Mission  Friends,  in  the  specific  sense  of  the  term, 
in  the  East  until  the  year  1879,  when  a  number  of  followers  of  Rev. 
Princell,  then  a  Lutheran  pastor  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  seceded 
from  the  Lutheran  congregations  in  New  York  City  and  Campello, 
Mass.,  and  went  over  with  him  to  the  Mission  Friends.  The  movement 
spread  successively  to  Brooklyn,  Boston,  Worcester,  Quincy  and  other 
cities,  Mission  churches  being  formed  in  each  of  these  places.  The  men 
who  carried  on  the  work  were,  besides  Princell,  C.  W.  Holm,  Emil 
Holmblad,  A.  Lidman,  A.  G.  Nelson  and  George  Wiberg.  On  the 

*   Nelson  :    Missionsvaniiernris  historin.   p.  67S. 


618  THE   MISSION    CHURCH 

principle  of  pure  churches,  it  was  not  possible  to  build  up  large  con- 
gregations, especially  in  places  where  the  Swedes  were  few  in  num- 
ber. It  was,  therefore,  very  difficult  to  maintain  pastoral  work  in  the 
different  localities,  and  when  the  Congregationalists  profferred  pecuni- 
ary aid,  this  was  gratefully  accepted.  The  example  of  the  Worcester 
church  was  followed  within  five  years  by  the  Mission  churches  of 
Boston,  Campello,  Lowell,  Brooklyn  and  New  Britain,  and  after  that 
the  movement  became  general.  When  in  the  '80s  Swedish  emigrants 
began  to  settle  in  the  East  in  greater  numbers  than  before,  a  large 
mission  field  was  opened  up,  which  the  Swedish  churches  themselves 
were  not  prepared  to  care  for.  The  Congregational  home  mission  board 
came  to  the  aid  of  the  Mission  Friends  and  resolved  to  maintain  a 
Swedish  missionary  in  the  field,  Rev.  C.  J.  Erikson  being  engaged  for 
that  work.  To  supply  the  need  of  more  traveling  missionaries,  the 
Massachusetts  Free  Mission  was  organized  in  1886.  It  engaged  Eric 
Ostergren,  who  served  until  1892.  In  the  meantime  the  Congregational 
mission  board  supported  Rev.  Holmblad  and  others  on  the  mission 
field  in  Massachusetts. 

The  aid  rendered  by  the  American  Congregationalists  mostly  toon 
the  form  af  salaries  for  the  Mission  pastors  and  liberal  contributions 
to  the  church  building  funds  of  the  Mission  churches.  The  church 
edifice  at  Worcester  dedicated  in  1885  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,395, 
of  which  amount  $7,800  was  contributed  by  the  Americans.  In  1896 
this  edifice  was  sold  for  $8,000  and  another  purchased  from  the  Amer- 
ican Congregationalists  for  $40,000.  What  part  of  this  sum  was 
advanced  by  the  Congregational  mission  board  has  not  been  published. 
The  Worcester  congregation  is  the  largest  of  the  Swedish  Congrega- 
tional churches,  numbering  at  the  present  time  somewhat  over  500 
members. 

The  Lowell  church,  which  had  joined  the  Congregationalists  in 
1885,  was  among  the  first  to  experience  trouble  in  the  effort  to  live 
up  to  the  principle  of  tolerating,  doctrinal  differences  among  its 
members.  Almost  from  the  start  it  was  torn  by  dissensions  which 
came  to  a  head  in  1891,  when  26  members  left  in  a  body  and  formed  a 
Methodist  church.  They  were  followed  by  others,  and  shortly  after- 
ward a  second  group  seceded  to  start  a  Baptist  church. 

The  ministers  of  the  Swedish  Congregational  churches  in  the  East 
are  united  in  a  ministerial  association,  known  as  The  Swedish  Pastoral 
Conference  of  the  East,  organized  Feb.  8,  1888,  at  New  Britain,  Conn. 
Its  by-laws,  adopted  the  following  year,  under  which  the  Conference 
was  incorporated  in  1891,  admit  all  ministers,  but  provide  discipline 
and  expulsion  for  false  teaching  and  unchristian  living,  from  which 
it  appears  that  while  all  Christian  beliefs  are  tolerated  among  the 


THE    CONGREGATIONALISTS  619 

members  of  the  church,  the  Conference  does  not  sanction  every  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures.  The  Conference  now  numbers  about 
70  members. 

Congregationalism  was  almost  unknown  to  the  Mission  Friends 
of  the  West  up  to  the  year  1885,  when  at  the  organization  of  the 
Mission  Covenant  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary  generously  offered 
to  defray  the  expenses  for  the  education  of  its  ministers.  A  de- 
nominational historian  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  with  very 
few  exceptions  the  clergy  and  laity  of  the  Mission  churches  were  un- 
acquainted with  the  Congregational  church  organism.  From  sub- 
sequent events  it  is  apparent  that  the  Covenant's  acceptance  of  the 
offer  did  not  imply  organic  connection  with  that  denomination,  nor 
did  the  Covenant  suspect  any  hidden  motive  in  the  offer  or  foresee  the 
subsequent  developments. 

While  refraining  from  open  antagonism,  the  Covenant  has  looked 
Avith  disfavor  on  the  trend  toward  Congregationalism.  In  the  East 
its  influence  has  been  insufficient  to  outweigh  the  financial  induce- 
ments held  out  to  the  Mission  churches,  but  in  the  western  and  north- 
western states  the  movement  has  been  discouraged  and  its  progress 
has  been  correspondingly  slow. 

In  1889,  the  church  papers  "Missions-Vannen"  and  "Minneapolis 
Veckoblad, "  both  speaking  for  the  Covenant,  took  a  stand  against 
going  over  to  the  Congregationalists.  The  answer  was  a  unanimous 
resolution  passed  at  the  Pastoral  Conference  of  the  East,  held  in 
Boston  in  December  of  that  year,  protesting  against  the  view  ex- 
pressed that  the  movement  was  derogatory  to  the  Mission  church  and 
testifying  to  its  great  usefulness  to  the  churches  in  the  eastern  states. 

The  question  again  came  up  for  discussion  in  connection  with 
the  establishment  of  the  Covenant's  own  theological  school.  The 
brethren  in  the  P^ast  pronounced  the  new  school  not  only  unnecessary 
but  dangerous,  inasmuch  as  it  would  create  a  rivalry  with  the  Swedish 
department  of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  which  might  lead 
to  unwholesome  competition  in  soliciting  students  and  breed  partisan- 
ship among  the  graduates  of  the  respective  institutions. 

In  1S!)0  the  question  was  raised  of  making  the  Covenant  a  con- 
ference, i.  e.,  an  integral  part  of  the  Congregational  church.  The  plan 
was  to  give  it  representation  at  the  triennial  Congregational  Gen- 
eral Council  and  allot  to  it  a  suitable  appropriation  for  home  and 
foreign  missions,  and  leave  it  in  full  control  of  its  own  mission  work. 
Leading  men  of  the  American  Congregational  Church  and  of  the 
Covenant  met  in  Chicago  to  discuss  the  proposed  union.  At  that 
meeting  the  Swedish  ministers  emphasized  that  they  differed  from 
the  Congregationalists  in  regard  to  condition  of  membership  in  the 


620  THE    MISSION    CHURCH 

churches,  and  also  in  regard  to  wordly  amusements.  Almost  to  a  man 
the  Covenant  opposed  the  union,  and  the  plan  fell  through.  It  seems 
to  be  a  fact  that  until  recently  discussion  looking  to  the  establishment 
of  closer  relations  among  the  three  groups  of  Mission  Friends  has 
only  served  to  embitter  the  feelings  on  all  sides  and  caused  further 
estrangement.  The  last  of  the  series  of  heated  debates  on  the  question 
of  uniting  the  three  groups  was  carried  on  in  the  respective  news- 
paper organs  in  1903.  After  lasting  for  some  six  months,  the  discus- 
sion grew  so  acrimonious  and  personal  that  it  had  to  be  shut  off  in 
the  public  prints,  proving,  naturally,  worse  than  fruitless.  The  results 
of  the  overtures  for  unification  made  in  1905  by  the  Covenant  are  yet 
to  come. 

The  foreign  mission  work  of  the  Swedish  Congregationalists  is 
carried  on  principally  through  the  medium  of  the  Scandinavian  Al- 
liance Mission,  with  headquarters  in  Chicago.  A  mission  association 
of  that  name  was  organized  there  in  1890,  by  F.  Franson,  a  missionary. 
This  mission  is  independent  of  the  Congregationalists,  but  is  favored 
by  the  Swedish  Congregational  churches  and  also  the  Free  churches.  It 
has  an  elective  board  of  seven  directors,  and  Rev.  Fransou  was  general 
director  until  his  death  in  1908.  All  persons  paying  at  least  $10  a  year 
to  its  mission  fund  are  counted  members  of  the  association.  Its 
function  is  that  of  an  agency  or  connecting  link  between  the  congrega- 
tions and  the  missionaries  in  the  field.  The  latter  are  about  100  in 
number,  half  of  whom  are  engaged  in  China,  the  remainder  in  India, 
Mongolia  and  Africa.  The  majority  of  them  are  sent  out  and  sup- 
ported by  individual  churches  of  the  Congregational  group  in  the  East 
and  the  Free  Mission  and  independent  Covenant  churches  in  the  West, 
their  contributions  merely  passing  through  the  hands  of  the  Alliance 
Mission.  In  sixteen  years  the  Scandinavian  Alliance  Mission  handled 
mission  funds  amounting  to  upwards  of  $400,000,  aggregating  $25,000 
per  year. 

To  date  the  Swedish  Congregational  churches  in  Illinois  have 
been  twelve  in  number,  two  of  them  being  now  almost  extinct  and  a 
third  having  severed  its  connection. 

The  oldest  of  these  is  the  Bethlehem  church  in  Chicago.  In  the 
autumn  of  1886,  Prof.  Fridolf  Risberg,  assisted  by  students  of  the 
Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  rented  a  vacant  store  in  West  Lake 
street  and  began  to  conduct  religious  services  for  the  Swedish  people 
in  that  neighborhood.  The  mission  was  kept  up  for  three  years,  and 
in  1889,  Sept.  21st,  a  congregation  was  organized  under  the  name  of 
the  Swedish  Christian  Bethlehem  Church.  Its  meetings  were  held 
successively  in  an  old  Baptist  church  at  Washington  boulevard  and 
Paulina  street.  Castle  Hall,  in  Lake  street,  a  Unitarian  church  at 


THK    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY  621 

Monroe  and  Laughlin  streets,  and  again  in  Castle  Hall  up  to  Novem- 
ber, 1900,  when  it  moved  into  its  own  church  edifice,  a  remodeled 
residence  in  Fulton  street,  representing  an  outlay  of  $2,500.  The 
church  has  never  had  a  permanent  pastor,  the  services  being  conducted 
in  turn  by  Prof.  Risberg's  pupils  during  the  school  year  and  by  students 
or  teachers  during  each  vacation.  Since  1891  the  church  has  supported 
one  of  its  members,  Miss  Alma  Svenson,  as  a  missionary  in  China. 
It  joined  the  Congregational  denomination  in  1897,  but  has  enjoyed 
no  financial  aid  from  that  source. 

Up  to  the  year  1900,  the  Swedish  Congregational  churches  had 
received  $365,000  from  the  American  Congregational  Church.  A 
historical  work  on  Swedish  Congregationalism,  published  in  1906, 
accounts  for  112  churches  of  that  denomination. 

The  Swedish.   Institute  of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 

The  Chicago  Theological  Seminary  is  one  of  eight  similar  insti- 
tutions owned  and  maintained  by  the  Congregational  Church.  The 
Chicago  institution  was  founded  in  1854.  A  German  department  was 
instituted  in  1882,  followed  by  a  Scandinavian  department  in  1884. 
The  following  year  this  latter  was  divided  in  two,  a  Danish-Norwegian 
and  a  Swedish  department.  The  institution  is  located  at  81  Ashland 
boulevard. 

Rev.  Fridolf  Risberg  of  Sweden  was  called  to  assume  charge  of 
instruction  in  the  Swedish  department  in  1885.  During  the  prior  year 
of  its  existence  the  department  had  fourteen  students  in  attendance. 
For  three  years  Prof.  Risberg  was  alone  in  the  work.  Then  Rev.  David 
Nyvall  was  called  as  his  associate.  After  two  years  of  teaching  Rev. 
Nyvall  resigned,  and  his  successor,  Rev.  M.  E.  Peterson,  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  school  up  to  the  present  time.  During  the  first  six 
years  the  department  was  in  connection  with  the  Swedish  Evangelical 
Mission  Covenant  of  America,  which  for  three  years  had  the  authority 
to  select  the  associate  teachers  and  also  contributed  the  greater  part  of 
their  salaries. 

After  the  department  had  been  fully  developed  the  average 
number  of  students  was  40,  until  the  Covenant  in  1891  secured  a  school 
of  its  own,  when  that  number  was  materially  reduced,  the  present 
attendance  being  about  25. 

Tuition  is  given  free  of  cost,  and  gifted  and  deserving  students 
are  granted  a  stipend  of  $50  per  year. 

The  Swedish  students  pursue  partly  general  elementary  studies, 
such  as  the  Swedish  and  English  languages,  history  and  other  sub- 
jects, partly  theological  studies,  including  the  Old  and  New  Testament, 
church  history,  dogmatics,  pastoral  theology,  and  kindred  subjects. 


622 


THE    MISSION    CHURCH 


The  Swedish  language  is  the  medium  of  instruction  in  most  churches, 
certain  subjects,  however,  being  taught  in  English. 

The  students  are  comfortably  housed  in  the  dormitories  of  the 
institution,  and  have  access  to  Swedish  and  general  libraries  and  a 
well  equipped  gymnasium. 

One  hour  every  week  is  set  aside  for  addresses  and  discourses 
in  English  by  missionaries  or  eminent  preachers  on  topics  of  especial 
interest  to  divinity  students.  Aside  from  the  regular  class  practice 


Fisk  Hall,  home  of  the  Swedish  Institute  of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 

in  preaching,  the  students  are  frequently  assigned  to  pulpits  in  Chicago 
and  vicinity.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  seminary  is  the  Bethlehem 
Church,  organized  by  the  department  and  constituting  the  spiritual 
home  of  the  students  and  teachers. 

In  the  year  1903  the  foreign  departments  of  the  Chicago  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  acquired  a  status  of  greater  independence  by  being 
placed  partially  under  the  control  of  the  churches  for  which  they  were 
called  into  existence,  and  who  now  contribute  regularly  toward  the 
salaries  of  the  assistant  teachers.  To  accentuate  their  position  they 
were  named  institutes.  The  name  of  the  Swedish  department  was 
thus  changed  to  the  Swedish  Institute  of  the  Chicago  Theological 
Seminary. 


SUMMARY 


623 


From  its  inception  as  a  department  the  Swedish  Institute  has 
been  attended  by  a  total  of  over  250  young  men,  no  women  having  as 
yet  availed  themselves  of  the  instruction  for  teaching  or  missionary 
work.  Twenty  have  engaged  in  missionary  work  among  the  heathen 
in  Alaska,  Japan.  Mongolia,  and  China  proper.  India,  West  and  South 
Africa  and  South  America.  Three  of  these  missionaries  were  murdered 
in  the  Boxer  riots  of  1900.  About  150  of  the  graduates  are  engaged 
in  pastoral  work  in  America,  Sweden  and  Norway. 

Denominational  Estimate 

The  Mission  Friends  publish  hardly  any  statistics  worthy  of  the 
name,  and  only  a  rough  estimate  can  be  made  of  their  numbers,  expend- 
itures for  religious  purposes  and  the  extent  of  other  activities.  A  work 
on  the  Mission  Church  of  America  published  in  1907  gives  a  summary 
from  which  we  quote,  adding  certain  figures  found  in  recent  reports. 

The  Mission  Covenant  comprises  190  churches  with  a  combined 
membership  of  about  16.000.  Of  these  there  are  28  churches  in  Illinois. 
Co-operating  with  the  Covenant,  although  not  organically  united  with 
it,  are  a  number  of  congregations  with  an  aggregate  membership  of 
4.000,  making  a  total  of  20,000.  The  Congregations1  churches,  including 
only  a  few  small  ones  in  this  state,  are  about  one  hundred  in  number, 
with  a  total  membership  of  about  8.000.  The  Free  Mission  in  1907. 
according  to  Rev.  "Princell,  claimed  some  200  churches,  with  a  total 
membership  of  12,000,  the  20  churches  in  Illinois  having  about  1.500 
members.  Bowman,  however,  gives  an  estimate  far  below  these  figures, 
allowing  at  most  5,000  members.  Other  figures,  based  on  Princell 's 
estimate,  are :  numbers  of  pastors,  not  including  student  preachers.  130, 
14  of  whom  labored  in  this  state.  There  were  13  churches  in  this  state 
and  100  throughout  the  country.  Those  in  Illinois  were  valued  at 
$123,000.  and  the  total  value  of  church  property  was  $840,000.  The 
largest  and  most  influential  Free  Mission  churches  in  Illinois  are  the 
Chicago  churches  at  Oak  street,  Lake  View,  West  Twenty-second  street 
and  Pullman-Roseland ;  and  those  of  Rockford  and  Moline. 

It  is  with  respect  to  mission  work  in  heathen  lands  that  the  Mission 
Friends  especially  earn  their  name. 

The  Free  Mission  group  was  the  first  to  go  into  foreign  fields. 
Its  first  heathen  missionary.  H.  J.  von  Qvalen.  was  sent  to  Canton  in 
1887.  Two  years  later  the  Covenant  began  work  in  Alaska.  The  Free 
Mission  in  1907  supported  five  missionaries  of  its  own  in  Canton  and 
besides  contributed  generously  to  the  Alliance  Mission.  The  Covenant 
had  13  missionaries  and  3  native  assistants  in  Alaska  and  14  mission- 
aries in  China.  The  Swedish  Congregationalists  maintain  no  foreign 
missions  of  their  own.  but  contribute  considerable  amounts  to  the 


624 


THK    MISSION    CHURCH 


Alliance  Mission  and  somewhat  to  the  missions  carried  on  by  the 
Covenant,  the  Free  Mission  and  the  American  Congregational  Church. 
In  foreign  mission  work  the  Mission  Friends  rank  second  only  to  the 
German  Brethren,  who  are  said  to  have  one  foreign  missionary  to  every 
52  members.  According  to  the  statistics  of  1906  the  American  Con- 
gregationalists,  who  lead  the  larger  denominations  in  mission  work, 
maintained  a  foreign  missionary  to  every  1,184  members,  and  the  per 
capita  contribution  was  $1.10.  The  ratio  among  the  Mission  Friends 
of  Sweden  was  for  the  same  year  1  to  943  and  $3.39  per  capita,  and 
among  those  in  the  United  States,  1  to  252,  with  $2.08  per  member  paid 
into  the  foreign  mission  treasury. 


CHAPTER    XI 

The  Swedes  in  the  Civil  War 

Early   Swedish    Patriots 

EN  of  Norse  blood  have  helped  to  make  American  history 
from  the  first  chapter  to  the  last.  Swedes  have  played 
a  part  in  shaping  the  destinies  of  our  country  at  every 
important  epoch.  By  early  settlement  they  became 
a  component  part  of  the  population  of  at  least  two 
of  the  thirteen  original  colonies.  In  the  framing  of  a  nation  by  a  union 
of  these  fragments,  two  conspicuous  Swedish-Americans  had  a  hand — 
John  Morton,  who,  as  chairman,  had  the  casting  vote  which  determined 
Pennsylvania's  stand  for  American  independence,  and  John  Hanson, 
Maryland's  most  noted  representative  during  the  revolutionary  period 
and  at  one  time  president  of  the  congress.  Two  noted  Swedish  com- 
manders, Hans  Axel  von  Fersen  and  Curt  Bogislaus  von  Stedingk, 
fought  in  the  war  for  independence,  both  receiving  the  Order  of  Cin- 
cinnati for  heroism,  while  many  less  renowned  patriots  of  Swedish 
descent,  their  number  unknown,  took  part  in  the  great  struggle  for 
liberty.  Again,  in  the  peaceable  conquest  of  the  great  West,  the  Swedes 
participated  by  colonizing  great  areas  in  the  central  states — a  move- 
ment vastly  more  far-reaching  in  its  consequences  than  that  of  found- 
ing the  colony  on  the  Delaware. 

In  the  year  1860  this  influx  from  Sweden  had  but  fairly  begun, 
yet,  when  the  great  national  crisis  came,  there  were  Swedes  in  every 
rank  and  station  fighting  and  working  for  the  cause  of  freedom  and 
union,  and  the  Civil  War  marks  the  beginning  of  their  general  parti- 
cipation in  public  affairs.  Among  the  Swedes  who  rendered  eminent 


626  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

services  to  the  nation  in  this  conflict  were  men  of  the  old  Delaware 
stock,  like  Admiral  Dahlgren,  naval  commander  and  inventor  of  the 
Dahlgren  gun,  and  Gen.  Robert  Anderson  of  Fort  Sumter  fame;  men 
who  came  over  directly  from  Sweden  to  aid  the  Union,  like  Gen.  Ernst 
von  Vegesack;  that  isolated  genius,  Captain  John  Ericsson,  inventor 
of  the  Monitor;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  thousands  of  Swedish- 
Americans  of  the  West,  who  fought  in  the  volunteer  ranks  of  the 
Union  army,  and  the  scores  of  brave  and  skilled  commanders  of 
companies,  regiments  and  brigades,  foremost  of  whom  were  Stolbrand 
and  Malmborg. 

A.    Study   of   Swedish   Enlistments 

When  President  Abraham  Lincoln  on  April  15,  1861,  in  reply  to 
the  rebel  attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for 
75,000  volunteers  to  serve  three  months  for  the  purpose  of  putting 
down  the  rebellion  in  the  South,  many  times  that  number  in  the  loyal 
states  offered  their  services.  The  Swedish-Americans,  then  less  than 
20,000  in  number  and  mostly  new  arrivals  from  their  native  land, 
hastened  to  respond  to  the  call  for  defenders  of  the  Union  and  enlisted 
in  the  service  of  their  adopted  country  as  eagerly  as  the  most  patriotic 
of  her  native-born  citizens.  On  the  first  call  an  entire  Swedish  com- 
pany was  organized  at  Galesburg,  and  Stolbrand  raised  a  company  of 
artillery  in  Chicago,  both  of  which  were  at  first  rejected  as  super- 
numerary, and  individual  Swedes  enlisted  in  all  the  various  localities 
in  which  they  lived.  To  subsequent  calls  for  troops  they  responded 
in  increasing  numbers,  and  the  estimate  which  has  been  made  that  one 
Swede  out  of  every  six  in  the  central  West  and  Northwest  joined  the 
colors  cannot  be  far  wrong,  even  if  applied  to  all  Swedish-Americans. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1861  an  all  Swedish  company  was  raised 
by  Major  Forsse  in  and  around  Bishop  Hill,  111.,  the  Galesburg  company 
was  reorganized  and  accepted,  Capt.  Silfversparre  recruited  a  battery, 
largely  Swedish,  in  this  state ;  Col.  Hans  Mattson  organized  a  Scandi- 
navian company  in  Minnesota ;  some  Swedes  joined  a  Norwegian  regi- 
ment, the  15th,  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  muster  rolls  of  the  northwestern 
states  show  a  goodly  number  of  Swedish  names. 

The  general  census  of  1860  records  a  total  of  18,625  Swedes  in 
the  United  States.  Of  these,  11,800  were  living  in  the  four  states  of 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin.  The  immigration  from 
Sweden  in  the  next  two  years  was  2,300.  Allowing  two-thirds,  for 
these  four  states,  their  combined  Swedish  population  during  the  main 
period  of  enlistment  would  approximate  13,500.  The  best  estimates 
made  of  Swedish  enlistments  in  the  four  states  gives  a  total  of  2,250, 
or  exactly  one-sixth  of  their  Swedish  population.  Illinois,  witli  a 


ENLISTMENTS 


627 


Swedish  population,  in  1860,  of  6,470,  and  approximately  7,000  at  the 
end  of  the  year  1861,  contributed  not  less  than  1,300  Swedish  volun- 
teers, indicating  that  in  this  state  one  Swede  out  of  every  five 
volunteered  for  military  service,  while  out  of  the  whole  population  one 
to  every  seven  persons  enlisted.  Army  statistics  compiled  in  1863  show 
that  among  immigrants  and  the  foreign  element  the  able-bodied  males 
of  military  age,  18  to  45  years,  constituted  one-third  of  the  total 
number.  Thus,  it  will  be  seen,  more  than  half  of  the  Swedes  of  Illinois 
fit  for  military  service  actually  served — all  of  which  speaks  volumes 
for  the  loyalty  of  the  liberty-loving  Swedish  nationality. 

No  figures  to  show  the  total  number  of  Swedes  engaged  in  the 
war  can  be  given,  however,  with  any  claim  to  accuracy.  In  the  govern- 
ment army  statistics  the  English,  the  Irish  and  the  Germans  were 
accounted  for,  but  all  others  were  entered  under  the  head  of  "other 
foreigners."  0.  N.  Nelson,  who  has  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  num- 
ber of  Swedish  soldiers  mustered  in  the  states  of  Minnesota,  Iowa  and 
Wisconsin,  gives  an  estimated  total  of  950,  but  he  shrunk  from  the  task 
of  an  actual  canvass  of  the  reports  of  the  adjutant  generals  of  those 
states  for  S\vedish  names.  That  being  the  only  method  yielding  any- 
thing like  reliable  information  on  this  point,  the  laborious  search 
through  nine  volumes  of  names  of  Illinois  volunteers  has  been  under- 
taken, with  the  result  stated. 

The  Swedish  organizations,  Co.  C  of  the  43rd  regiment,  and  Co.  D 
of  the  57th,  and  the  largely  Swedish  Silfversparre  battery  gives  us  335 
to  start  with.  The  remaining  thousand  Swedish  names  are  scattered 
among  the  255,000  on  the  Illinois  muster  rolls.  The  enumeration  has 
been  made  with  conservatism  and  due  care.  Names  characteristically 
Swedish  have  been  counted  without  question ;  Andersons,  Johnsons, 
Nelsons  and  like  surnames,  rarely,  except  when  preceded  by  a  Swedish 
given  name  or  known  to  have  been  borne  by  Swedes  or  men  from 
Swedish  settlements.  Names  like  Smith,  Young,  Hall,  Holt,  Freeman, 
Newman,  Swan,  Stark,  Berg,  Beck,  Holmes,  Benson,  Gibson,  etc., 
although  borne  by  many  Swedes,  have  been  counted  only  in  known 
cases,  a  loss  which  doubtless  is  not  outbalanced  by  those  erroneously 
credited  to  the  Swedish  nationality.  We  have,  furthermore,  guarded 
against  claiming  as  S\vedes  the  several  hundreds  of  other  Scandinavians 
who  fought  in  the  Illinois  regiments.  Again,  the  tendency  of  the 
Swedes  to  Americanize  their  names  or  adopt  new  ones 'that  completely 
mask  their  nationality  must  necessarily  cause  a  number  of  omissions 
in  the  count.  Other  difficulties  have  been  encountered  in  the  attempt 
to  pick  out  the  Swedish  soldiers  from  among  the  promiscuous  mass. 
Their  names  were  often  distorted  by  the  clerks  of  the  recruiting 
stations,  who  spelled  them  phonetically,  or  they  have  been  rendered 
almost  unrecognizable  by  the  state  printer.  Thus  for  instance,  Carlson 


628 


THE;  CIVIL  WAR 


is  frequently  written  Colson,  Hedenskog  has  been  found  in  the  two 
forms  Hadenscogg  and  Aadenskoy,  Person  is  anglicized  into  Parson 
and  even  such  a  typical  Swedish  name  as  Akerblom  in  the  reports 
takes  the  Celtic  form  of  O'Kerblom.  Common  Swedish  given  names. 
like  Nils,  or  Nels,  August  and  Jonas  are  usually  changed  to  Nelson. 
Augustus  and  Jones. 

With  these  remarks  we  submit  the  result  of  our  struggle  with  the 
problem  of  enumeration  in  the  following  tabulated  form  : 

Swedes  in  the  Illinois  Volunteer   Regiments 
Three  Months  Service 


Number  of 
Regiment  Swedes 

Seventh  ...........................  3 

Ninth  ...............................  2 

Tenth  ..............................  3 

Eleventh  ...........  ................  i 

Twelfth  ...........................  17 

Total  ..............   26 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  one  whole  company  of 
Swedish  volunteers  at  the  first  call  for  troops,  and  one  battery. 
recruited  by  Stolbrand.  were  not  accepted.  Most  of  these  volunteers 
undoubtedly  enlisted  again  and  would  then  figure  in  the  report  next 
following. 


TKree  Years  Service 


i.  .  .  . 

No.  Swedes 
IS 

Regt. 
43  . 

No.  Swedes 
.l6l 

Regt. 

71  .  . 

No.  Swedes 
6 

Rest. 

107  .  .  . 

No.  Swedes 
4 

8. 

IO 

1  1 

....     6 

72  .  . 

12 

108  .  .  . 

Q.  .  . 

S 

1  1 

78  .. 

I 

lOQ  .  . 

I 

10.  . 

14 

46 

8 

82 

8 

IIO  ... 

I 

I  I.. 

IO 

47 

A 

83 

16 

Ill  ... 

2 

12.  .  .  . 

.  43 

48  . 

6 

84  .. 

112  ... 

13.  .. 

q 

40 

j. 

88  ... 

i 

12 

15..  .. 

SO 

7 

8q 

14 

114  .. 

3 

16.... 

...   6 

C] 

2O 

QI 

17  ... 

12 

Q3  .  . 

II 

116... 

2 

iq  . 

6 

C-2 

qc 

8 

118  

3 

20  ... 

2 

2 

Q6  .. 

i 

IIQ  .  . 

5 

23  ... 

\ 

EC 

IQ 

Q7  .  . 

.  .          2 

1  2O  ... 

32  ... 

I 

56 

I 

98  . 

I 

122  .  .  . 

3 

I  SI 

qq 

I 

2 

36  ... 

.  17 

s8 

I 

1  02  ... 

26 

124  ... 

14 

II 

cq 

6 

2 

I2S 

2 

38 

65 

2 

104 

126  

q 

39  ... 

66 

6 

IOS  .  . 

q 

127  .  .  . 

9 

40  ... 

2 

67  . 

106 

•j. 

I2q  .  . 

I 

42  .. 

.  21 

6q.. 

A 

Total 925 


ENLISTMENTS 


629 


<  '  A  V  A  I VR  Y 

Regl.  No.  Swedes 

I 13 

2 II 

3 3 

4 10 

5   4 

6 2 

7 i<J 

» 5 

9 9 

U i 

15 3 

16 2 

'7 8 

Total Si 

ARTIIjUjKRY 

No.  Swedes 

First  Regiment 93 

Second  Regiment 34 

Henshaw's  Battery 3 

Total 1 30 

One  Hundred  Days    Service 

INFANTRY 

Rej?t.                                                               No.  Swedes        Refit.                                                                No.  Swedes 
I32 53         MI 12 

134 7  142 3 

'36 i  143 3 

137 5  '44 2 

'38 '7  H5 2 

139 17  Alton    Battalion 2 

1 4<  > 2 

Total 1 26 

One  Year  Service 
iNFAJCTitY 

Rest.  No.  Swedes        Regt.  No.  Swedes 

146 10        151 TO 

M7 II         152 3 

I4<S 22         153 5 

149 3         155 I 

IS" I          '56 14 

Total So 

Summary 

Infantry,  three  years  service 925 

Cavalry,  three  years  service 8 1 

Artillery,  three  years  service 130 

Infantry,  one  hundred  days  service 1 26 

Infantry,  one  year  service Ho 


Grand  total 1.342 


630 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


Some  allowance  should  be  made  for  repetitions,  caused  by  trans- 
fers from  one  regiment  to  another,  yet  these  ought  not  to  outnumber 
the  probable  omissions.  The  great  majority  of  the  Swedish  soldiers 
enlisted  for  three  years  and.  judged  by  the  two  wholly  Swedish 
companies,  they  very  generally  re-enlisted  in  the  veteran  regiments,  so 
that  even  when  reduced  to  a  basis  of  three  years'  service  their  number 
will  not  be  greatly  lessened.  Some  Swedish  Illinoisans  doubtless  went 
elsewhere  to  enlist,  but  probably  more  Swedes  came  from  other  states 
into  Illinois  for  the  same  purpose.  The  spirit  of  sympathy  with  a 
republic  struggling  for  the  maintenance  of  free  institutions  brought 
many  volunteers  to  our  army  from  continental  Europe.  Not  a  few 
came  over  from  Sweden.  Illinois  being  the  state  then  preeminently 
settled  by  their  countrymen,  they  were  most  likely  to  come  here  before 
enlisting.  All  things  considered,  we  would  probably  be  warranted  in 
claiming  at  least  fifteen  hundred  Swedes  in  the  Illinois  regiments. 
Any  skepticism  then  arising  as  to  the  resultant  high  ratio  of  Swedish 
volunteers  to  the  Swedish  population  of  the  state  would  be  disposed  of 
by  two  unquestioned  facts — that  the  census  and  immigration  figures  as 
to  foreign  nationalities  are  commonly  too  low  and  that  these  volunteers 
were  not  all  residents  of  the  state. 

The  sense  of  patriotism  and  the  justice  of  the  Union  cause  was 
the  chief  incentive  to  enlistment  on  the  part  of  the  Swedish-Americans. 
Among  the  Norwegians  there  arose  a  controversy  as  to  the  moral 
justification  of  slavery  and  the  Norwegian  Synod  split  on  that  question. 
Not  so  among  the  Swedes :  they  were  abolitionists  practically  to  a  man. 
When  conscription  had  to  be  resorted  to,  there  was  hardly  a  Swede 
left  to  be  drafted,  nearly  all  able  to  fight  having  taken  the  field.  Nor 
were  they  lured  by  bounties  to  any  great  extent,  for  by  the  time  these 
were  held  out.  most  of  the  Swedes  willing  and  able  to  fight  at  all, 
were  already  trained  soldiers,  inured  to  hardships  and  cheered  on  by 
assurance  of  ultimate  triumph. 

There  were  Swedes  also  in  the  South  in  those  days,  some  750. 
according  to  the  census.  Presumably  a  few  of  them  took  up  arms  for 
the  Confederacy,  others  probably  went  north  to  fight  or  to  live  in 
peace  among  their  fellow  countrymen — the  problem  is  as  yet  new  to 
inquiry.  This  much  has  been  learned,  that  a  genuine  Swedish  name 
was  borne  by  at  least  one  Confederate  commander — August  Forsberg. 
mentioned  in  the  reports  as  lieutenant  in  the  corps  of  engineers  and 
as  colonel  of  the  51st  Virginia,  at  times  in  command  of  a  brigade. 

The  fighting  qualities  of  the  Swedish  soldiery  were  tried  on 
many  a  hotly  contested  battlefield.  With  other  Europeans,  many  of 
them  had  an  advantage  over  their  American-born  comrades  in  having 
undergone  a  course  of  compulsory  military  instruction  in  their  native 
land.  Generally,  they  submitted  more  readily  to  military  discipline 


ENLISTMENTS 


631 


than  the  Americans  and  took  greater  pride  than  they  in  developing 
tactical  skill,  order  and  precision.  The  Bishop  Hill  company  of  the 
57th  Illinois  proved  itself  the  best  drilled  company  in  that  regiment ; 
the  Scandinavian  Co.  D  of  the  3rd  Minnesota,  Col.  Hans  Mattson's 
regiment,  was  the  crack  company  of  the  model  regiment  of  that  state, 
and  Col.  Malmborg  made  the  55th  what  it  was — the  best  all-round 
regiment  from  Illinois. 

From  good  soldiers  naturally  sprung  able  commanders.  It  is 
complained,  and  not  without  justice,  that  American  history  is  chary 
in  giving  credit  to  the  foreign  elements  which  rendered  so  material 
aid  in  putting  down  the  rebellion,  freeing  the  slaves  and  saving  the 
Union.  While  the  Swedes  were  fairly  well  rewarded  in  the  way  of 
minor  promotions,  it  is  but  the  plain  truth  to  say  that  they  earned 
well  every  advancement  accorded  them  and  in  sundry  cases  they  did 
the  hard  work  for  which  others  took  the  honors.  The  history  of  the 
55th  Illinois  regiment  is  convincing  proof  that  Col.  Stuart  received  his 
ill-fated  appointment  to  a  brigadier-generalship  on  the  merits  of  the 
fighting  done  under  the  direction  of  his  Swedish  lieutenant-colonel. 
Stolbrand  did  duty  as  brigadier-general  a  year  or  two  before  commis- 
sioned to  that  rank,  and  even  then  he  was  promoted  only  after  he  had 
resigned  in  mild  protest  against  official  ingratitude.  And  many  an 
officer  has  attained  the  same  rank  for  less  brilliant  services  than  the 
parts  played  by  Malmborg  and  Silfversparre  on  the  first  day  at  Shiloh 
in  staying  the  enemy's  last  onslaught  and  saving  the  day  for  Grant's 
army. 

In  order  to  convey,  otherwise  than  by  empty  boast,  some  idea  of 
the  high  grade  of  military  service  rendered  by  the  men  of  Swedish 
extraction,  bare  mention  of  the  known  Swedish  officers  in  the  Union 
army  and  navy  is  here  made,  down  to  and  including  first  lieutenants : 
Rear  Admiral  Dahlgren;  Brigadier-Generals  Robert  Anderson,  Ernst 
von  Vegesack,  Stolbrand;  Colonels  Ulric  Dahlgren,  Malmborg,  Matt- 
son,  Steelhammar,  Elfving,  Brydolf,  Broady,  Burg;  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Gustafson ;  Majors  Forsse,  Holmberg,  Bergland ;  Adjutant  Youngberg ; 
Sergeant  Major  Lindberg ;  Captains  Silfversparre,  Stenbeck,  Sparre- 
strom,  Arosenius,  Charles  Johnson,  Eric  Johnson,  Lempke,  Edvall. 
Wickstrum,  Carl  Gustavson,  Eustrom,  Cornelieson,  Lund,  Nelson,  Eck- 
strom,  Vanstrum,.  Lindberg,  Alfred  Lanstrum,  C.  E.  Landstrom,  Lin- 
quist ;  First  Lieutenants  Hellstrom,  Andberg,  Eckdall,  Nyberg,  Acker- 
strom,  Johnson,  Olson,  Lindell,  Oliver  Erickson.  Nels  Nelson,  Hjalmar 
and  Johan  Alexis  Edgren.  Liljengren,  Gustafson.  Lundberg,  and  others. 

To  complete  the  list  would  involve  research  far  too  extensive  for 
our  present  purpose. 


632  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

Company   C,    Forty-Third    Illinois    Infantry 

Under  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops  a  company  was  organized  at 
Galesburg,  consisting  exclusively  of  Swedish-Americans.  Leonard 
Holmberg  was  elected  captain  and  tendered  the  services  of  the  com- 
pany to  the  governor  of  the  state.  Of  three  other  companies  organized 
in  Knox  county,  one  was  accepted,  but  the  other  two,  as  also  the 
Swedish  company,  were  disbanded  on  the  ground  that  no  more  troops 
were  then  thought  needed.  It  soon  became  evident,  however,  that  the 
troops  at  the  government's  disposal  were  totally  inadequate  to  put 
down  the  rebellion,  and  congress  authorized  the  issuance  of  a  call  for 
300,000  volunteers  for  three  years'  service.  The  disbanded  Swedish 
company  now  reorganized  under  new  command,  Captain  Holmberg 
and  many  of  the  men  having  previously  enlisted  for  service  in  other 
organizations.  By  the  first  of  September,  1861,  the  company  was  at 
Camp  Butler,  near  Springfield.  It  now  consisted  of  one  hundred 
Swedes  and  three  Germans.  The  men  elected  their  own  officers,  as 
follows,  Dr.  Hugo  M.  Starkloff,  captain,  Olof  S.  Edvall,  first  lieutenant, 
and  Nels  P.  McCool,  second  lieutenant.  Dr.  Starkloff  was  a  German, 
and  his  election  to  the  captaincy  was  understood  to  be  in  reward  for 
his  material  assistance  in  recruiting  the  company  and  only  a  step  to 
the  commission  of  surgeon  in  the  regiment  to  which  the  company  would 
be  assigned.  It  was  given  the  position  of  flag  company  in  the  Forty- 
third  regiment  and  became  known  as  Company  C,  of  the  Forty-third 
Illinois  Infantry  Volunteers,  commanded  by  Julius  Raith.  Starkloff 
being  made  regimental  surgeon,  First  Lieutenant  Olof  S.  Edvall  was 
commissioned  captain  of  the  company. 

After  remaining  in  camp  for  a  short  time,  spent  in  company  and 
regiment  drills,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis  on  Oct.  13th. 
and  quartered  at  Benton  Barracks.  There  the  men  were  given  old 
Austrian  muskets  for  exercising  in  the  manual  of  arms,  and  just 
before  leaving  for  Otterville,  150  miles  west  of  St.  Louis,  they  were 
armed  with  old  Harper's  Ferry  and  English  Tower  muskets,  altered 
from  flint  lock  to  percussion  guns.  Arriving  at  Otterville  Nov.  4th. 
they  remained  in  that  vicinity  doing  guard  duty  and  perfecting  them- 
selves in  military  tactics  until  Jan.  20,  1862,  when  they  were  ordered 
back  to  St.  Louis  and  there  equipped  with  54  caliber  Belgian  rifles. 
an  excellent  firearm,  but  very  heavy. 

There  were  only  eight  companies  in  the  regiment,  until  now  two 
more  companies,  I  and  K,  were  added,  but  many  of  the  companies 
were  so  small  that  the  regiment  still  fell  200  short  of  its  full  quota 
of  one  thousand  men. 

On  Feb.  6th  it  was  ordered  to  join  General  Grant's  expedition 
against  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson.  The  men  embarked  on  the 


CO.  C,  FORTY-THIRD   INFANTRY  5^ 

steamer  Memphis,  which  carried  them  to  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee 
River,  where  they  were  left  to  guard  transports  and  supplies  and  thus 
prevented  from  taking  part  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  only  fifteen 
miles  away.  This  proved  a  great  disappointment  to  many  of  the 
Swedish  boys  who  had  an  apprehension  that  the  war  would  be  over  in 
a  short  time  and  they  would  have  to  return  home  without  having  taken 
part  in  any  real  battle. 

On  Feb.  24th  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Fort  Donelson  and  from 
there  on  March  4th  back  to  the  Tennessee  River,  and  sent  by  transport 
steamers  to  Savannah,  Tenn.,  where  they  disembarked  and  were 
ordered  out  in  the  country  about  twenty  miles  to  disperse  hostile 
detachments.  The  regiment  was  soon  after  encamped  near  Pittsburg 
Landing,  a  short  distance  from  Shiloh  church,  as  a  part  of  the  Third 
Brigade  of  General  McClernand's  Division  of  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee. 

The  boys  of  Company  C  had  now  been  in  the  service  about  seven 
months,  had  become  fair  marksmen  and  were  able  to  execute  move- 
ments in  approved  military  style.  Sooner  than  expected,  their  skill 
was  to  be  put  to  the  test.  The  brigade  had  been  in  camp  at  Pittsburg 
Landing  some  three  weeks,  awaiting  reinforcements  in  order  to  march 
on  Corinth,  Miss.,  and  attack  the  enemy  who  were  reported  to  be 
concentrating  a  large  force  there  and  strongly  fortifying  their  position. 
Corinth  was  but  twenty  miles  from  the  Union  camp  and  skirmishes 
frequently  took  place  between  the  cavalry  scouts  of  the  two  opposing 
armies.  On  Friday  evening,  April  4th,  troops  were  called  out  on  the 
line  in  front  of  the  camp  and  kept  there  till  midnight,  in  consequence 
of  a  collision  between  the  Union  outposts  and  a  rebel  scouting  party, 
but  the  alarm  subsided.  While  the  union  forces  were  intent  on  moving 
upon  the  enemy's  position  at  the  opportune  moment,  no  one  in  camp 
seemed  to  suspect  that  the  enemy  might  have  the  same  design. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  April  5th,  the  43rd  Regiment  was  ordered 
to  hold  itself  in  readiness  for  inspection  and  review  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing at  seven.  As  the  men  were  awaiting  orders  that  morning  to  form 
ranks,  volleys  of  musketry  fire  were  suddenly  heard  in  front.  While 
they  were  puzzling  over  the  meaning  of  the  firing  on  the  picket  line, 
the  drummer  beat  the  long  roll  of  alarm.  The  pickets  came  rushing 
into  camp  barely  in  advance  of  the  pursuing  rebels.  Seizing  their 
guns  and  accoutrements,  the  boys  of  the  43rd  formed  ranks  in  company 
quarters,  marched  to  the  parade  ground  in  front  of  the  camp  and 
formed  in  line  of  battle.  Although  it  took  but  a  few  minutes  for 
the  regiment  to  form,  yet  the  firing  had  increased  so  as  to  be  con- 
tinuous all  along  the  line.  Just  as  Company  C  swung  into  position, 
a  shell  from  one  of  the  rebel  batteries  came  screaming  over  their 


634.  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

heads  and  cut  off  a  limb  of  a  tree  which  struck  Louis  Nelson,  disabling 
him  for  the  fight.  Col.  Kaith  sent  Lieut.  Col.  Engelman  to  General 
McClernand  to  inform  him  of  the  approaching  battle.  Engelman  was 
instructed  to  tell  Col.  Reardon  of  the  29th  Illinois  to  assume  command 
of  the  brigade,  as  General  Ross,  the  regular  commander,  was  absent 
on  furlough.  Reardon  being  sick,  the  command  devolved  upon  Raith, 
who  left  his  own  regiment  in  command  of  Engelman. 

The  Forty-third  was  one  of  the  few  regiments  ready  for  action  on 
that  fatal  morning.  The  general  condition  in  the  Union  camp  at  the 
moment  of  attack  is  described  by  Greeley  as  follows:  Some  of  the 
men  were  dressing,  others  washing  or  cooking,  a  few  were  eating 
breakfast,  many,  especially  officers,  had  not  yet  risen.  Neither  officers 
nor  men  wTere  aware  of  the  approaching  enemy  until  magnificent  lines 
of  battle  poured  out  of  the  woods  in  front  of  the  camps  and  at  double- 
quick  rushed  in  upon  our  bewildered,  half-dressed  and  not  yet  half- 
formed  men,  firing  deadly  volleys  at  close  range,  then  springing  upon 
the  coatless,  musketless  mob  with  the  bayonets.  Some  fell  as  they 
ran,  others  as  they  emerged  from  the  tents  or  strove  to  buckle  on  their 
accoutrements;  some  tried  to  surrender,  but  the  rebels  could  not  stop 
then  to  take  prisoners. 

Lieut.  Col.  Engelman  had  ordered  out  a  line  of  skirmishers,  but 
they  hardly  had  time  to  deploy  before  the  enemy  appeared,  marching 
in  regimental  divisions  in  such  masses  as  to  cover  the  ground  over 
which  the  unionists  had  a  clear  view,  and  so  close  upon  them  that 
the  skirmish  line  was  pressed  back  on  the  regiment.  The  left  flank 
of  the  43rd  was  left  exposed  by  the  retirement  of  the  49th  Illinois, 
whose  members  were  driven  out  of  their  camp  before  they  had  time 
to  form  a  line  or  fire  a  shot.  Engelman  then  ordered  the  second 
battalion,  five  companies,  including  Company  C,  of  his  regiment  to 
take  the  position  left  vacant  by  the  demoralized  49th.  The  battalion, 
about  300  strong,  moved  into  that  position  and  held  it  probably  ten 
minutes  against  a  tenfold  force  of  the  enemy,  then  fell  back  to  the 
first  battalion,  leaving  many  dead  and  wounded  behind.  Of  Company 
C,  Charles  Samuelson  was  instantly  killed  here,  and  Swan  Olson  and 
Nels  Bodelson  were  among  the  severely  wounded.  Prentiss'  division, 
to  the  left  of  McClernand 's,  had  been  routed  at  the  first  onset  before 
it  could  form  in  line  of  battle,  and  by  ten  o'clock  it  had  been  virtually 
demolished.  Sherman's  division,  on  McClernand 's  right,  notwith- 
standing the  desperate  and  untiring  exertions  of  its  leader,  was 
practically  out  of  the  fight  after  the  first  hour. 

McClernand  stood  firm,  though  the  defection  on  both  his  flanks 
left  the  rebels  free  to  hurl  themselves  against  him  in  tremendous  force. 
Two  raw  regiments,  the  15th  and  ]6th  Iowa,  which  he  brought  to 


43°  INFANTRY 


COLONEL  ADJ  T.   GUSTAV  WAGENFUEHR  SEBG'f.  «Ai.  HENRY  FERRA 

SDOLPH  ENGELMANN   Q'R.MR.  ALBERT  POTHOFF        Q,  I*.  SERG'T.  SORITZ  WUERPfL 
LrUT    COLONEL   SUR6N.  HUGO  M,  STARKLOFF    MM.  StRG'T.  HERMAN  BUSCH 


ADOLPH  DENGLER     ASS'T.  I  JUUUS  FUNK 

MAJOR  SURGN.I 

CHARLES  STEPHANI    CHAPtN.  HENRY  D.  SCHMIDT 


r,  CAPTAIK    JOHN  PETZ 

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HOSP.  SI'RO.  CHARLES  IEYENN 
PRINCIPAL  I EUSTACH  KIESER 
MUSICIANS  ILOUIS.VOGEL 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  (H 
EXTERIOR  LINE  WITH  ENGELMANN'r 
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CAPTAIN    GEORGE  H.  HOERING 
2B  UEUT.  DANIEL  C.  ANDERSON 


636  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

the  front  under  a  heavy  fire,  gave  way  at  once  in  disorder.  The 
reunited  battalions  of  the  43rd  Illinois  held  their  position  for  a  time, 
alone  supporting  Capt.  Waterhouse's  Battery  as  long  as  protected 
against  an  enfilading  fire,  but  after  the  troops  on  the  right  were 
forced  back,  they  were  compelled  to  give  ground  after  stubborn  resist- 
ance. With  the  enemy  on  their  flanks  and  in  their  rear,  they  were 
squandering  their  lives  to  no  purpose.  In  falling  back  they  lost  two 
guns  of  the  battery  and  had  to  drag  the  others  with  them  by  hand. 
On  their  first  position  they  left  36  dead,  while  many  had  been  carried 
severely  wounded  to  the  rear.  Retiring  about  a  thousand  feet,  they 
formed  anew  and  held  their  position  a  short  time,  punishing  the 
enemy  severely  while  themselves  suffering  heavy  losses.  Here  Lars 
O.  Berglof  of  Co.  C  was  killed  and  a  number  of  the  Swedish  boys  were 
severely  wounded.  With  only  one  thin  line  our  men  were  able  to  hold 
in  check  the  several  lines  of  the  enemy  because  their  Belgian  rifles 
carried  farther  by  about  200  feet  than  the  rebel  firearms.  By  this  time 
there  were  but  two  other  regiments  left  nearby,  the  other  Union  troops 
having  retreated  in  disorder.  These  three  regiments,  sadly  depleted, 
could  not  sustain  the  weight  of  more  than  half  of  the  rebel  army. 
After  repulsing  several  determined  attacks,  sometimes  advancing  a 
little,  but  generally  yielding  ground,  and  losing  three  colonels  of 
the  line  and  three  officers  of  his  staff,  with  at  least  half  the  effective 
force  of  his  batteries,  McClernand  by  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  was  com- 
pelled to  fall  back.  Col.  Raith,  the  brigade  commander,  had  been 
mortally  wounded.  With  the  foe  on  every  side  and  occupying  ground 
between  this  and  other  portions  of  the  Union  army,  the  retreat  was 
slow  and  difficult.  All  camp  equipage  was  abandoned  and  the  dead 
and  wounded  were  left  where  they  fell. 

By  a  circuitous  route  of  about  one  mile  the  43rd  succeeded  in 
connecting  with  other  Union  troops,  and,  taking  a  fresh  stand,  resisted 
the  onslaught  until  far  into  the  afternoon,  cheered  by  the  expectation 
of  reinforcements.  The  position  now  held  was  near  the  road  to  Crump's 
Landing,  where  General  Lew.  Wallace  was  stationed  with  a  large  force. 
About  4:30  o'clock  Generals  Grant,  Sherman  and  McClernand  with 
many  staff  officers  came  up  and  inspected  the  position  of  ftie  -43rd. 
They  soon  sent  troops  from  the  direction  of  the  river,  including  two 
regiments  and  a  battery.  But  Wallace's  force  marched  a  roundabout 
way,  delaying  his  junction  with  the  sorely  pressed  combatants  until 
after  nightfull,  and  thus  a  number  of  infantry  regiments,  batteries  and 
battalions  of  cavalry  remained  useless  throughout  that  day's  bloody 
struggle. 

Despite  three  desperate  charges  by  the  enemy  that  afternoon  and 
evening,  the  43rd  stood  firm  and  the  Union  forces  still  held  their  line. 


CO.  C,  FORTY-THIRD    INFANTRY  6^7 

extending  from  this  point  to  the  landing,  when  darkness  put  an  end  to 
the  day's  carnage.  The  enemy  withdrew  a  short  distance  for  the 
night,  in  possession  of  the  Union  camps  and  most  of  their  provisions 
and  equipage  together  Avith  many  guns  and  thousands  of  prisoners. 
Albert  Sydney  Johnston,  the  Confederate  commander-in-chief,  had 
fallen  and  the  rebel  losses  had  been  heavy,  but  Beauregard,  the  general 
commanding,  that  night  reported  that  they  had  "gained  a  complete 
victory,  driving  the  enemy  from  every  position."  He  was  not  far 
wrong,  for  a  large  part  of  the  Union  army  was  in  a  demoralized  state, 
a  motley  mob  of  skulkers,  stragglers  and  fugitives  crowded  down  to 
the  river  bank  around  the  landing. 

But  that  night  the  fortunes  of  war  turned.  Both  Gen.  Wallace 
and  Gen.  Buell  arrived,  the  latter  with  20,000  men.  Next  morning  at 
daybreak  the  reinforced  Union  army  was  the  first  to  advance,  and 
the  battle  reopened  anew.  The  field  was  hotly  contested  until  about 
4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  wrhen  the  Confederates  wavered  and  Beaure- 
gard withdrew  in  precipitous  retreat  to  Corinth. 

In  every  position  held  by  the  43rd  during  the  first  day  it  had  left 
its  dead  and  wounded,  who  were  the  only  men  of  the  regiment  to  be 
reported  missing.  At  the  end  of  the  second  day's  battle  the  regiment 
again  stacked  arms  in  front  of  its  former  camp.  Out  of  a  total  of  500 
actually  engaged  in  the  two  day's  fighting,  it  had  lost  206.  of  whom 
49  had  been  left  dead  on  the  field.  Captain  Edvall  of  Co.  C  received 
a  mortal  wound  in  the  second  day's  conflict  and  died  May  7th.  The 
privates  of  Co.  C  who  were  killed  in  battle  were:  Lars  O.  Berglof, 
Claes  Danielson  and  Charles  Samuelson,  all  of  Andover.  Many  of  the 
company  were  wounded,  but  we  have  no  record  of  their  names  at  hand. 
The  total  loss  of  the  Swedish  company  in  killed  and  Avounded  Avas  17. 
In  addition  to  the  three  privates  Avho  died  on  the  battlefield,  others 
died  soon  afterAvard  from  Avounds  received  there. 

The  43rd  participated  in  the  advance  on  Corinth,  Avhich  Avas 
evacuated  by  the  Confederates  May  29th ;  then  it  Avas  sent  to  Bethel, 
Jackson  and  Bolivar,  Tenn.  At  Bolivar  they  had  their  camp  from 
July,  1862,  to  May  31,  1863,  Avhen  they  Avere  ordered  to  Vicksburg, 
Miss.  While  at  Bolivar,  they  made  frequent  expeditions  to  disperse 
detachments  of  Confederate  troops  and  ansAvered  emergency  calls 
Avhere  needed.  TAVO  hundred  of  the  regiment,  Avho  Avere  mounted,  in 
the  spring  scoured  the  country  dispersing  or  capturing  Confederate 
raiders.  Carl  Arosenius,  quartermaster  sergeant  of  the  59th  111.,  at 
BoliA^ar  succeeded  to  the  command  of  Co.  C,  being  transferred  and 
commissioned  captain. 

From  June  2nd  the  company  served  around  Vicksburg  until  July 


638 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


4th,  when  the  .rebels  surrendered  that  city,  with  30,000  men  and  large 
quantities  of  ordnance  stores. 

Xext  the  43rd  was  ordered  to  Helena,  Ark.,  to  join  Steele's  expedi- 
tion against  the  Confederates  under  General  Sterling  Price.  A  force 
of  32,000  men  marched  on  Little  Rock,  arriving  Sept.  llth.  Simulta- 
neous demonstrations  on  both  sides  of  the  river  caused  the  enemy  to 
abandon  their  intrenchments  and  take  hurried  leave  of  the  city.  The 
43rd  was  the  first  regiment  to  enter*  and  was  detailed  to  act  as  police 
guard  during  that  fall.  From  now,  until  mustered  out  in  November. 


Captain  Carl  Arosenius 

1865.  the  regiment  was  encamped  at  Little  Rock,  from  whence  numer- 
ous expeditions,  up  to  150  mile  marches,  were  made  to  different  sections, 
and  frequent  brushes  with  rebel  guerrillas  were  had. 

In  December,  1863,  eight  months  remaining  of  the  three-year  term 
of  enlistment,  the  government  offered  the  volunteers  30  days'  furlough 
and  free  transportation  to  their  homes  and  return  on  condition  that 
they  would  re-enlist  for  a  new  term.  This  was  to  begin  at  once,  and 
even  though  the  war  should  close  in  the  meantime,  each  man 

*  Col.  Mattson  makes  the  same  claim  for  his  regiment,  the  .'!rd  Minnesota.  Lieut. 
Nelson  is  authority  for  our  assertion  on  this  rather  unimportant  point. 


CO.  C,  FORTY-THIRD    INFANTRY 

was  to  receive  a  bounty  of  $400  when  mustered  out.  The  money 
consideration  may  have  influenced  some,  but  most  of  those  who  re- 
enlisted  doubtless  did  so  from  unselfish,  patriotic  motives.  The 
majority  of  the  men  of  Co.  C  ,  whose  physical  condition  permitted 
them  to  continue  in  the  service,  re-enlisted  and  were  given  their 
furlough  in  February,  1864.  While  at  home,  they  secured  thirty  recruits, 
all  Swedish-Americans,  to  fill  up  their  depleted  ranks.  They  returned 
to  the  South  just  in  time  to  join  Steele's  expedition  to  the  Red  River 
to  reinforce  Gen.  Banks,  but  the  latter  was  defeated  by  the  rebels 
under  Kirby  Smith  before  assistance  could  reach  him.  The  Confederates 
then  massed  their  forces  against  Steele,  whose  force,  far  outnumbered, 
retreated  to  Little  Rock  after  several  encounters  with  the  foe.  After 
this  set-to,  which  occurred  in  April,  1864,  the  boys  of  the  43rd  fought 
in  no  regular  battle. 

After  re-enlistment  the  regiment  was  reorganized,  and  Co.  C  was 
assigned  to  first  position  as  Co.  A  and  was  so  known  thereafter.  It 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  Little  Rock  on  Nov.  30,  1865.  and 
taken  to  Springfield,  where  the  men  received  their  final  pay  Dec.  14th. 
The  Swedish  company  then  returned  home  after  a  continuous  service 
of  4  years  and  31/2  months. 

The  total  number  of  men  that  served  in  this  company  was  168, 
of  whom  103  enlisted  Sept.  1.  1861,  30  as  recruits  early  in  1864  and 
35  were  transferred  to  the  company  on  reorganization.  After  three 
years '  service  34  were  mustered  out ;  29  died  from  disease  or  from 
wounds  received  in  battle ;  30  were  discharged  on  account  of  disability. 

In  recapitulation,  the  following  list  will  show  the  engagements 
and  sieges  in  which  the  Swedish  Company  C,  43rd  Illinois  Infantry 
Volunteers,  participated : 

Battle  of  Shiloh,  both  days,  April  6  and  7,  1862. 

Siege  and  occupation  of  Corinth,  Miss.,  May,  1862. 

Battle  of  Salem  Cemetery,  Tenn.,  Dec.  18,  1862. 

Skirmishes  around  Sommerville,  Tenn.,  April  and  May.  1863. 

Siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  June  and  July,  1863. 

Occupation  of  Little  Rock.  Ark.,  Sept.  11,  1863. 

Battle  of  Prairie  D'Ahu.  Ark.,  April  10.  1864. 

Battle  of  Jenkin's  Ferry,  Ark..  April  30,  1864. 

The  roster  of  Co.  C  is  here  given  mainly  according  to  the  official 
"Report  of  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  State  of  Illinois,"  with  minor 
corrections  of  names  and  dates. 


640 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


Roster  of  Company  C,  43d  Infantry 


Name  and   Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or                               Remarks 
enlistment 

Captains 
Hugo  M   Starkloff.  . 
Olof  S.  Edvall  

Galesburg  

Sept.       i,  '6  1 
Oct.         i,   '61 
Oct.        9,   '62 

Sept.       i,  '61 
Feb.      13,   '62 
Oct.        i,   '61 

Sept.       i.   '6  1 
Feb.      13,   '62 

Promoted   Surgeon  

Died,  May  7,  '62;  wounds  
Mustered  out  Nov.  30,  '65  

First  Lieutenants 
Olof  S    Edvall 

Promoted  

John  P.  Andberg.  .  . 
Nels  P.  McCool  .... 

Second  Lieutenants 
Nels  P.  McCool  
*Nels  Knutson 

Galesburg  

Galesburg  

Young  America 
Galesburg  

Galesburg  

M 

Andover  

Died  Jan    13    '62  

Promoted   ist  Lieutenant     .  .  .  . 

Mustered  out  Feb.  28,  '65  
Promoted   ist  Lieutenant  

John  P.  Andberg.  .  . 

First    Sergeant 
Magnus  M.  Holt... 

Sergeants 
Nels  Peterson 

Sept.       i.  '6  1 
Sept.       i,   '6  1 

Sept.       i,   '61 

Sept.       i  ,   '61 
Sept.       i,   '61 
Sept.       i,   '61 

Disch.  June   14,   '62;    wounds.  . 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Nels  Knutson  

Promoted  2d  Lieutenant  

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Nels   Anderson 

Disch.  May  27,  '62;  disability. 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran         .    .  . 

Corporals 
Gustaf   A.  Anderson 
Charles   Cling  

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,   '64  .... 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

John  \V.  Erickson.. 
Olof  A.  Hallfast.  .  .  . 
Peter  Bengtson  
Adolph  Larson  
Magnus  M.  Nelson. 
John  Paulson  

Galesburg  
Andover 

Disch.  Sept    4,   '62;  disability.. 
Deserted  Sept.   15,  '64  

Galesburg  
\Yataga 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,   '64  .... 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Musician 
Andrew  Engstrom.. 

WTagoner 
David  A.  Dudley.  .  . 

Privates 
Almstedt  John  N... 
Anderson  Andrew  J. 
Anderson  Louis   J  .  . 
Anderson  William.. 
Anderson  Peter  
Anderson  Alexander 
Axelson  Nels  F  .  . 

Galesburg  
Moline 

Mustered  out  Sept.  16,   '64.... 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,   '64  .... 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Wataga. 

Galesburg  
Wataga  

Died,  St.  Louis   June  14,   '62.. 
Died,  Hebron,  Miss.,  Aug.  15/63 
Tr.  to  Invalid  Corps  Nov.  15/63 
Disch.  June  30,   '62;   disability. 
"         Anri!  Q.   '61:           " 

Andover  

Berlin..  . 

CO.  C,  FORTY-THIRD    INFANTRY 


641 


Name  :m<l    Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Privates 
Bengtson  Olof  . 

Jishop  Hill 

Sept.      i,  '61 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Berglof  Lars  O. 

•\ndover 

Killed  at  Shiloh,  April  6,  '62 

Biork   Gustaf. 

\ew  Sweden  la 

Died,  St  Louis,  Nov.  13   "61 

Bodelson  Nels 

Galesburg 

.. 

Disch    Oct.  11,   '62'  wounds 

Chillberg  Jacob  

Berlin  

.» 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Daniel  Claes  

Andover   

., 

Missing  after  battle  of  Shiloh 

Denning   Henry  
Erickson  John  A  ... 
Erickson  Gustav  \V 

Galesburg  
\ndover 

Disch.  July  8,  '62;  disability.. 
"         April  29,  '62;         " 
"         July  26    '62*  wounds. 

Engnell  Peter  J  .  .  .  . 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran.  

Fiellstedt   Swan  J.  . 

Moline  

Disch.  Mar.  28,   '63;  disability 

Hallgreii  Nels  N 

\ndover   

M 

"         Feb.  6,  '62'  disability 

Harpnian  ^Villiani 

Victoria    

.. 

"         Autr.  14..  '62'         " 

Hall  Gustaf     

\ndover  

f, 

"         Mav  IS,  '6*:         " 

Johnson  Andrew.  .  .  . 
Johnson  Francis     .  . 

New   Boston  .  .  . 
Berlin  

•' 

"         June  17,  '62;  wounds... 
Mustered  out  Sept.  26,  '64 

Johnson  Charles 

Galesbnrg  

|| 

Dis   Sept.  9,  '62*  disability 

Johnson   \Yilliam 

Berlin.       

J4 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Johnson  Charles  N.. 
Johnson  Olof        .  .  . 

" 

K                     ii 

Johnson  John.         .  . 

\Vataga  

4. 

Died    Helena,  Ark.,  Aug.  21,  '63 

Johnson  Charles  P. 

Ontario  

Mustered  out  Sept.  26   '64 

Johnson  Charles  \V 

•\ndover         .  .  . 

.. 

Disch    July  4,  '62°    disability 

Larson  John             .  . 

Berlin  

.i 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,   "64... 

Larson  Charles  J 

Andover   

ii 

Died,  Bolivar.  Tenn.,  Apr.  2,  '63 

Larson  Charles   E 

« 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Larson  Nels     

Berwick  

Disch.  Jun  18.  '62;  disability.  .  . 

Lindell   Nels           .  . 

Andover   

.i 

Re  enlisted  as  Veteran  

Lindell  John 

Berlin.           .... 

i 

Liljengren  John  P 

\ndover       .... 

4 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26  '64 

Lundquist  John 

Victoria  

, 

Died  at  St.  Louis,  Feb.  4.  '62.  . 

"Vlaltnberg  Sven  P 

Galesburg  

. 

Re  enlisted  as  Veteran  

Nelson  Sven   A  
Nelson  Victor 

\ndover       .... 

Died.  Jackson,  Tenn.,  Sept  30.  '62 
Mustered  out  Sept    26,  '64. 

Nelson    \Veste  

Galesburg  

44 

Died,  Little  Rock,  Dec,  16,  '63. 

Nelson   Louis  .... 

4. 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Nelson   \ndrew  J 

Andover   

.. 

«                     >i 

Nelson  Gustaf  W.  .  . 
Nelson  Charles  M  .  . 
Norlinder  Nels 

Moline      

" 

Died.  Quincy,  111..  June  30,  '62.  . 
Disch.  March  3,  '63;  disability. 
Died,  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  Nov.  5/62 

Nyberg  Erick         .  . 

Kewanee  

4 

Died  at  St   Louis,  Jan.  24,  62. 

Olson  Sven.       .... 

Knoxville  

4 

Disch.  June  21,  '62;  wounds.. 

Olson  Peter         .    . 

Galesburg  

4 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,  '64.... 

Olson  Nels 

1 

Died,  Savannah,  Tenn.  ,Apr.io  '62 

Olson    \Villiani 

\Vataga  

1 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Olson  Sven  T 

Galesburec 

i 

Peterson  Nels  C  .  .  . 

Knoxville  

i 

U                                               X 

Peterson  Jonas  
Peterson  John   .    .  .  . 

Galesburg  .... 
Bishop  Hill  .  .  . 

; 

"                     " 

Peterson  John 

Galesburg    .  .  . 

i 

Peterson    Olof  

. 

Disch.  Nov.  8,  '62;  disability.  .  . 

Peterson  Nels  N  .  .  . 
Peterson  Sven  M. 

ii 

' 

Tr.  to  Invalid  Corps  Nov.  15,  '63 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Peterson  Sven.        .  . 

it 

i 

Rosburor  Nels  P 

Andover   

i 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Sandberg   Andrew.. 
Sainuelson  Charles. 

Galesburg  .... 
Andover  .    ... 

' 

Mustered  out  Sept.  26,   '64  .... 
Killed  at  Shiloh  April  6,  '62 

SamuelsonAlexand'i 
Saniuelson  \ndr.  M 

Berlin  

1 

Disch.  June  30,  '62;  disability.  . 
Died,  Otterville,  Mo.,  Jan  18/62 

Sainuelson  John 
Strid    \Yalter.  . 

• 

M.  O   Sept.  26,  '64,  as  Sergeant 
Mustered  out  Sect.  26.  '64.  . 

642 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


Name  and   Rank 

Residence 

Date  ot"  rank   or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Privates 
Sundberg   Peter  J    . 

Berlin      

Sept.       i,   '6  1 

Disch    July  9,   '62'   disabilitv 

Sundberg   Gustaf  .  .  . 
Svenson  Sven  G 

\ndover   

Died  at  St.  Louis  Jan.  22,  '62.. 
Disch     \u°r    28    "62"  wounds 

Svenson  Sven  K.  .  .  . 

Galesburg  

Svenson    Erick  

Bishop  Hill  .... 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran.     .        .  . 

Sveiison  Sven  

Galesburg  

Svenson   Bengt   .    .  . 

Disch    Sept.  6,   '62'    disabilitv 

Teberg  Peter  J 

Andover   

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran. 

Wendstrand  Nels  P. 
Westerblad  John  A. 
Westerlund   Andrew 

New   Boston  .  .  . 
Andover  

«                      i 
Mustered  out  Sept.  26,  '64  .... 

Westerlund  Hans.  .  . 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Wilberg   Daniel 

Chicago  

Disch    Jan    i,  '63*   disabilitv 

Veterans 

Mustered  out  Nov.  3D, 
1865,  except  as  noted. 
Anderson  Gustaf  A. 

Galesburg  

Dec.      18,  '63 

Promoted  Sergeant  Jan.    =>,   '64 

Anderson  Andrew  J. 

Wataga  

Dec.      30,   '63 

"           Corporal    Jan.  5,  '64 

Bengtson    Peter  

Galesburg 

Dec.      1  8,  '63 

Pro.Corp'l  Dec.28,'63,M.O.Sergt 

Bengtson  Olof. 

Bishop  Hill 

Dec      30,  '63 

Cling   Charles  

\ndover 

Prom.  Corporal,  M.  O.  Sergeant 

Chillberg  Jacob  .... 

Berlin  

.' 

Engnell  Peter  J  .  .  .  . 

Andover 

it 

Promoted  Corporal  

Engstrom  Andrew  .  . 
Frithioff  Peter  J.  . 

Bishop  Hill  

Nov.     18,   '63 

M.  O.  Corporal  July  7,  '65  .  ... 

Hallfast  Olof  A  

Andover  

Dec.      30,  '63 

Johnson  William  .  .  . 
Johnson  Charles  N. 

Bishop  Hill  
Lima  

Died,  Mound  City,  Oct.  25,  '64. 

Johnson  Olof  

Larson  Charles   E  .  . 

Andover   

Lindell   Nels   

Died,  Little  Rock,  Feb.  21,  '65 

Linclell  John  

Berlin. 

Jan.        5,  '64 

Malmburg  Sven  P  .  . 

Galesburg    .... 

Nov.      1  8.   '63 

Disch.  Sept  2.  '6=;;  disabilitv.. 

Nelson  Louis  

Dec.     30,  '63 

Nelson  Andrew  

Andover   . 

Nelson   Nels  

Galesburg 

« 

Pr.  2(1  Sergt.  Jan.  5.  '64°  ist  Lieu- 

tenant Mar.   17,  '65   . 

Olson  William 

. 

M    O    as  Corporal 

Olson  Sven  T 

i 

Peterson   Nels  

Young  America 

, 

Transf.  to  Co.  A,    consolidated 

Peterson  Nels  C  .  .  .  . 

Knoxville. 

i 

Died,  Knoxville,  Jan.  24,   '65.. 

Peterson  Sven  M  .  .  . 

Andover  

. 

Peterson  Jonas  

Galesburg  

Dec.      18,   '63 

Promoted  Corporal  Dec.  28,  '63 

Peterson  John  

Monmouth 

Dec       2?     '6? 

M.  O.  as  Corporal  

Peterson  John  

Galesburg 

Nov       1  8    '63 

Rosberg  Nels   P  .  .  .  . 

Andover  

Feb.       14,  '64 

Died,  Little  Rock,  Sept.  22,   '64 

Svenson  Sven  
Svenson  Erick. 

Galesburg  
Bishop  Hill 

Dec.     28,   '63 

15-   '64 

Svenson  John   E  .  .  .  . 
Teberg  Peter  J  

Galesburg  
Andover 

M.  O.  as  Corporal  

Westerlund  Hans.  .  . 
Wendstrand  Nels  P. 

Recruits 
Anderson  James  .... 
Anderson  John  A. 

Galesburg  
Andover  

Feb.      14,   '64 

Feb.       ii.   '64 
Feb.      28,  '64 

Prom.   Sergeant  Jan.  5,  '64;   2(1 
Lieut.  Nov.  9/65;  M.O.asSgt. 

Anderson  Peter  D  .  . 
Brown  Thomas  M 

Chicago  

Feb.      29,  '64 
Feb.      19    '64 

Bergquist  Sam  A  ... 

Andover   . 

Feb       29,  '64 

Esninsf  Axel.  .  . 

Galesbiiry 

COL.  MALMBORG'S    REGIMENT 


Xainc  and  Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Recruits 
Esping   Carl  

Esping  Julius  L.  .  .  . 

Chicago  

March  16,  '64 

Frithioff  Peter  

Aug.     21,   '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Hammar  Henry  .... 

Chicago  

March  16,  '64 

Hjertberg  Fred.  A.. 

Andover  

Holt  Magnus  M.  . 

Galesburg 

Feb.      29    '64 

Prom  July  10   '65  in  1  1  ^1"  S  C  T 

Hanson  Andrew  M. 

Andover  ..".... 

March  17.  '64 

Hultberg  Samuel  P. 

Galesburg  

Feb.      29,  '64 

Hockomb  Magnus.  . 

March  u,  '64 

Mustered  out  May  27,  '65. 

Johnson  William  .  .  . 
Jacobson  John  
Johnson   Charles.  .  .  . 
Johnson  John  

Jan.       15,  '64 
March  n.  '64 
March    i,  '64 
March  21,  '64 

Transf  .  to  Co.  A  as  consol  .... 

Johnson  Charles  A.. 

Andover  

March  16,  '64 

Johnson  John  A  .... 

Chicago  

Larson  John  

Lvnn.       

March  25,  '64 

Mangerson  Sani'l  A. 

Galesburg 

March  27,  '64 

Nelson  John    N  

Chicago  

March  16,  '64 

Norton  Charles  O 

Andover  ...... 

Feb.      29.  '64 

Nelson  Benjamin   .  . 

Paxton  

March  24,  '64 

Peterson  Sven  

Galesburg 

Nov      25    '63 

Rosengren  CharlesG. 
SamtielsonCharles  A. 

Pulaski  co.  Ark. 
Galesburg 

Feb.       3,  '64 
March  n,  '64 

Willman  Gustaf  . 

Feb       20.  '64 

Died,  Little  Rock    Oct    16,   '64 

Waeer  Henrv  B.  .  . 

Chicago..  . 

Nov.       A.  '61 

"                 Dec.  ii.  '64. 

Col.   Oscar   Malmborg'   and   the    Fifty-Fifth    Illinois   Volunteer 
Infantry   Regiment 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1861,  David  Stuart,  a  lawyer  of  Chicago, 
obtained  authority  from  the  war  department  to  raise  a  body  of  troops 
to  participate  in  the  conflict  just  then  assuming  formidable  proportions. 
At  first,  probably  one  regiment  only  was  contemplated,  but  a  surplus 
of  recruits  being  tendered,  a  brigade  was  ultimately  formed,  which 
Stuart,  himself  a  war  democrat  and  a  great  admirer  of  Douglas,  who 
had  ardently  declared  in  favor  of  the  Union,  christened  the  Douglas 
Brigade.  It  was  made  up  of  two  regiments,  the  42nd  and  55th.  When 
the  first,  organized  from  material  already  at  hand,  was  mustered  in 
and  left  for  the  field,  Stuart  went  with  it  in  the  capacity  of  lieutenant- 
colonel.  In  his  absence,  the  55th  regiment  was  gradually  taking  form 
under  the  hands  of  Oscar  Malmborg,  who  declined  the  colonelcy  of 
this  and  also  another  regiment,  when  tendered  the  commission  by 
Governor  Yates. 

Malmborg,  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  1820  or  1821,  was  a  nephew 
of  Lieutenant  General  Otto  August  Malmborg  of  the  Swedish  army, 
who  was  raised  to  noble  rank  in  1842.  Prepared  by  prior  academic 
training,  Oscar  Malmborg  entered  the  Karlberg  Military  Academy  at 
Stockholm,  from  which  he  was  graduated  after  completing  the  six 
years'  course  of  study.  He  subsequently  served  for  eight  years  in 


644  THE   CIVII<   WAR 

the  Swedish  army.  When  the  Avar  with  Mexico  broke  out,  he  came 
to  the  United  States  to  tender  his  services  to  our  government.  Em- 
barrassed from  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  English,  he  voluntered  in 
the  artillery  corps  as  a  private,  although  it  is  understood  that  at  first 
the  experienced  soldier  sought  some  grade  above  the  ranks.  He  served 
for  twenty-one  months  in  garrison  at  Fort  Brown  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
a  position  which,  much  to  his  chagrin,  withheld  him  from  more  active 
service  in  the  field.  His  military  knowledge  earned  him  promotion 
and  he  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1852  Malmborg  located  in 
Chicago,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  the  emigrant  department  of  the 
Illinois  Central  .Railway  Company  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out. 

The  55th  regiment  was  recruited  mainly  from  the  farmers  and 
workingmen  of  the  state,  but  during  the  summer  and  fall  these  raw 
recruits,  under  Malmborg  as  commander  and  drillmaster,  were  trans- 
formed into  a  military  body  whose  fine  bearing  was  commented  upon 
and  which  later  became  noted  for  its  good  discipline  and  splendid 
fighting  qualities  and  known  as  one  of  the  model  regiments  of  the 
volunteer  army.  Malmborg  possessed  thorough  tactical  knowledge, 
then  a  rare  acquirement  among  volunteer  officers,  and  was  untiring 
in  his  efforts  at  drill  and  discipline.  He  was  exacting  to  the  utmost 
limit,  and  wholesome  as  his  discipline  was,  it  was  too  rigid  to  suit 
his  subordinates,  especially  those  among  them  who  had  enlisted  to 
attain  their  ambition  to  command,  not  to  obey,  or  under  the  erroneous 
impression  that  the  campaign  would  be  a  continuous  picnic.  Malm- 
borg's  temper  is  said  to  have  been  irritable  and,  at  times,  violent,  and 
this,  combined  with  his  relentless  discipline,  made  him  unpopular. 
Stuart  himself  had  unbounded  faith  in  the  military  skill  of  Malmborg, 
while  distrusting  his  own  ability  in  that  direction,  and.  therefore,  took 
little  part  in  actually  drilling  the  regiment.  The  result  was  that  when 
he  afterwards,  as  colonel,  took  the  command,  his  lack  of  technical 
training  generated  a  species  of  contempt  always  fatal  to  the  respect 
due  a  superior  officer.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  colonel  and  the 
lieutenant  colonel  of  the  55th  both  came  to  be  held  in  contempt  by 
the  rank  and  file,  the  one  for  knowing  too  little,  the  other  for  knowing 
more  than  the  green  citizen  soldiers  thought  necessary. 

The  greatest  source  of  dissatisfaction,  however,  lay  in  the  manner 
in  which  the  regiment  was  organized.  For  the  most  part  the  recruits 
had  come  to  the  rendezvous  at  Camp  Douglas  as  embryo  companies, 
headed  by  men  who  were  ambitious  to  become  captains,  and  provided 
with  a  full  complement  of  prospective  officers,  but  lacking  the  required 
quota  of  privates.  In  the  transfers  and  consolidations  necessary  to 
the  formation  of  ten  full  companies,  many  would-be  officers  were 
reduced  to  the  ranks,  while  their  respective  handfuls  of  recruits  helped 
to  fill  companies  over  which  Stuart,  arbitrarily,  as  they  considered. 


COL.  MALMBORG'S   REGIMENT  645 

placed  others  in  command.  Among  those  who  had  been  most  active 
in  raising  recruits  were  two  Methodist  preachers,  Haney  and  Presson. 
Each  was  made  captain  of  a  company,  and  these  men  also  exercised 
great  influence  over  the  rest  of  the  regiment,  the  bulk  of  which 
apparently  was  made  up  of  recruits  of  the  same  faith.  Like  most 
patriots,  they  also  were  "willing  to  serve  as  brigadiers,"  or,  leastwise, 
regimental  officers,  and  when  Malmborg  was  made  lieutenant  colonel 
of  the  regiment,  these  reverend  gentlemen  and  their  friends  felt  griev- 
ously disappointed.  If  we  are  to  believe  "The  Story  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
Regiment,"  a  book  largely  devoted  to  the  task  of  defaming  the  name 
and  character  of  Malmborg,  and  airing  the  grievances  of  those  who 
vainly  aspired  to  his  position,  the  55th  regiment  was  on  the  verge  of 
mutiny  from  the  time  of  muster-in  until  near  the  end  of  the  three-year 
term  of  service.  And  yet  Col.  Malmborg — ridiculed  for  his  foreign 
brogue,  denounced  as  a  tyrant,  hated  for  his  "martinet  discipline," 
branded  as  un-American  and  declared  unfit  to  command  free-born 
citizens,  led  this  same  regiment  through  a  score  of  battles,  in  which 
none  fought  better  and  few  won  greener  laurels.  Whatever  his  short- 
comings may  have  been,  as  a  man  or  an  officer,  Malmborg  proved  him- 
self a  highly  capable  military  leader,  whose  achievements  on  the  field 
of  battle,  complimented  by  his  superiors  again  and  again,  are  the  best 
answer  to  the  charges  of  his  scheming  and  envious  traducers. 

On  the  31st  day  of  October,  1861,  the  regiment  was  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  and  on  Dec.  9th  left  Chicago.  Some  time  prior 
to  the  departure,  the  former  colleagues  of  Lt.  Col.  Malmborg  in  the 
employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  presented  him  with  an  elegant 
sword,  the  whole  ceremony  tending  to  show  that  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem  by  his  former  associates.  He  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  a  gentle- 
man of  more  than  ordinary  culture  and  enjoyed  the  respect  of  his 
fellow  countrymen  in  Chicago,  from  among  whom  he  had  just  been 
appointed  local  consular  representative  of  Sweden  and  Norway. 

Upon  reaching  Benton  Barracks,  near  St.  Louis,  the  regiment 
continued  its  course  of  company  and  battalion  drill,  then  became  a 
part  of  Gen.  William  T.  Sherman's  division,  and  was  sent  south  to 
join  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  While  in  camp  near  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, prior  to  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  regiment  was  brigaded  with 
the  54th  and  71st  Ohio  and  Col.  Stuart  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
new  brigade.  Although  a  part  of  the  fifth  (Sherman's)  division,  the 
brigade  Avas  encamped  two  miles  east  of  the  other  three  brigades  and 
formed  the  extreme  and  isolated  left  of  the  Union  army  in  the  first 
day's  battle  of  Shiloh. 

In  the  battle  the  three  regiments  were  placed  in  line  by  Stuart. 
They  were  at  first  supported  by  a  battery  and  by  the  41st  111.  Inf.  ivgi- 


646  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

ment.  These  and  also  the  71st  Ohio  retreated,  leaving  the  55th  Illinois 
and  54th  Ohio  to  fight,  with  a  total  of  800  men  at  the  outset.  With 
no  federal  forces  in  view,  the  two  regiments  fought  for  two  hours 
against  a  Confederate  force  of  five  infantry  regiments,  a  battery  of 
four  guns  and  a  body  of  cavalry.  After  the  cartridge  boxes  of  the 
killed  and  wounded  had  been  emptied,  the  ammunition  was  exhausted. 
They  retreated  in  good  order,  although  shelled,  and  stopped  near  the 
landing  where  they  were  promised  ammunition.  Col.  Stuart  was 
wounded,  and  turned  the  command  over  to  Col.  Thomas  Kilby  Smith 
of  the  54th  Ohio.  Smith  left  the  command  to  Lt.  Col.  Malmborg  in 
order  to  find  a  part  of  his  regiment  which  had  been  detached  during 
the  retreat.  Gen.  Grant,  passing,  ordered  Malmborg  to  form  a  line 
near  the  batteries.  Through  Malmborg 's  efforts  a  battle  line  of  some 
three  thousand  men  was  formed,  composed  largely  of  remnants  of 
regiments  retreating  towards  the  landing.  How  splendidly  Malmborg 
acquitted  himself  in  the  desperate  struggle  during  the  rest  of  the  day 
may  be  inferred  from  these  words  in  Stuart's  report  of  the  work  of  his 
brigade:  ''I  was  under  great  obligations  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Malm- 
borg, whose  military  education  and  experience  were  of  every  import- 
ance to  me.  Comprehending  at  a  glance  the  purpose  and  object  of 
every  movement  of  the  enemy,  he  was  able  to  advise  me  promptly  and 
intelligently  as  to  the  disposition  of  my  men.  He  was  cool,  observant, 
discreet  and  brave  and  of  infinite  service  to  me."  After  the  battle. 
Malmborg  reported  to  Col.  Stuart  a  long  list  of  names  of  officers  and 
privates  meriting  special  mention  for  bravery.  Among  them  was  First 
Lieutenant  Lucien  B.  Crooker,  whose  elaborate  villification  of  Col. 
Malmborg  seven  years  after  the  death  of  the  latter  was  doubtless  his 
most  noteworthy  subsequent  achievement. 

In  this,  the  initial  engagement  of  the  55th  regiment,  its  loss  was 
the  heaviest  of  any  federal  regiment  engaged  in  that  terrible  conflict, 
except  the  9th  Illinois.  The  loss  of  the  55th  was  1  officer  and  51 
enlisted  men  killed  and  9  officers  and  190  men  wounded,  being  a  total 
of  251,  and  26  men  captured.  On  the  second  day  the  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Malmborg,  fought  in  Sherman's  division,  under  his  very 
eye,  sustaining  but  slight  loss.  During  the  advance  on  Corinth  Malm- 
borg had  charge  of  the  strategic  movements  of  the  brigade  and  later 
of  the  entire  division,  in  the  matter  of  picking  the  positions  and 
planning  and  executing  the  fortifications.  For  this  work  he  was 
complimented  by  his  superiors,  including  Generals  Grant  and  Thomas. 

It  may  be  added  here  that,  although  the  extensive  intrenchments 
thrown  up  during  the  advance  on  Corinth-  proved  needless,  owing  to 
the  demoralized  condition  of  the  Confederate  army,  yet  it  would  have 
been  the  height  of  recklessness  to  continue  hazarding  the  safety  of 


INFANTRY 


.     COLONEL  AD J  T.   HENRY  S.  NOURSE 

OSCAR  MALMBORG      Q'R.MR.  HENRY  W.  JA/NES 
!  LIEUT.  COLONEL  SURGN.  E.  0.  F.  ROLER 
HEODOREC.  CHANDLER  ASST.  I  JOHN  T,  SMITH 

:  MAJOR  SURGN.I 

JAMES  J.  HEFFERMAN    CHAPLN.  MILTON  L  HAKEV 


(J0  CAPTAIN    JACOB  M.  AUGUSTINE  IWWTES 

>    IH  UEUT.  HENRY  AUGUSTINE  .       BAKCIAY,  m<  A. 
A  2!  UEUT.  LEVI  HILL 


P.  I  CAPTAIN    JOHN  T  MAULEY 


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Q.  M.  SERG'T.  JOSEPH  H.  PRESSOI  IWESTMENT  UKE  WITH  28  BRIGADE 

COM.  SERGT  FftWCIS  P.  FISHER  28  DIVISION,  I5I«  CORPS.   LOSS  KILLE 

HOSP.  SFRO.  E.  G.  CANFiaD  9.WOUNDED  35  TOTAL  44 
PRINCIPAL  j  JOHN  6.  BROWN 
MUSICIANS  !  MICHAEL  GILfOIL 


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(HIVATES 


- 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 

the  Union  army  in  exposed  camps,  while  the  enemy's  strength  was 
still  unknown.  After  Shiloh,  Grant's  army  learned  the  value  of 
fortifications  in  the  field,  and  Malmborg  was  the  instructor.  Seven 
different  and  complete  lines  of  intrenchments,  reaching  for  miles 
across  the  front  of  the  army,  were  erected.  They  were  solid,  massive 
earthworks  with  log  backing,  and  all  scientific  attachments,  and  were 
far  superior  to  the  rebel  works  around  Corinth.  They  are  yet  to  be 
seen  with  their  outlines  almost  perfect.  "The  55th  did  its  full  share 
of  digging,  and  the  fortifications  built  by  the  regiment  were  the  pride 
of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Malmborg 's  heart,"  says  the  aforesaid  Crooker, 
who  sneeringly  adds:  "He  was  never  so  happy  as  when  displaying  his 
alleged  engineering  skill."  Other  military  writers,  however,  have 
taken  a  different  view,  deploring  the  absence  of  intrenchments  on  the 
Shiloh  battlefield,  and  they  probably  would  agree  that  a  few  prior 
lessons  in  digging  might  have  wholly  changed  the  aspect  of  that  battle. 
Malmborg  and  his  command  shared  largely  in  the  credit  for  the 
victory  at  Arkansas  Post  on  Jan.  12,  1863.  The  55th  Illinois  regiment 
disembarked  from  the  transports  in  the  Arkansas  river  and  was  led 
by  Malmborg  to  a  position  %  mile  east  of  the  fort.  At  dark  the  regi- 
ment advanced  and  proceeded  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  through  a 
thicket,  to  an  open  space  a  short  distance  from  the  fort.  The  enemy 
showered  grape  and  shell,  but  did  little  damage.  Here  the  men  slept 
on  their  arms.  One  hour  before  daylight  Malmborg  directed  the 
construction  of  earthworks  for  a  battery  of  20-pounder  Parrott  guns — 
formerly  Silf versparre 's  battery.  At  noon,  after  a  brisk  bombardment. 
Malmborg  with  his  regiment  took  part  in  the  first  assault  upon  the 
enemy's  works.  After  an  obstinate  fight  of  three  hours,  a  second 
assault  was  ordered,  whereupon  the  enemy  surrendered.  In  his  report 
of  the  battle  Col.  Thomas  Kilby  Smith,  the  superior  officer  in  command, 
says:  "I  desire  to  make  special  mention  of  Col.  Malmborg,  commanding 
the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  whose  zeal  and  unremitting  diligence  in  super- 
intending working  parties  and  planting  batteries,  performing  at  the 
same  time  his  whole  duty  to  his  regiment,  demand  compliment." 

In  the  "Tallahatchie  campaign"  Malmborg  and  his  command 
in  less  than  24  hours  constructed  a  bridge  170  feet  in  length,  on  which 
Sherman's  army  and  train  crossed  the  Tallahatchie  River.  At  Yicks- 
burg  Malmborg 's  command  participated  in  the  assaults  of  May  19th 
and  22nd,  his  regiment  bearing  its  full  share  during  the  siege,  losing 
1-t  killed  and  32  wounded.  Col.  Malmborg  himself  on  the  19th  was 
struck  by  a  musket  ball  near  the  right  eye  and  was  stunned  for  a 
moment,  but  upon  rallying  he  refused  to  withdraw  from  the  fight, 
continuing  to  cheer  his  men  on.  In  the  second  assault  Malmborg 
participated  against  the  advice  of  Gen.  Sherman  and  was  again 
wounded,  being  struck  by  a  fragment  of  shell  near  the  left  eye.  Xot- 


COL.  MALMBORG 'S    REGIMENT 


649 


withstanding  his  Avounds,  he  was  active  throughout  the  siege,  spending 
twenty  whole  nights  from  before  sunset  till  after  sunrise  in  prose- 
cuting the  work  allotted  to  him  by  virtue  of  his  training  and  ex- 
perience. 

During  the  siege  and  investment  of  the  city  Malmborg  had  charge 
of  Brig.-Gen.  Lightburn's  work  of  advanced  rifle  pits  and  attacking 


sf  •*" 

a  I 


the  enemy's  stockade.  He  conducted  sap-rolling  operations  and  was 
constantly  superintending  this  perilous  work  in  person.  With  his 
men  he  approached  the  enemy's  stockade  within  25  feet  and  was 
shelled  severely  during  the  nights  of  June  30th  and  July  1st  and  2nd. 
After  the  saps  could  be  advanced  no  farther,  being  within  reach  of  the 
enemy's  hand-grenades,  with  which  his  men  were  copiously  served. 
Malmborg  went  to  mining.  He  proceeded  far  with  the  mines,  and 


650  THH  CIVIL  WAR 

on  the  night  between  July  3rd  and  4th  had  200  Ibs.  of  powder  and 
fuses  ready  to  blow  up  the  enemy's  works.  Half  an  hour  after  he 
had  received  these  supplies,  with  instructions,  the  city  surrendered. 
His  achievements  before  Vicksburg  at  the  head  of  the  55th  regiment 
were  no  less  noteworthy.  During  the  assault  on  May  19th,  the  55th 
at  2  P.  M.  advanced  in  line  with  other  regiments  under  heavy  fire 
to  within  30  or  40  yards  of  the  enemy's  works  and  held  their  position 
until  3  A.  M.  next  day,  when  they  were  withdrawn.  On  the  22nd. 
Malmborg.  again  taking  part  in  the  assault,  remained  near  the  enemy's 
rifle  pits  until  ordered  back  on  the  morning  of  the  23rd. 

Col.  Thomas  Kilby  Smith,  commander  of  the  brigade,  in  his  report 
of  the  operations  before  the  city,  said:  "I  shall  make  no  apology  for 
undue  length  of  my  report  nor  stint  with  measured  praise  the  meed  of 
the  officers  or  the  men  of  the  Second  Brigade.  I  only  regret  my  own 
inability  in  language  to  do  them  full  justice.  With  Col.  Malmborg. 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  I  have  been  side  by  side  in  seven  battles; 
have  stood  with  him  literally  among  heaps  of  slain.  He  is  always  cool, 
prudent  and  of  dauntless  courage,  and  in  the  recent  engagement, 
although  wounded  twice,  and,  by  strange  fatality,  first  in  the  right 
and  next  in  the  left  eye,  displayed  those  qualities  with  the  ardor  and 
cheer  so  necessary  in  a  charge." 

In  the  movements  about  Chattanooga  in  November,  1863,  and  in 
the  final  battle,  Malmborg  took  a  conspicious  part.  On  the  night  of 
the  23rd,  with  the  brigade  now  again  commanded  by  Malmborg  in 
the  absence  of  the  superior  officer,  he  manned  a  fleet  of  pontoon  boats 
in  North  Chickamauga  Creek  and  during  intense  darkness  descended 
and  crossed  the  Tennessee  and  captured  the  enemy's  pickets — a  feat 
conceded  to  be  one  of  the  most  daring  operations  of  the  war. 

After  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  in  which  Malmborg  and  his 
regiment  fought,  the  55th  marched  with  Sherman  the  round  trip  to 
the  relief  of  Knoxville,  and  after  their  return  encamped  during  winter 
successively  at  Bridgeport,  Bellefonte  and  Larkinsville.  While  at 
the  latter  place,  after  exacting  the  right  to  elect  officers,  the  regiment 
veteranized,  at  which  time  the  existing  field  officers  all  failed  of 
election  and  at  the  end  of  their  term  quit  the  service. 

The  result  is  accounted  for  by  the  disaffection  existing  in  the 
regiment  from  its  organization.  The  relations  between  Stuart  and 
Malmborg  on  the  one  hand  and  a  number  of  the  lower  officers  on  the 
other  grew  more  strained  as  time  passed.  The  faults  of  the  com- 
manders were  magnified  and  real  or  imaginary  grievances  accumulated. 
Stuart's  failure  to  have  the  commissions  issued  was  a  legitimate  en  use 
for  complaint,  they  being  delayed  for  over  a  year. 

In  the  fall  of  1862.  when  Stuart's  promotion  seemed  likely,  steps 
were  taken  boldly  and  openly  to  get  rid  of  Malmborg  also.  Tn  a 


COL.  MALMBORG'S    REGIMENT  651 

letter  to  Governor  Yates,  confessedly  inspired  by  Chaplain  Haney, 
twenty-one  subordinate  officers  demanded  a  voice  in  the  prospective 
selection  of  a  colonel,  urging  unpopularity,  military  incapacity,  harsh 
discipline  and  abusive  treatment  of  his  subordinates  against  Malm- 
borg's  succession  to  the  colonelcy.  The  action  of  the  sub-officers  was 
reported  to  Col.  Stuart,  who  at  once  wrote  to  the  governor  to  counter- 
act the  effect  of  the  protest.  From  his  letter  we  quote  the  following: 

"Col.  Malmborg  is  a  strict  disciplinarian,  an  exacting  officer,  who 
demands  from  every  officer  the  active  and  complete  discharge  of  all 
his  duties.  There  are  very  few  of  them  who  do  not  feel  pretty  well 
contented  with  themselves  when  they  somewhere  near  half  perform 
their  duties;  such  men  are  not  only  not  patted  on  the  back  by  him, 
but  they  are  sternly  and  promptly  reproved  by  him,  and  are  driven 
up  and  compelled  to  do  their  duty.  They  would  like  to  get  rid  of 
him  and  have  a  slip-shod,  easy-going  time  of  it.  -It  is  this  vigilance, 
zeal  and  discipline,  which  has  made  this  regiment  in  every  regard 
today  the  best  one  in  this  army.  I  claim  boldly  for  it  (and  it  will  be 
conceded  by  the  commanding  generals),  that  it  is  the  most  efficient, 
the  best  drilled,  best  disciplined,  best  behaved,  cleanest,  healthiest  and 
most  soldierly  regiment  in  this  army.  This  perfection  has  not  been 
attained,  nor  these  qualities  acquired,  without  great  labor  and  care, 
constant  and  earnest  vigilance.  I  have,  of  course,  the  reputation  of 
having  accomplished  this,  amongst  those  who  know  only  generally,  that 
I  am  at  the  head  of  the  regiment ;  they  who  know  us  more  intimately 
are  Avell  informed  of  the  consequence  Col.  Malmborg  has  been  to  me. 
It  would  be  not  alone  ungenerous,  but  ungrateful  in  me  to  appropriate 
any  share  of  the  credit  and  honor,  which  so  justly  belongs  to  him.  to 
myself. 

"  There  was  scarcely  an  officer  in  this  regiment  who,  when  he 
entered  it,  knew  his  facings;  they  have  learned  here  all  they  know 
(and  with  some  of  them  the  stock  of  knowledge  on  hand  is  not  burden- 
some even  now),  but  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  doing  their  work  for 
many  of  the  officers,  we  can  get  along — and  do.  They  ought  to  be 
grateful  to  Col.  Malmborg  for  what  he  has  done  for  them,  but  vanity, 
selfishness  and  that  'prurient  ambition  for  fame  not  earned.'  which 
afflicts  most  men,  makes  them  insensible  to  the  better,  nobler  and  more 
generous  sentiments  of  their  nature. 

"I  desire  frankly  and  truthfully  to  bear  witness  to  you.  as  our 
chief,  that  this  regiment,  which  has  done  and  will  do  honor  to  your 
state,  owes  its  efficiency,  its  proficiency,  and  everything  which  gives 
it  superiority  or  a  name,  to  Col.  Malmborg— I  owe  most  that  I  know 
to  him — the  officers  owe  all  to  him." 

The  governor  replied  by  issuing  a  colonel's  commission  for  Malm- 
borg. to  date  from  Dec.  19.  1862.  which  was  received  Jan.  27.  1863. 


652 


TH1-:    CIVIL    WAR 


Stuart  was  promoted  brigadier-general  but  the  appointment  by  the 
President  failed  of  confirmation,  whereupon  he  left  the  service. 

The  opposition,  having  failed  to  oust  Malmborg,  bided  their  time. 


Colonel    Oscar    Mahnbon. 


after  five  officers  had  resigned  in  disgust  at  Malmborg 's  promotion. 
The  mustering  out  of  six  first  lieutenants  for  disability  followed,  at  the 
colonel's  recommendation,  made  likely  in  a  spirit  of  retaliation.  In 
the  summer  of  1863  an  attempt  was  made  to  have  Col.  Malmborg  tried 


COL.  MALMBORG'S    REGIMENT  653 

before  the  general  court-martial.  The  charges,  alleging  intoxication 
and  the  use  of  profanity  at  sundry  times,  were  preferred  and  forwarded 
to  the  brigade  commander,  who  detained  and  finally  suppressed  them. 
This  document,  which  quotes  certain  offensive  phrases  ascribed  to  the 
colonel,  but  is  silent  as  to  the  provocation,  is  remarkable  in  this,  that 
it  makes  Malmborg  speak  very  plain  and  correct  English,  while  all 
other  stories  about  "the  d — d  old  Swede  "  make  him  speak  an  im- 
possible German  brogue,  highly  suggestive  of  fabrication. 

But  the  real  crisis  did  not  come  until  the  question  of  re-enlistment 
for  a  new  term  was  urged  on  the  regiment  early  in  1864.  By  this  time 
the  faction  dominated  by  Chaplain  Haney  had  grown  to  comprise 
almost  the  entire  regiment.  Contrary  to  usage,  the  malcontents  in- 
sisted on  the  privilege  of  electing  officers  anew,  and  successfully 
frustrated  every  attempt  to  re-enlist  the  men  until  that  special  per- 
mission was  accorded.  Malmborg  himself  in  a  regimental  order 
finally,  under  pressure,  made  the  extraordinary  and  unmilitary  con- 
cession, and  on  April  6th,  the  second  anniversary  of  Shiloh,  the  regi- 
ment ousted  the  man  who  had  helped  them  pluck  laurels  on  that  and 
many  subsequent  battlefields.  Chaplain  Milton  L.  Haney  was  elected 
colonel  with  164  votes,  as  against  22  for  Malmborg,  and  all  the  other 
regimental  officers  were  sacrificed,  no  matter  how  bravely  and  well 
they  had  served.  Haney  had  been  captain  of  a  company  until  the 
regiment  reached  the  field  in  March,  1862,  when  he  resigned  to  take 
the  less  perilous  position  of  chaplain.  He  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
military  tactics  and  seemed  to  have  had  little  faith  in  his  own  ability, 
for  he  preferred  not  to  accept  the  command.  To  complete  the  reform, 
the  principal  musician  was  elected  sergeant-major  and  a  man  hardly 
able  to  write  his  own  name  was  made  quarter-master.  The  whole 
procedure  seems  to  have  been  looked  upon  by  the  superior  officers  as  a 
ridiculous  farce.  General  Logan,  commander  of  the  army  corps,  is 
quoted  as  having  said  to  Col.  Malmborg:  "We  have  been  accustomed 
to  look  upon  the  55th  as  the  best  regiment  in  the  army,  and  how 
shall  I  express  my  astonishment  to  find  they  are  after  all  but  a  set  of 
d —  fools!  Electing  a  chaplain,  a  civilian,  a  know-nothing  for  their 
colonel!  Are  they  prepared  to  go*  into  battle  under  such  a  man?  Do 
you  suppose  that  I,  now  on  the  eve  of  the  most  important  campaign  of 
the  war,  am  going  to  send  that  regiment  into  battle  under  that  man? 
Do  you  suppose  the  Governor  and  the  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois  will 
commission  him?"  As  a  matter  of  fact,  only  those  officers  elected, 
who  were  in  line  of  promotion  to  their  respective  positions,  ever 
received  the  sought-for  commissions.  Col.  Malmborg  expressed  his 
intention  of  resigning  soon  to  give  place  to  the  colonel-elect,  but  seems 
to  have  been  prevailed  upon  to  retain  his  commission  while  awaiting 
developments,  and  did  so  until  the  end  of  the  three-year  term.  After 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


the  election  Malmborg,  however,  did  not  remain  in  active  command 
of  his  regiment.  He  served  as  chief  engineer  of  the  17th  army  corps 
until  July  1.8th.  Thinking  to  ease  him  of  his  exertions  and  divorce  him 
from  his  difficulties,  Sherman  on  July  24th  commissioned  him  to  visit 
posts  on  the  Mississippi  River.  While  the  assertion  that  Malmborg 
resigned  from  his  regiment  owing  to  broken  health  is  erroneous,  it  is 
nevertheless  true  that  his  health  was  on  the  decline.  His  condition 
did  not  improve  by  the  combined  light  duty  and  recreation  afforded  by 


55TH    INFANTRY. 


COL.  OSCAR  MALMBORG. 

20  BRIG..  20  DIV .,   15TH   CORPS. 

CASUALTIES: 

ASSAULT.  MAY  19,  1863, 
KILLED  4,   WOUNDED  22.  TOTAL  26, 

LIEUT.  LEVI  HILL  KILLED! 
ASSAULT.    MAY   22,   KILLED  5,  WOUNDED 

13.  TOTAL  18 

AGGREGATE.  KILLED  9,  WOUNDED  35. 
TOTAL  44. 


Monument  at  Vicksburg  National  Military  Park 

his  new  commission,  wherefore  he  now  resigned  and  was  mustered  out 
on  Sept.  20,  1864,  returning  to  his  home  in  Chicago. 

On  Jan.  1,  1865,  Malmborg  was  commissioned  colonel  in  the  First 
Veteran  Army  Corps  then  being  organized  under  Gen.  Hancock,  and 
was  ordered  to  superintend  the  recruiting  in  Illinois,  with  headquarters 
in  Chicago.  Soon  after  appointed  head  of  the  second  regiment,  with 
orders  to  be  at  Winchester,  Va.,  at  the  beginning  of  April,  Malmborg 
there  became  the  commander  of  the  only  brigade  of  this  corps  that 
was  ever  organized.  His  impaired  eye-sight  weakened,  and  in  order 
to  avoid  complete  blindness  Malmborg,  acting  upon  medical  advice, 


CO.    I),    FIFTY-SKYENTH    INFANTRY  655 

now  asked  for  his  dismissal,  which  was  granted  ^l&y  31,  18,65.  There- 
upon he  was  given  a  position  in  the  departments  at  Washington.  In 
course  of  time  his  vision  was  still  further  impaired,  and,  almost  wholly 
blind,  Malmborg  returned  to  Sweden,  subsisting  on  his  pension  until 
the  spring  of  1880,  when  he  died  in  the  city  of  Visby,  on  Gotland, 
on  April  29th,  in  the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age. 

After  the  retirement  of  Malmborg,  the  regiment  continued  to 
acquit  itself  creditably,  at  Jonesboro,  Kenesaw  Mountain  and  through- 
out the  Atlanta  campaign,  but  most  of  its  fighting  had  been  done  under 
the  intrepid  Swedish  colonel.  This  regiment  was  engaged  in  thirty-one 
battles  and  was  128  days  under  fire.  It  lost  108  men  actuall}-  killed 
in  battle,  and  its  total  wounded  were  339,  making  an  aggregate  of  447 
struck  by  the  missiles  of  war.  During  the  entire  period  of  service 
it  received  less  than  fifty  recruits,  and  the  fact  that  it  had  only  -49  men 
captured  speaks  well  for  the  discipline  and  cohesion  imparted  to  it  by 
its  gallant  commander. 

By  their  countrymen  the  Swedish  commanders  Major  Stolbrand 
and  Captain  Silfversparre  have  been  lionized,  and  deservedly  so,  for 
their  military  exploits,  while  for  some  inexplicable  reason  Col.  Malm- 
borg has  received  but  meager  credit  at  their  hands.  A  diligent  search 
of  the  war  records,  however,  reveals  the  fact  that  in  point  of  skill, 
brilliancy  and  personal  bravery,  the  leadership  of  the  latter  was  in  no 
wise  inferior  to  that  of  either  of  the  other  two,  and  all  the  facts  point 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  were  but  few,  if  any,  better  fighters  of  any 
nationality  in  the  Union  army  than  was  Col.  Oscar  Malmborg. 

The  state  of  Illinois  has  erected  in  the  Vicksburg  National  Military 
Park  the  Illinois  State  Memorial  Temple.  On  the  interior  walls  there 
are  bronze  tablets  and  basrelief  portraits  in  memory  of  Lincoln,  Grant 
and  Logan.  On  the  tablet  giving  the  organization  of  the  staff  occurs 
the  name  of  Charles  Stolbrand,  chief  of  artillery  under  General  Logan. 
There  is  a  bronze  tablet  for  each  regiment  of  Illinois  troops,  giving  the 
names  of  all  officers  and  privates  who  fought  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 
Among  them  may  be  remarked  as  of  greatest  interest  to  Swedish- 
American  history  those  of  the  43rd  and  55th  Infantry,  and  the  1st  and 
2nd  Artillery.  The  55th  Illinois  has  a  marble  monument  on  Union  ave.. 
besides  which  it  has  five  marble  markers  to  designate  the  positions 
occupied  on  the  firing  line.  Marble  monuments  are  also  .erected  to 
the  43rd  Infantry  and  to  Co.  H,  1st  Artillery  and  Co.  G,  2nd  Artillery. 

Company    D,    Fifty-Seventh    Illinois    Infantry 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1860  a  certain  martial  spirit  was  aroused 
in  and  about  the  Bishop  Hill  settlement,  resulting  soon  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  military  company,  with  Eric  Forsse  as  captain.  With  his 


656  THE    CIVIL   WAR 

Swedish  military  training,  combined  with  natural  talent  for  leader- 
ship, he  drilled  the  boys  under  his  command  to  a  fair  degree  of  skill 
in  the  use  of  arms.  At  the  time  there  was  probably  no  serious  thought 
of  ever  engaging  in  actual  warfare,  but  the  very  next  year  momentous 
events  called  for  the  service  of  every  patriot  willing  and  able  to  bear 
arms.  Not  long  after  the  first  call  for  volunteers,  the  Bishop  Hill 
military  company  tendered  their  services  to  the  state  and  nation.  On 
the  16th  day  of  September,  1861,  they  enlisted,  and  on  the  30th  they 
boarded  the  train  at  Galva,  bound  for  Camp  Bureau,  near  Princeton, 
where  Col.  Winslow  was  in  command. 

At  this  time  a  number  of  regiments  of  sharpshooters  were  being 
organized  at  St.  Louis,  for  the  recruiting  of  which  emissaries  were  sent 
to  the  various  military  camps.  Several  visited  Camp  Bureau  and  secretly 
persuaded  the  members  of  the  regiment  to  join  the  sharpshooters, 
and  made  arrangements  for  their  transportation  to  St.  Louis  on  the 
quiet.  A  steamer  named  Musselman  was  moored  at  a  convenient  point 
in  the  Illinois  River  and  before  daylight  dawned  on  the  23rd  of  October, 
the  regiment  broke  camp,  embarked  and  steamed  away  down  the  river. 
When  Col.  Winslow  that  morning  found  the  camp  vacated,  he  at  once 
endeavored  to  intercept  the  deserters.  These  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  cut  the  telegraph  wires,  but  messengers  were  dispatched  to  the 
nearest  telegraph  station  in  operation,  from  which  the  state  authorities 
were  notified  of  what  had  occurred.  From  Springfield  a  battery  was 
ordered  to  Alton,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Musselman  and 
capture  those  on  board.  When  the  steamer  attempted  to  pass  that 
point  a  blank  shot  was  fired  directly  over  the  vessel  as  a  signal  to  stop. 
The  warning  left  unheeded,  the  prow  of  the  Musselman  was  shattered 
by  a  well-aimed  cannon  ball.  Then  the  engine  wTas  stopped,  the  boat 
lay  to  and  all  its  passengers  were  lodged  in  the  old  state  penitentiary 
at  Alton.  From  there  the  absconders  were  brought  to  Camp  Butler, 
at  Springfield,  for  court  martial.  Through  the  intervention  of  influen- 
tial friends  all  were  acquitted  and  then  sent  to  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago, 
where  the  regiment,  which  hitherto  had  but  six  companies  and  was 
known  as  the  56th,  was  made  a  part  of  the  57th.  The  change  in  the 
numeral  was  almost  imperative,  the  stigma  left  on  the  56th  by  the 
Camp  Bureau  episode  making  it  well-nigh  impossible  to  secure  recruits 
for  it.  On  Dec.  26,  1861,  the  57th  regiment  was  mustered  in,  with  Col. 
Silas  D.  Baldwin  in  command. 

On  Feb.  8,  1862,  the  regiment  left  Chicago  for  Cairo,  en  route  to 
the  war  scene.  Reaching  Fort  Donelson  on  the  14th,  it  participated 
in  the  siege  of  the  fort  and  its  capture  two  days  later.  The  regiment 
next  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 

The  57th  was  held  in  reserve  for  a  time,  then  ordered  to  take  up  a 


CO.    D,    FIFTY-SEVENTH    INFANTRY  557 

position  to  the  left,  in  support  of  a  battery  which  was  sharply  engaged 
with  the  enemy.  Here  the  regiment  suffered  little  from  the  enemy's 
fire,  but  was  soon  to  be  tried  in  the  crucible  of  hot  conflict.  "Well  along 
in  the  afternoon  it  took  a  position  on  the  left  of  Gen.  Hurlbut's  division, 
and  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  Union  line,  barring  Stuart's  isolated 
brigade.  Here,  about  4  o'clock,  an  advance  was  made,  encountering  the 
enemy  in  strong  force  directly  in  front.  Firing  began  on  both  sides 
and  for  about  20  minutes  there  was  a  constant  roar  of  musketry.  Not- 
withstanding this  was  the  first  severe  engagement  of  the  57th,  they 
fought  with  all  the  heroism  and  valor  that  could  have  distinguished 
old  and  tried  soldiers,  but  the  contest  was  unequal.  The  old  altered 
flint-lock  muskets  became  foul  after  a  few  rounds,  rendering  it  im- 
possible to  get  a  load  down,  though  many  of  the  men,  in  their  effort 
to  drive  the  charge  home,  drove  the  rammers  against  the  trunks,  of 
trees;  some,  baffled  in  this  attempt  to  reload,  picked  up  the  muskets 
of  their  fallen  comrades  and  renewed  the  firing.  Thus  crippled  by 
unserviceable  arms,  flanked  on  both  sides  and  left  without  support 
under  an  enfilading  fire,  the  gallant  command  was  compelled  to  retire 
or  suffer  capture.  .  In  falling  back  the  regiment  was  subjected  to  a 
storm  of  grape  and  canister  from  the  enemy's  cannon  until  it  passed 
the  artillery  line  massed  not  far  from  the  landing  by  Col.  J.  D.  Webster, 
which  checked  the  Confederate  advance,  ending  the  day's  conflict.  In 
this  murderous  engagement  the  57th  lost  187  of  its  officers  and  men  in 
killed,  wounded  and  missing,  the  losses  of  Co.  D  being  Charles  M.  Green 
and  Adolf  Johnson  killed  and  fourteen  wounded,  including  Andrew  G. 
Warner,  who  was  promoted  soon  after.  On  the  second  day  this  regi- 
ment moved  into  position  at  daybreak  and  was  in  the  fight  until  the 
enemy  withdrew  defeated  late  in  the  day. 

From  Pittsburg  Landing  the  regiment  joined  in  the  advance  011 
Corinth.  The  city  having  been  occupied  on  May  30th,  the  57th  was 
garrisoned  there. 

On  Oct.  3rd  and  4th  the  Union  army  in  and  around  Corinth  fought 
back  an  attack  of  a  large  force  of  Confederates.  In  these  engagements 
Co.  D  lost  three  men,  Otto  ~W.  Peel  and  Andrew  Anderson,  who  were 
killed  on  the  battlefield,  and  Olof  "Wickstrum,  who  was  mortally 
wounded,  dying  on  the  7th. 

From  Jan.  31st  to  Sept.  13th,  1863,  while  the  regiment  was  still  at 
Corinth,  Co.  D  was  assigned  to  garrison  duty  at  Battery  Robinet,  just 
out  of  town,  where  the  regiment  had  its  winter  quarters.  The  57th 
remained  at  Corinth,  except  for  an  occasional  raid  or  scout  into  the 
surrounding  country,  until  the  fall  of  1863.  On  Nov.  4th  this  entire 
command,  composing  a  part  of  Gen.  Sherman's  army,  moved  to  middle 
Tennessee,  where  the  57th  was  assigned  to  outpost  duty.  Twenty  days 


658 


THR    CIVII,    WAR 


later  Co.  D  was  ordered  to  take  possession  of  Mitchell's  Mill,  near 
Lynnville,  where  the  company  remained  till  Jan.  18,  186-4,  occupied  in 
cutting  timber  and  operating  the  sawmill. 

The  term  of  enlistment  having  expired,  the  regiment  veteranized 
on  Jan.  17,  1864,  with  the  exception  of  Co.  C  and  a  few  men  of  the  other 


Soldiers'  Monument,  Bishop  Hill 

companies.  Of  Co.  D  the  men  very  generally  re-enlisted.  The  next  day 
the  regiment  started  for  Chicago  on  veteran  furlough  of  30  days,  arriv- 
ing Jan.  27th.  The  members  of  Co.  D  arrived  at  Galva  Jan.  29th. 
receiving  an  enthusiastic  reception  at  the  hands  of  the  townspeople. 
From  the  station  they  marched  to  Norton's  Hall,  where  the  ladies 
spread  for  them  a  banquet  to  which  the  army  rations  could  nowise 


CO.    I),    FIFTY-SKYENTH    INFANTRY  659 

be  compared.  Returning  south  March  9th.  with  250  recruits,  the  regi- 
ment went  to  Athens,  Ala.,  thence  to  join  Sherman's  army  at  Chat- 
tanooga. 

Henceforth  the  regiment  was  kept  constantly  moving,  marching 
with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee_in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  taking  part 
in  the  maneuvering  against  the  rear  of  Gen.  Johnston's  retreating  army 
and  in  the  battle  of  Resaca.  On  May  16th,  with  the  Third  Brigade  in 
advance,  the  line  of  march  was  taken  up  on  the  Calhoun  road.  The 
whole  brigade,  under  the  command  of  Major  Forsse  of  the  57th,  en- 
countered, the  enemy  in  force  near  Rome  Cross  Roads,  where  the  rebels 
had  taken  a  stand  to  protect  the  train  of  the  retreating  army.  The 
brigade  was  drawn  up  in  battle  array  and  soon  became  engaged,  the 
fighting  being  at  intervals  quite  severe  and  lasting  until  nearly  night. 
Following  the  enemy's  retreat  the  next  day  the  division  moved  to 
Kingston,  thence  to  Rome,  where  the  57th.  with  other  regiments,  was 
assigned  to  garrison  duty,  while  the  balance  of  Gen.  Dodge's  command 
continued  with  the  advance  on  Atlanta.  On  Oct.  13th  the  regiment 
under  command  of  Major  Forsse  moved  out  from  Rome,  with  a  brigade 
under  Lieut.  Col.  Hurlbut,  on  the  Cave  Springs  road,  where  a  portion 
of  Gen.  Hood's  army  was  encountered,  resulting  in  driving  the  enemy 
four  miles  back,  with  a  loss  to  the  57th  of  seven  killed  and  wounded. 
Major  Forsse  resigned  on  Oct.  16,  1864,  while  at  Rome. 

The  regiment,  with  504  men  in  line,  on  Nov.  10th  moved  out  from 
Rome  four  miles  towards  Kingston,  being  the  initial  movement  on  its 
part  for  what  proved  to  be  the  famous  "March  to  the  Sea,"  and  on 
Dec.  21st  reached  Savannah,  just  evacuated  by  the  enemy  without 
a  fight. 

Going  up  the  Savannah  River  on  Jan.  24,  1865,  the  57th  had  its 
last  encounter  with  the  Confederates  at  Bentonville  two  months  later, 
on  March  20th  and  21st.  It  took  part  in  the  final  grand  review  at 
Washington  May  24th.  From  the  capital  the  57th  regiment  was  brought 
to  Louisville.  Ky.,  and  there  mustered  out,  but  retained  its  organization 
and  returned  to  Chicago.  On  July  14th  it  received  final  pay  and  was 
disbanded  at  Camp  Douglas,  its  starting-point,  after  three  years  and 
five  months  of  active  service  or  three  years  and  ten  months  from  the 
time  of  enlistment  of  the  greater  portion  of  the  regiment. 

The  roster  of  Co.  D,  exclusive  of  non-Swedish  recruits,  is  here 
sriven. 


66o 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


Roster  of  Company  D,  57th  Illinois  Infantry 


Name  and  Rank 

Residence- 

Hate  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Captains 
Eric  Forsse  

Bishop  Hill.... 
Galva.  . 

Dec.     26,     1  86  1 
April     15,     1862 
Sept.      3,     1862 

Dec.     26,     1861 
April     15.     1862 

Dec.     26,     1  86  1 
August  15,  1862 
Sept.     3,      1862 
August    7,    1863 

April    29,     1864 
Sept.     14,     1861 

Sept.     14,     1861 

Nov.     10,     1861 
Sept.     14,     1861 

Sept.     16,     1861 
Sept.     14,    1861 
Sept.     16,     1861 
Oct.       6,      1861 
Sept.     25.     1861 

Nov.     25,     1  86  1 
Sept.     14,     1861 

Sept.     25,     1861 
Oct.        8,    i86r 
Oct.         6,    1  86  1 
Oct.       ii,    1861 
Oct.         6,    1861 
Sept.    25,     1861 
Sept.     16,     1861 
Dec.        7,    1861 
Oct.       11,    1861 
Dec.        5,    1861 
Sept.     25,    1861 

Sept.     14,    1861 
Sept.     25,    1861 
Sept.     1  6,    1  86  1 
Oct.        8,    1  86  1 
Sept.     25,    1861 
Oct.        8,    1861 
Sept.     14,    1861 
Sent.      2s.     i86r 

Promoted   Major     

Eric  Johnson  

Resigned  Sept    3    1862 

Peter  M.  Wickstrum 

First  Lieutenants 
Eric  Jolinson 

Bishop  Hill  
Galva 

Mustered  out  Julv  7,  1865  

Promoted  

Eric  Bergland 

Bishop  Hill  
Bishop  Hill.... 
Andover  

Mustered  out  Julv  7,   1865  

Second   Lieutenants 
Eric  Bergland  

Promoted      

Peter  M.  Wickstrum 
George  E.  Rodeen.. 
Andrew  G.  Warner. 

Olof  Anderson.    . 

Died  at  Corinth,    Aug.  7,   1862 
Promoted  in  Colored  Regim'nt 
Commission  canceled  

Bishop  Hill  
Bishop  Hill  

Bishop  Hill  
Victoria  

Mustered  out  July  7,    1865  
Promoted  2(1  Lieutenant  

First  Sergeant 
Peter  M.  Wickstrum 

Sergeants 
Olof  Crans. 

Disch'ged  June  3,  '62,  disability 
Term  expired,  1864  

Peter  Nilson  

Olof  Olson  

George  E.  Rodeen.  . 

Corporals 
Andrew  G.  Warner. 
Peter  Johnson  

Bishop  Hill  
Andover  

Promoted  2d  Lieutenant  

Prom.  2d  Lieut'nt  Aug.  7,  1863 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  .    .  . 

Bishop  Hill  

Bishop  Hill  
Bishop  Hill  

« 

Galva  
Moline  

Olof  Wickstrum  
Jonas  M.  Johnson.. 
Jonas  Allstrom.. 

Died  at  Corinth  Oct.  7,  '62  ... 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Mustered  out    1  864  

Wagoner 
Eric  Lindgren  

Disch'ged  July  i,  '62,  disability, 
Louisville,  Kv  

Musicians 
Olof  Anderson 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Swan  J.  Nordin  .... 

Privates 
Anderson  Andrew  .  . 
Anderson  Peter  E  .  . 
Anderson  Charles  P. 
Anderson  William.. 
Anderson  Peter 

Died,  Mound  City,   Jan.  15,  '64 

Killed   at   Corinth,   Oct.  4,   '62 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Disch'ged  July  8,  '62;  disability 

Bishop  Hill  
Berlin. 

Anderson  Lars 

Term  expired   1864  

Anderson  Lars  W.  .  . 
Anderson  August.  .  . 
Broberg  August  
Beck   John 

Disch.  July  i,  '62;  wounds.... 
Re  enlisted  as  Veteran  

Gillson 

Term  expired   1864  

Watertown  
Bishop  Hill  
Galva.  . 

Crone  Andrew 

Caline  Eric. 

Re-enlisted  as  veteran  

Danielson  Daniel  .  .  . 
Erickson  Lars 

Bishop  Hill  

Galesburg  
Bishop  Hill  

.<                     i. 

Forsell  Jonas 

«                     'i 

Granat  John  

Killed  at  Shiloh,  April  6,   '62.. 
Term  expired  1864  

Green  Charles  M... 
Hanson  Jonas  
Hartz  Andrew 

Bishop  Hill  

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Hillsrrom    Tolin  K 

Term  exoired    iS6_t.. 

CO.    D,    FIFTY-SEVENTH    INFANTRY 


66 1 


Name  anil   Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Privates 
Johnson  Adolph  .... 
Johnson  John  O  .  .  . 

Princeton  
Andover  

Oct.        10,    1861 
Sept.     20,    1861 

Killed  at  Shiloh,  April  6,   '62.. 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Johnson  Hans  

Bishop  Hill 

Sept.     16,    1861 

Term  expired  1864  

Johnson  Andrew.  . 

Moline          .    .  . 

Sept.     25,    1861 

Johnson  John  

Bishop  Hill 

Oct.         3,    1861 

Johnson  Nils   . 

Princeton 

Sept      ^  i  ,    1  86  1 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Johnson  John. 

Andover. 

Oct        1  1      1861 

Johnson  N.  J  

Henrv  . 

Oct.         8,    1861 

Term  expired  1864  

Johnson  John  

Moline 

Sept.     25,    1861 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Lind  John  

Berlin  .  . 

Died  at  Hamburg,  Tenn.,  Mav 

13,    1862     

Lindgren  Jonas 

Bishop  Hill 

Oct          6,    1  86  1 

Term  expired  1864  

Lock  Andrew  

Sept.     ->5,    1861 

M.  O.  to  date,  Dec.  25,  '64.  . 

Larson  Lars  

.1 

Dec.        7.    1861 

Disch.  July  5,   '62;  disabilitv.. 

Matthews  Olof  

,. 

Sept      1  6,    1  86  1 

Re  enlisted  as  Veteran  

Moberg  Jonas  . 

Andover.. 

Sept      25,    1861 

Died,  Corinth,  Aug.  24,  '62. 

Norstedt   Olof  

Bishop  Hill  

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Neston  Charles  

i. 

Norline  Olof.  . 

i) 

Sept.     14,    1861 

Term  expired  1864  

Norlund  Lars 

Victoria.  . 

Dec       20,    1  86  1 

Disch.  July  5,  '62;  disabilitv 

Olson  William  O 

Moline 

Sept      25,    1881 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Olson  Peter 

Bishop  Hill  

Term  expired  1864  

Olson  Eric  

Dec.        4,    1861 

Discharged  Feb   8,  '62  

Peterson  John  P.... 
Peterson  Lars  F.  .  .  . 
Peterson  Peter. 

Swede  Bend,  la. 
Bishop  Hill   .  . 

Oct.         7,    1861 
Oct.       10,    1861 
Sept.     25,    1861 

"     Sept.  9,  '62;  disability.  . 
••     July  3,  '62;  wounds.... 
"     July  10,  '62;  disability 

Peterson  Nels 

Sept.      16,    1861 

Peterson  Andrew. 

Princeton  

Oct        22,    1861 

Peterson  Magnus.... 
Peterson  P.  L 

Bishop  Hill  .  .  . 
Victoria  

Nov.      25,    1861 
Dec.      20,    1861 

Disch.  July  12,  '62;  disability.. 
"     May    29,    '62;  disabilitv 

Peel  Otto  W  

Bishop  Hill  

Sept.     16,    1861 

Killed  at  Corinth,  Oct.  3,  '62.  . 

Rudetnan  Olof 

Victoria  

Dec        19,    1861 

Term  expired  1864  

Swanson  Nils 

Bishop  Hill 

Sept      25,    1861 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Tillman  Nils 

Weller  

Oct.       10,    1861 

<t               •  . 

Tolin    Charles 

Geneseo  

Sept.     22,    1861 

4. 

Trolin  Eric  J  

Bishop  Hill.  .. 

Dec.        7,    1861 

Valentine  Chas  J  Y 

Geneseo.. 

Sept.     29,    1861 

Deserted  

Westlund   Jonas  .... 
\Vickstrum  Hans. 

Bishop  Hill  

Sept.     25,    1861 
Sept      1  6,    1861 

Died  at  Corinth  July  9,   '62.... 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Young   Frank 

Princeton  

Dec        15,    1861 

Veterans 
Anderson  Olof.  .    .  . 

Bishop  Hill  

Dec.      27,    1863 

Promoted  to  2<l  Lieutenant.... 

Anderson  Peter  E 

Galva  

Mustered  out  July  7,  '65  

Anderson  August 

Berlin  

Trans,  to  Co.  F,  Oct.  2,  '64  .  . 

Anderson  Andrew. 

Galesburg  

Mustered  out  Julv  7,   '65  

Blom  Gustaf  . 

Chicago  

Caline  Eric. 

Galva  

i. 

Danielson  Daniel.... 
Erickson  Lars  

Bishop  Hill  

M.  O.  July  7,  '65,  as  Corporal. 

Erickson  Eric 

Moline  

Mustered  out  July  7,  '65  

Erickson  Charles  J 

Forsell  Jonas  

Bishop  Hill  .  . 

Committed  suicide.  June  27,  '65 

Frederickson  Claus 

Chicago  

Mustered  out  July  7,  '65  

Granat  John  

Galesburg  

Hart?  Andrew 

Bishop  Hill  .... 

<(                     11 

Johnson  John..    . 

Andover  

«                     <4 

Princeton  .. 

M.  O    Tulv  7,  '6s 

Johnson  John  O 

Andover  

M.  O.  July  7,  '65,  as  Corporal... 

Johnson  Claus 

Chicago  

as  Sergeant.  . 

Johnson  Peter  

Bishop  Hill  

M.  O.  July  7,  "65,  as  Sergeant.. 

Johnson  Jonas   M.  .. 

"      July  7,  '65,  as  ist  Sergt.  . 

662 


THE   CIVIL    WAR 


Name  and  Rank 

Residence             Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Privates 
Johnson  John  

Moline  

Dec.  27,  1863 

1  1 

Feb.  20,'  1864 
Feb.  13,  1864 

AU£T.  2S,  l862 

Mustered  out  July  7,  1865  

M.  O.  July  7,  '65,  as  Sergeant  .  . 
M.  O  July  7,  '65,  as  Corporal.  . 
Mustered  out  July  7,   1865  
M.  O.  July  7,  '65.  as  Sergeant.. 
Mustered  out  July  7,   1865  
Died  at  Newark,  N.J.,Mayi6,'65 
Mustered  out  July  7,   1865  
Died,  Rome,  Ga.,  June  15,  '65.  . 
Mustered  out  July  7.   1865  
Com'd  2d  Lent.;  not  mustered; 
prom.  Capt.  63d  U.  S.  Col'd 
Inf.  from  Sergt.  Apr.  5.  '64. 
M.  O.  July  7,  '65,  as  Corporal.. 

Mustered  out  July  7,  1865  
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Larson  Andrew  
Matthews  Olof  

Chicago  

Bishop  Hill  
Moline  

Neston  Charles  
Norstedt  Olof  

Olson  William  O... 
Peterson  John  

Bishop  Hill  
Chicago  

Swanson   Nils  

Swanson  Peter 

Tillman   Nils 

\Veller  

Tolin  Charles 

Geneseo  

Warner  Andrew  G.. 

Wrickstrum    Hans.  .  . 
Young   Frank       .  .  . 

Andover  

Bishop  Hill  ... 
Princeton  

Recruits 
Anderson  Nils  P.  ... 
Anderson   John  G.  . 
Anderson  Peter 

Bishop  Hill  
Berlin  

Princeton  

Anderson  Andrew 

An°'lund   Eric  

Galva  

Feb.  12.  1864 
Oct.  5,  1864 
Feb.  13,  1864 
Jan.  5,  1862 
fan.  26,  1862 
Nov.  3.  1861 
Feb,  1  8,  1864 
Feb.  15,  1864 
Feb.  29,  1864 
Jan.  6,  1862 
July  ii,  1862 
Feb.  i  8,  1864 
Jan.  4,  1862 
Feb.  21,  1864 
Dec.  i,  1862 
Sept.  6,  1862 
Jan.  6,  1862 

Mustered  out  July  7  '65 

Almquist  Eric 

Chicago  

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Burnison  Charles  G 
Blom  Gnstaf  

Berlin  

Cook   co  

Beck  John  P 

Water  town  

Disch.  Oct.  19.  '62;  wounds  
Disch.  Aug.  23  '62;  disability. 
Mustered  out  July  7  1865 

Blom  John     

Bishop  Hill  
Truro  

Erickson  Jonas  

Erickson  John  

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Erickson  Andrew.  .  . 
Erickson  Erick  

Chicago  

Moline  

Erickson   Charles  J. 
Eastlund  Charles  E. 
Frederickson  Claus. 
Forsse   Olof  

Bishop  Hill  
Cook    co  

Disch.  Jan.  28,  '65;  disability.  . 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  . 

Chicago  

Mustered  out  July  7  1865 

Hanson  Eric 

Galva  

Disch.  Aug.  23,  '62;  disability 
Died  at  Corinth  July  10.  '62.. 
Mustered  out  July  7,  1865 

Haslett  Peter  

Moline  

Hartsell  John  E  
Hedberg   Eric 

Galva  

Imberg  Peter. 

Victoria  

Feb.  8,  1864 
Feb.  13,  1864 
Feb.  12,  1864 
Sept.  9,  1862 
Aug.  25,  1862 
Jan.  4,  1862 
Jan.  26,  1862 
Dec.  20,  1861 
Dec.  28  1861 
Feb.  26,  1864 
March  16,  1864 
Jan.  4,  1862 
Feb.  20,  1864 
Nov.  15,  1861 
Feb.  13,  1864 
March  20,  1864 
Sept.  18,  1863 
Dec.  25,  1861 

Johnson  Charles  J  .  . 
Johnson  Olof  

Berlin  

«                     ii 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Galesburg  

Johnson  Andrew  P.. 
Johnson  Swan  P  
Johnson  Claus 

Princeton... 

1  1 
Cook  co  

Johnson  Gnstaf. 

Moline  

Disch.  June  18,  '62;  disability.  . 
Disch.  Aug.  23,  '62;  wounds.  .  . 
Disch.  Oct.  20,  '62;  disability.. 
Mustered  out  Julv  7,  1865 

Jones  Andrew     .... 

Weller  

Knuth  William  

Bureau  

Lagerlof  Frans  O... 
Landgren  Adolph.  .. 
Larson  Andrew.  .... 
Martin  Swan  H  .  .  .  . 
Nord  Andrew  

Andover  

Chicago  

Died,  Rome,  Ga.,  June  30,  1864 
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Cook   co  

Chicago  

Mustered  out  July  7,  1865.  .  .  . 

Galva  

Nord  John    M  

Berlin  

Mustered  out  July  7,  1865  

.1                     11 
Term  expired   1864  

Nordstedt  Frederick 
Nordine  Jonas. 

Bishop  Hill  

Nordquist  Louis.  .  .  . 
Nyberg  Thomas  .... 
Olson  Eric  

Wataga 

Bishop  Hill  

Disch  June  16.  '62;  disability.  . 
Mustered  out  July  7,  1865  
Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  .  . 

Chicago  

Feb.  21,  1864 
Nov.  7,  1861 

Peterson  John  .  . 

Bishop  Hill  .  . 

MAJOR    ERIC    FORSSE 


663 


Name  and  Rank 

Residence 

Date   of  rank    or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Recruits 
Peterson  Jacob  G.  .  . 

Chicago...  ..... 

Feb.      20,    1  86  1 

Mustered  out  Julv  7,   '65.    . 

Pierson  John  

Peterson  William.  .  . 

Princeton  .  . 

Sept.       s,    1862 

<t                     « 

Swanson  August.  .  .  . 

Chicago  

March  15,    1864 

«                     .. 

Swanson  Peter  

Cook  co  

Jan.        4,    1862 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Wood  Andrew  

Bishop  Hill  .... 

Disch.  Aug    7,  '62*  wounds 

Young  Fred  

Princeton  

Jan.       15,    1862 

Term  expired,   1864  T.  .  . 

Major   E-ric   Forsse 

Major  Erie  Forsse  was  a  native  of  the  Swedish  province  of  Dalarne, 
where  he  was  born  March  4,  1819,  in  the  parish  of  Malung.  He  served 
for  twelve  years  in  the  Swedish  army  prior  to  his  emigration  in  1850. 
Coming  to  this  country  with  his  family,  he  landed  at  New  Orleans  and 
took  a  steamboat  up  the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  laid  up 
as  a  cholera  patient  for  some  time.  After  getting  well,  he  proceeded 
with  his  family  to  Galesburg,  and  removed  in  turn  to  Knoxville,  to 
Moline  and  to  Bishop  Hill,  settling  there  in  the  winter  of  1851-2  and 
remaining  until  after  the  colony  had  been  dissolved.  As  already  told, 
the  organization  in  1860  of  a  military  company,  which  later  became 
Co.  D  of  the  57th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  was  the  work  of  Eric  Forsse,  who  served 
as  captain  from  its  inception  and  was  given  the"  same  rank  in  the  army. 
He  enlisted  in  the  summer  of  1861  and  was  mustered  into  service  Sept. 
14th  the  same  year.  When  Major  Norman  B.  Page  of  the  57th  Regi- 
ment fell  in  the  Battle  of  Shiloh,  Captain  Forsse  was  promoted  major 
to  take  his  place,  the  commission  being  dated  April  15,  1862.  His 
ability  was  recognized  by  his  superiors  and  he  was  sometimes  called 
upon  to  command  as  large  a  force  as  a  brigade,  which  was  the  case  at 
Allatoona  Pass.  He  shared  the  hardships  and  triumphs  of  the  campaign 
with  his  regiment  until  after  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  when  he  resigned 
together  with  a  large  number  of  other  officers,  confident  that  their 
services  were  little  needed  from  that  time  on.  Having  been  mustered  out 
Oct.  16,  1864,  Major  Forsse  returned  home,  bought  a  160-acre  farm 
northwest  of  Galva  and  disposed  of  his  share  of  the  colony  property 
at  Bishop  Hill.  In  November,  1869,  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Saline 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  had  purchased  a  section  of  railroad  land. 
Major  Forsse  headed  a  party  of  some  50  Swedes  who  located  at  or  near 
Falun  at  this  time,  forming  the  nucleus  of  a  large  and  prosperous 
Swedish-American  settlement. 

When  a  postoffice  was  established  at  Falun  in  1870  Forsse  was 
made  postmaster  and  retained  the  position  for  seventeen  consecutive 
years,  serving  all  this  time  as  township  trustee  and  justice  of  the 


664 


THE    CIVIL   WAR 


In  the  fall  of  1872  he  was  elected  to  the  Kansas  legislature  and  served 
as  8  member  for  one  term. 

Major  Forsse,  gallant  fighter  and  trusted  citizen,  passed  away  on 


Jl  idSflp  "9Hf*. 


Major  Eric  Forsse 

April  18,  1889.  Of  his  family  of  five  children  three  survive,  including 
the  oldest  son,  Olof,  born  July  8,  1842.  He  also  served  in  Co.  D,  joining 
as  a  recruit  in  February,  1864,  and  remaining  in  the  service,  as  high 
private  in  the  rear  rank,  until  mustered  out  July  7,  1865.  Olof  Forsser 
who  is  a  dealer  in  grain,  coal  and  farm  implements  at  Falun,  has  served 


CAPTAIN    KRIC   JOHNSON  665 

the  county  for  three  years  as  county  commissioner  and  seven  years  as 
sheriff. 

Captain   ILric   Johnson 

Captain  Eric  Johnson's  military  record  is  brief,  but  creditable. 
At  the  time  of  enlistment  he  was  a  puny  stripling  and  would  not  have 
joined  the  army  but  for  the  military  enthusiasm  of  the  time  and 
possibly  a  spark  of  the  fighting  spirit  inherited  from  his  grandfather 
on  his  mother's  side,  who  was  a  veteran  of  Sweden's  war  with  Russia. 
Johnson  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  at  the  organization  of  the  company 
at  Camp  Bureau  he  was  elected  first  lieutenant.  After  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  when  Capt.  Eric  Forsse  was  promoted  major  of  the  regiment. 
Co.  D  held  a  new  election  April  15th,  and  Eric  Johnson  was  chosen 
captain  to  fill  the  vacancy.  During  the  siege  of  Corinth,  he  was 
stricken  down  with  typhoid  fever  and  brought  so  near  death's  door 
that  arrangements  were  made  to  ship  his  body  home.  Somehow  he 
rallied  from  the  fever,  but  was  attacked  by  another  disease,  and  upon 
the  urgent  advice  of  the  regimental  surgeon  resigned  the  captaincy  and 
left  the  army  Sept.  3,  1862,  about  one  year  after  enlistment. 

An  incident  which  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1862  in  Capt.  John- 
sou's  company  is  worthy  of  record  as  showing  how  the  Swedish  boys 
in  the  field,  as  well  as  the  nationality  in  general,  felt  on  the  subject 
of  slavery. 

The  Democratic  party  secured  power  in  Illinois  after  so  many 
Republicans  had  enlisted,  and  in  order  to  make  hay  while  the  sun  was 
shining  they  called  a  constitutional  convention.  Among  the  pro-slavery 
articles  framed  for  the  new  constitution  several  were  submitted  to  the 
voters  in  the  form  of  separate  propositions.  To  make  a  show  of  fair- 
ness, the  Democrats  allowed  the  Illinois  soldiers  in  the  field  to  vote 
upon  the  proposed  constitution,  and  sent  a  commission  of  three  Dem- 
ocrats, with  the  notorious  "Sam"  Buckmaster  as  chairman,  to  poll  the 
vote  of  the  soldiers.  The  ballotting  was  not  secret,  but  as  each  soldier 
appeared  before  the  commissioners  he  was  asked  how  he  wished  to  vote 
on  each  separate  proposition,  and  his  answer  was  recorded  on  prepared 
tabular  sheets.  When  it  came  to  the  negro  propositions,  if  the  vote 
of  the  soldier  was  not  satisfactory  to  the  commissioners,  they  would 
say,  "You  do  not  want  to  find  your  sister  married  to  a  negro,  when 
you  return  from  the  war."  Of  course  the  soldier  would  answer  "No," 
and  this  answer  would  be  recorded  as  his  vote  on  a  proposition  to 
which  the  voter  at  first  assented.  Company  D  was  the  fourth  in  order, 
and  its  members,  having  noticed  how  the  soldiers  were  being  confused 
and  made  to  vote  contrary  to  their  convictions,  went  to  Eric  Johnson 
and  said :  ' '  Captain,  we  want  you  to  vote  first,  and  when  our  turn 


666 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


comes,  we  will  have  them  record  our  votes  the  same  as  yours. ' '  Capt. 
Johnson  voted  not  only  against  all  the  Democratic  propositions  on  the 
negro  question,  but  against  the  entire  pro-slavery  constitution  as  well. 
To  a  man  his  company  voted  the  same  way.  When  the  last  vote  of 
Co.  D  had  been  polled,  Buckmaster  remarked  with  an  oath :  ' '  That  was 
the  d — dest  black  abolition  company  in  the  service." 

Another  incident  highly  creditable  to  Co.  D  is  a  part  of  the  record 
of  the  company  during  the  first  summer's  campaigning,  which  might 
properly  have  been  recorded  in  the  official  history  of  the  regiment. 


Prize  Drill  Flag,  Co.  D,  57th  111.  Infantry,  Carried  in  4th  of  July  parade 

at  Bishop  Hill 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  (1862),  Col.  Baldwin  of  the  57th  sent 
to  Chicago  and  bought  a  beautiful  silk  flag  for  $125,  which  he  offered 
as  a  reward  to  the  best  drilled  company  in  the  regiment.  Several 
months  were  allowed  for  drill,  and  about  half  of  the  companies  entered 
for  the  competition.  Some  time  in  July  the  exhibition  drill  took  place, 
with  three  officers  of  the  regular  army  acting  as  judges.  In  the  regi- 
ment was  a  wholly  German  company  (Co.  G),  and  when  this  and  the 
Swedish  company  had  drilled,  the  companies  still  remaining  withdrew 
from  the  competition,  deeming  further  efforts  hopeless.  After  compar- 
ing notes,  the  judges  reported  that  as  between  the  Germans  and  the 


CAPTAIN    PETER    M.    WICKSTRUM  667 

Swedes  they  were  unable  to  decide.  They  therefore  requested  them 
to  repeat  their  drill,  which  embraced  marching  and  battalion  move- 
ments in  addition  to  the  manual  of  arms.  After  the  second  drill  the 
award  was  unanimously  given  to  Co  D,  the  Swedish  company.  This 
flag  is  still  preserved  at  Bishop  Hill — the  trophy  of  a  friendly  contest 
in  time  of  war. 

Captain   Peter   M.   WicKstrum 

Capt.  Peter  M.  Wickstrum  was  born  March  3,  1827,  in  Mo  parish. 
Helsingland,  Sweden.  He  was  a  son  of  Mathias  and  Anna  (Nelson) 
Wickstrum.  When  he  was  six  years  old  his  mother  died,  leaving  two 
sons,  of  whom  Peter  was  the  younger.  His  early  aptitude  for  learning 
made  him  the  favorite  child,  and  almost  constant  companion  of  his 
father.  From  him  he  acquired  a  love  of  legendary  lore  and  a 
thirst  for  knowledge.  His  father  was  a  man  of  more  than  average 
intellect,  but  fate  had  placed  him  where  he  must  labor  for  his  daily 
bread  where  the  hours  were  long  and  the  pay  meager.  Determined 
that  his  younger  son  should  have  some  of  the  advantages  denied  him- 
self, he  sent  him  to  school  at  Soderhamn.  But  as  soon  as  he  reached 
an  age  when  he  could  be  of  use,  he  was  taken  out  of  school  and  put 
to  work.  At  that  time  there  were  only  two  men  in  the  whole  parish 
who  were  readers  of  a  newspaper,  the  young  Peter  and  his  employer, 
the  two  together  subscribing  for  one  paper.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  married  Miss  Ingrid  Bergquist.  Shortly  after  that  he  came  in 
contact  with  an  influence  destined  to  shape  his  remaining  life. 

Helsingland  was  in  a  state  of  ferment  over  the  teachings  of  Eric 
Jansson.  Young  Wickstrum  became  a  convert,  and  with  his  wife  and 
young  child  sailed  for  America  in  the  spring  of  1850.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony  and  worked  there  until  its  dissolu- 
tion in  1860.  He  learned  the  English  language  with  the  aid  of  a  small 
dictionary  loaned  him,  and  at  night  plugged  the  keyhole  in  the  door 
to  shut  off  the  light  that  would  have  betrayed  him,  for  at  that  time 
the  study  of  English  was  frowned  upon  in  the  colony.  Ten  years  of 
a  deadening  routine  dampened  his  religious  ardor  and  caused  him  to 
adopt  more  liberal  views  than  those  taught  at  Bishop  Hill. 

On  Sept,  14,  1861,  Mr.  Wickstrum  enlisted  in  the  57th  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
Co.  D,  as  a  private,  and  was  appointed  orderly  sergeant.  After  the 
battle  of  Shiloh  he  was  promoted  second  lieutenant,  and  on  Sept.  3rd 
of  the  same  year  he  was  again  promoted,  this  time  to  the  position  of 
captain  to  succeed  Eric  Johnson,  resigned,  which  rank  he  held  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  July  7,  1865. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  siege  of 
Corinth,  Sherman's  campaign  before  Atlanta,  and  in  his  famous  march 


668 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  He  fought  in  the  battle  of  Beiitoiiville  while 
on  the  march  to  the  sea,  and  also  participated  in  many  minor  skirmishes 
and  engagements. 

After  the  war  he  returned  home,  purchased  a  farm  of  210  acres 
near  the  village  of  Galva,  and  settled  down  to  a  peaceful  rural  life. 
For  the  first  time  he  was  now  free  to  live  his  life  according  to  his  own 
dictates.  His  love  for  knowledge  was  revived.  However  hard  the 


Captain  Peter  M.  Wickstrum 


labors  of  the  day,  night  found  him  with  his  beloved  books  and  papers. 
He  was  more  of  a  reader  and  thinker  than  a  farmer;  in  fact,  he  had 
no  relish  for  any  work  that  took  him  away  from  his  books.  He  left 
his  children  no  greater  heritage  than  this  love  of  freedom,  the  desire 
to  know  and  to  grow.  He  believed  that  love  is  more  than  dogma,  that 
humanity  is  the  greatest  church. 

Capt.  Wickstrum  died  at  his  home  in  Galva,  111.,  Oct.  30,  1890, 
leaving  a  wife  and  four  children,  one  daughter  and  three  sons. 

Politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  socially  he  was  a  member  of  the 
G.  A  R.,  belonging  to  Galva  Post,  No.  33. 


CAPTAIN   ANDREW    G.    WARNER 


Captain   Andrew   G.   Warner 


669 


Captain  A.  G.  Warner  was  born  in  northern  Helsinglaud,  Sweden, 
July  13,  1837.  His  parents  emigrated  in  1850  and  located  at  Andover, 
Henry  county,  where  the  family,  including  the  son  and  two  daughters, 
engaged  in  farming.  Young  Warner  was  a  member  of  the  military 
company  organized  in  and  around  Bishop  Hill  in  1860.  which  joined 
the  army  of  volunteers  in  September,  1861,  and  was  designated  as 
Co.  D  in  the  57th  regiment  of  infantry,  Warner  being  appointed  first 


Captain  Andrew  G.  Warner 

corporal  at  its  organization  as  a  part  of  the  army.  In  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  received  an  ugly  bullet  wound  in  his  right  arm,  but  refused 
a  furlough  and  staid  with  the  company,  performing  his  duties  while 
carrying  the  arm  in  a  sling.  He  was  soon  promoted  first  sergeant  and 
subsequently  second  lieutenant.  In  1864  the  government  organized 
regiments  of  colored  troops  officered  by  experienced  white  soldiers. 
These  commands  were  not  eagerly  sought  for,  because  in  case  of 
capture  the  rebels  would  show  no  mercy  to  either  the  colored  soldiers 
or  their  officers.  Warner,  however,  volunteered  to  accept  one  of  these 
perilous  posts,  and  on  the  7th  day  of  March,  1864,  he  was  commissioned 


670  THK    CIVIL    WAR 

captain  of  Co.  A,  63rd  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry.  He  served  as  such 
until  the  9th  day  of  January,  1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  at  Duval's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  after  an  honorable  service  of  4 
years,  3  months  and  15  days. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Captain  Warner  again  settled  down  as  a 
farmer  at  his  old  home  in  Andover.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  was  called 
away  from  his  agricultural  pursuits  by  election  to  the  office  of  sheriff, 
as  an  independent  candidate  running  against  the  regular  Republican 
candidate,  winning  by  a  majority  of  116  votes,  while  the  county  gave 
General  Grant  for  President  a  majority  of  over  2,700  votes.  Warner 
was  nominated  by  an  independent  convention  of  Swedish  voters  after 
their  request  for  a  place  on  the  Republican  county  ticket  had  been 
denied,  whereupon  the  Democrats  refrained  from  making  a  nomination 
and  assisted  in  electing  Captain  Warner.  At  the  end  of  his  term  of 
office  he  took  a  trip  west  to  find  a  new  home  and  located  in  Page 
county,  Iowa,  where  he  removed  with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1871. 
On  Dec.  4,  1865,  Capt.  Warner  married  Mathilda  Johnson,  the  only 
daughter  of  Erik  Jansson,  founder  of  Bishop  Hill.  On  Dec.  5,  1875, 
just  ten  years  after,  he  died  at  his  Page  county  home,  leaving  her  a 
widow  with  two  children — Charles  A.  Warner,  who  still  lives  at  the 
old  homestead,  and  Mamie  Warner,  now  Mrs.  Thomas. 

Major    Eric   Berg'land 

Major  Eric  Bergland,  Corps  of  Engineers  IT.  S.  Army,  retired, 
enlisted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  in  Company  D,  Fifty-seventh  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  Sept.  14,  1861. 

In  December,  1861,  he  was  mustered  into  U.  S.  service  as  second 
lieutenant  and  in  April,  1862,  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  until  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  of 
service  after  the  close  of  hostilities. 

During  his  connection  with  the  57th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry 
he  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Corinth  and  Resaca,  the  latter  part  of  this  time  being  in  command  of 
his  company.  While  in  the  field  at  Rome,  Georgia,  in  the  autumn  of 
1864,  he  received  an  appointment  as  cadet  at  the  U.  S.  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point,  Ne\v  York.  On  reporting  to  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  military  academy,  Nov.  16,  1864,  he  was  informed  that 
his  class,  which  had  begun  their  studies  September  1st,  was  already 
well  advanced  and  that  it  would  require  considerable  previous  knowl- 
edge of  mathematics  to  be  able  to  make  up  before  the  January  exami- 
nation for  the  time  lost. 

As  before  enlisting  in  the  army  he  had  only  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  a  village  school  education,  and  knew  nothing  of  higher  mathematics. 


MAJOR    ERIC    BKROLAXI) 


67I 


he  thought  it  highly  improbable  that  he  would  be  able  to  prepare  for 
the  January  examination  after  being  nearly  two  mouths  behind  his 
classmates.  On  the  advice  of  the  superintendent  he  therefore  applied 
to  the  Secretary  of  War  to  have  his  appointment  extended  to  the 
following  June,  when  he  could  enter  on  more  nearly  equal  terms  with 
other  members  of  his  class.  This  request  was  granted  and  he  was  in 
the  meantime  ordered  to  Johnson's  Island,  Ohio,  for  duty  as  assistant 
to  Captain  Tardy,  Corps  of  Engineers,  until  June  1st,  1865. 

He  entered  the  military  academy  as  a  cadet  July  1,  1865,  and  was 
graduated  June  15,  1869,  at  the  head  of  his  class.  The  staff  corps 
being  then  closed  by  Act  of  Congress,  he  was  commissioned  as  second 


Major  Eric  Bergland 

lieutenant  Fifth  Artillery  and  stationed  at  Fort  Warren,  Mass. ;  at 
Fort  Trmnbull,  Conn. ;  in  the  field  on  the  Canadian  boundary  during 
the,  Fenian  raid,  1870 ;  at  Artillery  School,  Fort  Monroe,  1872.  While 
there,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Corps  of  Engineers  and  promoted  to 
first  lieutenant.  He  was  promoted  captain  January  10,  1884.  and 
major  Oct.  12,  1895. 

Since  his  transfer  to  the  Corps  of  Engineers.  U.  S.  Army,  he  has 
served  with  the  Engineer  Battalion  as  a  company  officer;  has  been 
instructor  of  military  engineering  and  mathematics  and  assistant 
professor  of  ethics  and  law  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy;  assistant 
engineer  on  western  surveys,  under  Capt.  George  M.  Wheeler,  for  three 
years  in  California,  Arizona,  Nevada  and  Colorado;  engineer  in  charge 
of  river  and  harbor  improvements  in  Tennessee,  Mississippi.  Arkansas, 


672  THK    CIVII,    WAR 

Louisiana  arid  Texas;  in  command  of  Company  C.  Battalion  of  En- 
gineers, and  instructor  of  civil  engineering  at  U.  S.  Engineer  School  at 
Willets  Point,  New  York;  was  ordered  to  Johnstown,  Penn.,  a  week 
after  the  great  flood,  in  charge  of  a  detachment  and  bridge  train  and 
ordered  to  replace  by  pontoon  bridges  those  swept  away  by  the  flood. 

In  November,  1891,  he  was  ordered  to  Baltimore  as  engineer  of 
the  5th  and  6th  Light  House  District.  During  four  years'  service  as 
above  he  built  light  houses  at  Cape  Charles.  Hog  Island.  Wolf  Trap 
and  other  points.  He  retired  from  active  service  March  31,  1896.-  on 
his  own  application,  after  over  30  years'  service,  and  resides,  since 
retirement,  at  Baltimore.  Md. 

Major  Eric  Bergland  is  a  native  of  the  province  of  Helsingland. 
Sweden,  born  at  Alfta  April  21,  1844.  In  1846  he  was  brought  to  the 
United  States,  his  father,  Anders  Berglund.  being  one  of  the  leaders 
of  a  party  of  Erik  Janssonists.  who  emigrated  that  year.  He  was 
reared  in  the  Bishop  Hill  Colony.  At  the  age  of  twelve,  Eric  was  put 
to  work  in  the  colony  printing  office  at  Galva  and  some  years  later 
was  given  the  management  of  that  modest  establishment.  He  was  thus 
employed  up  to  1861,  when  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  "War. 
As  shown,  the  young  volunteer  served  with  credit  and  he  was  the 
first  cadet  of  Swedish  birth  to  be  admitted  to  West  Point. 

On  June  5,  1878,  Major  Bergland  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Lucy 
Scott  McFarland  of  Kentucky,  a  cousin  of  the  wife  of  President 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes. 

Charles   John   Stolbrand,  Chief  of  Artillery,    Brigadier    General 

Charles  John  Stolbrand  was  born  at  or  near  the  city  of  Kristian- 
stad,  Sweden,  May  11,  1821.  His  original  name  was  Carl  Johaii  Moller. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  military  service  as  a  constable  cadet 
in  the  Royal  Vendes  Artillery.  At  the  time,  according  to  common 
custom,  he  exchanged  his  patronymic  for  a  more  martial  name  and 
was  enrolled  as  Carl  Johan  Stahlbrand.  In  this  country  the  name  was 
written  Stohlbrand  or  Stolbrand.  sometimes  preceded  by  Carlos  John, 
but  in  these  pages  preference  is  given  to  the  form  found  in  the  official 
war  records.  Prior  to  joining  the  army  he  was  assistant  to  a  surveyor. 

Stolbrand  was  promoted  2nd  constable  in  1839.  1st  constable  in 
1840  and  sergeant  in  1843.  About  two  years  later  he  was  married  to 
one  Miss  Pettersson.  daughter  of  a  non-commissioned  officer.  During 
the  Danish-German  War  Stolbrand  served  in  a  battery  attached  to  a 
Swedisli  army  corps  under  Major-General  Otto  August  Malmborg. 
which  was  encamped  at  Flensburg  from  August.  1849.  until  June  tin- 
next  year.  This  fact  is  probably  responsible  for  the  assertion  made 
that  Stolbrand  served  Denmark  as  a  volunteer  soldier.  On  Julv  12. 


GEN.     STOLBRAXD 


673 


Brig. -General  Charles  John  Stolbrand 


674  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

1850,  shortly  after  his  return  to  Sweden,  Stolbrand  resigned,  owing, 
it  is  alleged,  to  some  differences  with  a  superior  officer,  after  having 
served  for  seven  years  as  sergeant. 

He  came  to  this  country  in  1851,  locating  in  Chicago,  where  after 
some  time  he  secured  a  position  in  the  office  of  the  county  recorder. 
During  his  residence  in  Chicago  he  was  prominent  in  Swedish  circles. 
When  the  Svea  Society  was  organized,  in  1857,  he  was  chosen  its 
president  and  was  re-elected  time  and  again.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War  his  martial  spirit  was  rekindled,  and  at  the  first  call  for 
troops  he  raised  a  company,  which,  however,  was  not  accepted,  the 
quota  of  the  state  having  been  already  filled.  At  the  second  call  for 
volunteers,  later  in  the  same  year,  a  second  company  was  recruited  by 
Stolbrand  at  Sycamore,  where  he  was  then  engaged  in  making  abstracts 
of  DeKalb  county  land  titles.  This  was  mustered  into  service  on  Oct. 
5.  1861,  as  Battery  G,  Second  111.  Light  Artillery,  with  Stolbrand  as 
captain,  his  commission  being  dated  the  day  before. 

On  Dec.  31st  Stolbrand  was  promoted  major  and  subsequently 
he  was  made  chief  of  artillery  under  General  John  A.  Logan. 
In  1863,  on  Logan's  succession  to  the  command  of  the  15th  army  corps, 
Stolbrand  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  its  artillery  brigade, 
virtually  assuming  the  duties  of  brigadier-general.  By  Gen.  Logan, 
Stolbrand  was  greatly  admired  as  a  fighter  and  was  held  inestimable 
to  him  as  a  military  tactician.  Sherman,  who,  as  Gen.  Wallace  said, 
was  "crazy  on  the  subject  of  artillery,"  also  accorded  him  unstinted 
praise,  as  told  by  Col.  Mattson,  who  narrates  the  following: 

The  great  General  Sherman  about  1866  visited  St.  Paul  and  a 
banquet  was  given  to  him  at  which  I  was  present.  During  the  con- 
versation I  asked  about  General  Stolbrand.  "Do  you  know  him."  he 
inquired.  "Yes,  sir,  he  is  my  countryman,  and  we  served  in  the  same 
regiment  in  Sweden,"  I  replied.  "Then,"  said  he,  "you  may  be  proud 
of  your  old  comrade,  for  a  braver  man  and  a  better  artillery  officer 
than  General  Stolbrand  could  not  be  found  in  the  entire  army."  At 
the  same  time  the  general  told  the  story  of  Stolbrand 's  promotion  to 
brigadier-general,  which  Mattson  repeats  as  follows :  Stolbrand  had 
served  in  his  corps  for  some  time  with  the  rank  of  major,  and  performed 
such  services  as  properly  belong  to  a  colonel  or  brigadier-general  with- 
out being  promoted  according  to  his  merits,  because  there  had  been  no 
vacancy  in  the  regiment  to  which  he  belonged.  Displeased  with  this. 
Stolbrand  sent  in  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted,  but  Sherman 
had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  let  him  leave  the  army,  and  asked  him 
to  go  by  way  of  Washington  on  his  return  home,  pretending  that  he 
wished  to  send  important  dispatches  to  President  Lincoln.  In  due  time 
Stolbrand  arrived  in  the  capital  and  handed  a  sealed  package  to  the 
President  in  person.  Having  looked  the  papers  through.  Lincoln  ex- 


676  THE   CIVIL  WAR 

tended  his  hand,  exclaiming,  "How  do  you  do,  General?"  Stolbrand, 
correcting  him,  said,  "I  am  no  general;  I  am  only  a  major."  "You 
are  mistaken,"  said  Lincoln,  "you  are  a  general" — and  he  was 
from  that  moment.  In  a  few  hours  he  received  his  commission  and 
later  returned  to  the  army  with  a  rank  three  degrees  higher  than  that 
held  by  him  before. 

After  the  war  General  Stolbrand  took  up  his  residence  in  South 
Carolina,  locating  at  Beaufort,  where  he  owned  a  plantation.  In  that 
once  Confederate  state  the  former  Union  commander  attained  prom- 
inence as  a  citizen,  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  always 
remaining  unswerved.  In  1868  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the  con- 
stitutional convention  of  the  state.  The  same  year  he  was  delegate 
at  large  to  the  national  Republican  convention  at  Chicago  and  served 
as  presidential  elector.  He  was  for  some  years  superintendent  of  the 
state  penitentiary  and  under  Harrison's  administration  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  government  building  in  Charleston. 

King  Carl  XV.  of  Sweden,  in  1866,  recognized  Stolbrand 's  soldierly 
achievements  by  decorating  him  with  the  Royal  Order  of  the  Sword. 
While  the  latter  part  of  his  life  was  chiefly  devoted  to  politics,  Stol- 
brand was  also  engaged  in  mechanical  inventions  and  made  various  im- 
provements in  steam  engines  and  steam  boilers. 

He  passed  away  in  Charleston,  Feb.  3,  1894,  after  having  spent  the 
winter  months  in  New  York.  His  remains  were  interred  with  military 
honors  at  Columbia,  S.  C.,  beside  those  of  his  wife.  At  the  time  of  Stol- 
brand's  death,  three  of  his  children  were  living  in  New  York,  and  one 
married  daughter,  a  Mrs.  Strobel,  in  Atlanta,  Ga. 

One  who  was  intimate  with  Gen.  Stolbrand  in  his  later  years, 
gave  to  the  "News  and  Courier"  of  Charleston  at  the  time  of  his  death 
certain  recollections,  which  tend  to  reveal  some  of  the  traits  of  the  man. 
Stolbrand  often  spoke  of  his  life  in  Sweden,  particularly  of  his  career 
as  professor  of  horsemanship  and  sword  exercises  in  the  Swedish  army, 
and  claimed  that  he  had  drilled  King  Oscar  II.  while  the  latter  was  a 
cadet.*  He  said  that  the  prince  was  very  difficult  to  manage,  but  that 
he,  Stolbrand,  was  upheld  in  his  discipline  of  the  young  prince  by  the 
king,  his  father.  Before  entering  the  federal  army,  Stolbrand  had 
been  engaged  in  irrigation  enterprises  in  the  Northwest.  He  also 
related  how  he  had  invented  a  shoe  of  sufficient  size  to  enable  him  to 
move  about  on  water,  carrying  his  military  equipments,  and  had  learned 
to  use  such  a  pair  of  shoes  with  dexterity  and  ease.  While  he  resided 
in  Columbia  Stolbrand  had  fitted  up  in  his  watermelon  patch  a  trap 
for  thieves,  so  if  they  attempted  to  steal  his  melons  the  guns  would  go 

*  For  this  story  the  known  facts  in  Stolbrand's  life  furnish  not  the  slightest  support. 
It  merely  betrays  in  him  a  fondness  for  making  an  impression  in  narrating  past  experi- 
ences, real  or  fancied. 


GENERAL   STOLBRANI)  677 

off  and  kill  them.  In  connection  with  stories  of  his  army  career  in  this 
country  the  general  would  show  with  great  pride  the  burning-glass 
with  which  he  claimed  to  have  fired  the  gun  that  sent  the  first  ball 
that  struck  the  state-house  in  Columbia.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  a  firm  believer  in  its 
patriotic  objects. 

To  complete  the  account  of  Stolbrand's  military  career  the  follow- 
ing data,  culled  from  the  army  records,  are  added  as  showing  more 
precisely  the  functions  performed  by  him  during  the  war.  As  major, 
Stolbrand  in  September,  1862,  is  shown  to  have  been  in  command 
of  five  batteries  of  Brig.-Gen.  John  A.  Logan's  artillery  brigade  in  the 
district  of  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  in  November  he  had  a  brigade  of  nine 
batteries  of  Maj.-Gen.  Stephen  A.  Hurlbut's  division  under  him.  He 
commanded  five  batteries  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  largest 
force  under  his  command  at  any  one  time  was  ten  batteries.  Ample 
testimony  of  Stolbrand's  usefulness  in  the  operations  before  Vicks- 
burg  is  given  by  Gen.  Logan,  who  repeatedly  compliments  him  in  his 
report  of  May  26th,  thus :  "The  admirable  manner  in  which  this  battery 
was  handled  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  Maj.  Stolbrand,  my  chief 
of  artillery." — "The  respective  batteries.  . .  .  under  the  personal  super- 
vision of  Major  Stolbrand  rendered  incalculable  aid  in  effectually 
shelling  the  enemy." — "To  Major  Stolbrand,  my  chief  of  artillery, 
I  am  indebted  for  valuable  aid." 

In  the  Savannah,  Ga.,  campaign,  Nov.  15  to  Dec.  31,  1864,  Stol- 
brand took  an  efficient  part.  In  the  siege  of  Savannah,  Stolbrand  on 
Dec.  19th  placed  half  of  his  batteries  before  the  Confederate  forts  and 
uncovered  and  silenced  the  enemy's  heavy  batteries,  whereupon  the 
Confederates  under  cover  of  darkness  abandoned  the  fort  and  the 
city,  leaving  guns  and  ammunition  behind  them.  In  his  report  a  few 
days  thereafter  Maj.  Gen.  P.  J.  Osterhaus,  of  the  15th  army  corps, 
said:  "To  Major  Stolbrand  I  have  to  acknowledge  important  services 
during  the  campaign  as  chief  of  artillery  of  the  corps.  Through  his 
energy  and  skill  that  branch  of  the  arms  which  was  under  his  im- 
mediate care  was  in  most  excellent  condition." 

The  one  unfortunate  incident  in  Stolbrand's  army  career  occurred 
on  May  19,  1864,  when  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  while  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  was  encamped  at  Kingston,  on  the  Etowah 
River.  "While  examining  the  surrounding  country  by  my  direction," 
says  Maj.  Gen.  Logan  in  a  report  dated  Sept.  4th,  "Maj.  C.  J.  Stol- 
brand, a  gallant  and  untiring  officer,  was  captured  by  a  squad  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry."  No  mention  wras  then  made  of  his  return,  but  in 
October  of  that  year  he  again  figures  in  the  reports  as  chief  of  artillery. 

At  his  own  request,  Stolbrand  was  relieved  from  further  duty  as 
chief  of  artillery  of  the  15th  army  corps,  at  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  on  Jan.  28, 


678  THE    CIVIL    WAR 

1865,  his  three  years'  term  of  service  having  expired.  In  February  his 
promotion  to  brigadier-general,  as  told  by  Sherman,  took  place.  On 
March  30th,  as  brigadier-general,  he  was  by  the  Secretary  of  War 
ordered  to  report  in  person  to  Maj.  Gen.  Sherman  for  assignment  to 
duty.  A  month  later  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  second  brigade, 
fourth  division,  17th  army  corps,  formed  from  the  14th,  15th  and  32nd 
111.  Vol.  Inf.  The  brigade  marched  north  from  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  April 
29th,  passed  in  review  through  Washington  May  24th,  whence  it  was 
sent  via  Louisville  and  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  After  brief 
service  on  the  plains  of  the  far  West  the  three  regiments  were  mustered 
out  at  Fort  Leavenworth  in  September,  terminating  Stolbrand's  com- 
mand. One  of  his  last  assignments  was  to  the  temporary  command  of 
the  Fort  Leavenworth  district  in  the  absence  of  the  general  command- 
ing. Brig.-Gen.  Stolbrand  continued  to  hold  his  commission  until 
January,  1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  service. 

The  Swedish  members  of  Stolbrand's  Battery  were:  Oscar  L. 
Ekvall  of  Chicago,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861,  mustered  in  Oct.  5th,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  March  1,  1864,  mustered  out  Sept.  4,  1865 ;  Francis 
Lindebeck  of  Chicago,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861.  mustered  in  Oct.  5thr 
drowned  by  sinking  of  the  steamer  Horizon  on  the  Mississippi  riverr 
May  1,  1863;  Claes  Mathiason  of  Galesburg,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861T 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  March  1,  1864,  died  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  July  14, 
1865;  Charles  J.  Mellberg  of  Mendota,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861,  re-enlisted 
as  veteran  March  1,  1864,  discharged  Aug.  7,  1865,  as  corporal,  super- 
numerary; Sven  August  Videll  of  Chicago,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861, 
mustered  out  Oct.  4,  1864;  Andrew  Burgstrom  of  Chicago,  enlisted 
Jan.  28,  1864,  mustered  out  Sept.  4,  1865 ;  Nicholas  Carlson,  enlisted 
and  mustered  in  Jan.  1,  1862,  drowned  by  sinking  of  the  steamer 
Horizon  on  the  Mississippi  river  May  1,  1863 ;  Oscar  Kelburg,  enlisted 
and  mustered  in  Sept.  13,  1864,  mustered  out  June  3,  1865 ;  Joseph 
Esbyorn  of  Chicago,  enlisted  Aug.  6,  1861,  mustered  in  Oct.  5th,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran.  Other  members  of  the  battery,  apparently  of 
Swedish  blood,  were,  Olson  L.  Durkee  of  Chicago,  Alfred  Hall  of 
Rockford  and  John  Vehlen  of  Chicago. 

Capt.  FredericK  Sparrestrom  and   Battery  G,  2d  Light  Artillery 

Frederick  Sparrestrom  enlisted  at  Chicago  in  the  second  company 
of  artillery  organized  by  Charles  J.  Stolbrand.  When  on  Sept.  16, 
1861,  this  company  was  mustered  into  service  as  Battery  G, 
of  the  Second  Light  Artillery  regiment,  he  was  commissioned  first 
lieutenant.  The  battery  was  recruited  mostly  from  Sycamore,  Chicago, 
DeKalb.  Belvidere.  Joliet  and  Rockford.  Early  in  December  the  bat- 
tery was  ordered  to  Cairo,  111.,  where  it  was  assigned  to  Gen.  Pain's 


SPARRKSTROM'S    BATTERY 


679 


division  and  furnished  with  two  Napoleon  and  four  Rodman  guns.  In 
the  meantime  the  men  were  detailed  to  man  the  Howitzers  used  in  the 
attacks  on  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson. 

Sparrestrom  served  as  second  in  command  until  Dec.  31st,  when, 
upon  Stolbrand's  promotion  to  major  of  the  second  artillery  regiment, 


Captain  Frederick  Sparrestrom 

Sparrestrom  succeeded  to  the  captaincy.  The  battery  served  under 
Stolbrand,  the  chief  of  artillery  in  Logan's  army,  and  was  generally  a 
part  of  the  artillery  brigades  commanded  by  Stolbrand  from  time  to 
time.  On  May  1,  1863,  the  battery  was  sunk  in  a  collision,  while  being 
ferried  across  the  Mississippi  river  to  Bruinsburg,  Miss.  Two  men  and 
most  of  the  horses  were  drowned.  The  battery  was  re-equipped  at 
Memphis  and  returned  to  Gen.  Logan  by  June  30th.  In  the  interval 
Sparrestrom  was  detailed  to  take  charge  of  Battery  D,  First  111.  Artil- 
lery, whose  captain  had  been  killed  on  May  29th,  and  whose  lieutenant 
was  sick.  In  this  capacity  he  served  during  the  month  of  June,  par- 
ticipating in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  About  July  1st  Sparrestrom  re- 


68o 


THE   CIVIL    WAR 


sumed  command  of  his  own  battery,  which  took  part  in  several  expedi- 
tions around  Vicksburg.  In  December  it  moved  to  Union  City  and  was 
engaged  in  the  campaign  against  Gen.  Forrest.  Early  the  next  spring 
it  went  to  Columbus,  Ky.,  where  it  was  reorganized  and  veteranized. 
Returning,  it  took  part  in  the  expedition  to  Tupelo,  Miss.,  and  in  July 
and  August  in  the  expeditions  to  Holly  Springs  and  Oxford.  In 


BATTERY  D, 
1ST  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 

CAPT.  HENRY  A.  ROGERS! 

LIEUT.  GEORGE    J.  WOOD; 

CAPT.   FREDERICK    SPARRESTROM. 

3D  DIV.,  17TH  CORPS. 

CASUALTIES: 
CAPT.  HENRY  A.  ROGERS  WAS  KILLED 

ON  DUTY  AT  THE  SITE  OF  THE 

ILLINOIS  STATE  MONUMENT.  ABOUT 

MAY  29,  1863,  WHERE  THE  "WHITE  HOUSE 

BATTERY  "SERVED,  FIRING  DURING 

THE  SIEGE   FROM    THIS   POSITION    S20O 

ROUNDS  OF  AMMUNITION. 


Monument  at  Vicksburg  National  Military  Park 


September  it  joined  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith's  army  corps  in  pursuit  of  Gen. 
Price  in  Missouri.  In  November,  1864,  it  moved  to  Nashville  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  fighting  of  December  15th  and  16th.  From  here  it 
joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  defeated  Confederate  army.  The  battery 
subsequently  took  part  in  the  Mobile  campaign  and  'i  the  siege  and 
capture  of  Fort  Blakely.  Sparrestrom  resigned  from  the  service  Aug. 
22,  1864,  and  the  battery  was  mustered  out  Sept.  4,  1865.  Sparrestrom, 
of  whom  we  have  no  information  beyond  his  military  career,  proved 
himself  a  gallant  and  skillful  officer  and  rendered  efficient  service 
wherever  placed  during  his  three  years  in  the  army.  Two  of  the 
Illinois  monuments  in  the  Vicksburg  military  park  bear  his  name. 


ARTILLERY 


BATTERY  G"  2-D  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  WITH  3°  DIVISION,  17™.  CORPS.    MAY  1, 1863  III  A  COLLISION  OF  TRANSPORTS 

LOST  GUNS,  EQUIPMENT  AND  HORSES,  WENT  TO  MEMPHIS  FOR  REFITTING,  RETURNED  TO  DIVISION 

OK  mVESTlENT  LIKE  JHE  30.    LOSS  REPORTED.  DROWNED  2. 


CAPTAIH    FRED.  SPARRESTROM 


CAIHOUH.  JOHII  C.      nSW8.  HENST          KELI 


UDD.KMK 

c««$ia.jom     FwtB(s,wianM     LIWCKIX  FRMCIS  HEED,  vnuw  ». 

CHUOOW.L  SW.  i.     S»K[.  SWUEt          U»E»!M.«Ff  S.  DKIUflOS.  THWK 

UOTHICD.  SUMM     MUSH.  JUSTUS ».    IUTZ.MMM  SCOIT.  OEdlfIS 

COKTOCX.  HEZEKMH  (OK.  CHESTER          MATHUSM.  CUUS  SCUTI.  H  P! V  : 

CBOUCHJH.08tMD060ULil.6Uri.  MAUffifl.  .«MTIUS  SHERB'JSNf.  Al^ifPT 


BATTERY  "K"-  2^  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  FROM  ABOUT  MAY  20, 1863,  AND  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE 
FROM  ABOUT  MAY  25  WITH  4B  DIVISION.  16™  CORPS 


I   BENJAMIN  F.  RODGERS  ffiftBI  E&SSSP  ffi5SSff  K»' 

T.  FRANCIS  M  ROSS         JACOB PRIFSH*      SOWED. WLLIAWH.  «OKNM.WUJ«     IUUJLJKIIW     *AOE. JAKES 


CAPTAIN    BENJAMIN  F.  RODGERS 
12  LIEUT.  FRANCIS  M.  ROSS 
IH  LIEUT.  ABELS.  GALE 
2E  LIEUT.  WESLEY  PLATT 
22  LIEUT.  JOHN  PYATT 

SEDKMITS  CORPORALS 


:  "ifs  suxpiis.  *.IL:»M  '  -»y-Lio«,  ere  w.    PITCHER,  imes 

W'lLWH  8WD6ES      CAWMU6H,  WHII       X»«3««S  Dl 

HARRIS,  CdUMBUS    tEMMB,  JOHH 

"      HUSWS.  HfMif      irassfu.  wunm 

-  ;-li  iKMIOfR  SCHAOOm. nWR 


STWLER.  JOHN  i. 

sa:c».  JOHN 

SWAUS,  WILIAK  « 


BATTERY  "Lf-  2^  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CW4IGN  AND  C«i  '^VESTMENT  LINE 
WITH  3?  DIVISION.  170.  CORPS 


CAPTAIN    WILLIAM  H.  BOLTOX 
IS  LIEUT  JABEZ  H,  MOORE 
13  LIEUT.  SliON  P.  TRACY 
2!!  LIEUT.  ORLANDO  S,  WOOD 


8RK6S.ELIP.  !ORfFS.  A.».  LEACH.  HURY  ).        TURPLE.  »HN  C. 

311 LIN6S.  AUDKW     FREilKW.  6EO.  A.      LESP«<!irE  !R»NK     TWOKEY.  EO*AfiO 
iHOOKS,  PETES         »*/f«S.  ALBERT  T.     1AW,  «AOC»« R     WATERS, NHUAN 


KWRLJ.  BPUOITM     8ALL.ORKM 


CHICAGO   MERCANTILE 
BATTERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  AND  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE  WITH  IMS  DIVISION,  I3IS  CORPS. 
LOSS  REPORTED.  WOUNDFD  3 


CAPTAIN    PATRICK  H,  WHITE 

IS  LIEUT.  GEORGE  THROOP         [Mr0,?™ 

13  LIEUT.  PINCKNEYS.  COKE 

2B  LIEUT.  JOSEPH  W.  BARR 

2!  LIEUT.  HENRY  ROE 

SERGEANTS  CODPORAIS 

JOSEPH  W.  (ME         THOS.  II  HOTCWNSM    HAIIWY  T.  WEEKS 


BMTIETT,  AMMFWJ.  6RU8F»,  MM  f 

mtnn  OHM  H    HAUAWIWI  r 

eMOXCTT.  FMM3S  E.  IIAietM,  J*W  i. 


£N,  WAITED  C     MUMMC.WIUIAJIH.  STONF.  HUAH 


OS6000.  EDWW 1.      WATERS.  WILLIAM 


COG  SWELLS    BATTER 


SERVED  DURING  SIEGE  OS  EXTERIOR  LINE,  FROM  ABOUT  JUNE  12, 1863, 
WITH  IS  DIVISION.  I6U!  CORPS. 


CAPTAIN    WILLIAM  COGSWELL 
IS  UEUT  HENRY  G.  EDDY 
IS  UEUT.  WILLIAM  R,  ELTING 


wittS!  ffitKWlH     SAIMrf  OLSON 


'.K         HARTIIAIEX.),  Sfn  ».:.•"  ft 

COOPCR.OAWDW.  ^.')**«D.SnyA*SB  iAllill,JO««  SWMAWCTWH 

TR        CHAWI  •  ffORSE      WCAIF.MUMP  SL1SS,JAMiS 

•.      .  BAVIS.  JAKES  HUDSOK.mUMI       HOBCAJl  CHARUS  STBOMF.  JOSEPH 

AUJIIGHAM.VICHAFl    6n!«SS,  LARS  HUKPHRO  \WIUA«  KMtM.  JAWS  P.  SIWWRS,  JflSffH 

AWS.OM  'MN  JOHN5W  AW»E*     HUNM, EOWAM)  SWARTOUT. ORASKU 


682 


THK    CIVIL    WAR 


Lieutenant  Joseph    E.   Osborn 


Joseph  E.  Osborn  has  had  a  varied  career  in  the  army  service  as 
well  as  in  civil  life.  He  was  born  July  12,  1843,  at  Hille,  Helsingland, 
Sweden,  where  his  father,  Kev.  L.  P.  Esbjorn,  then  served  as  pastor  and 
schoolmaster.  The  family  came  to  America  in  1849,  locating  in  Andover, 
111.  The  son  Joseph  attended  Capital  University  for  a  short  period  at 
the  age  of  eleven,  then  worked  on  "Hemlandet"  as  typo  and  roller 
boy,  when  that  paper  was  started  in  Galesburg.  In  1858-60  he  studied 
at  the  Illinois  State  University  a't  Springfield,  where  his  father  taught. 


Lieutenant  Joseph  E.  Osborn 

While  there  he  became  acquainted  in  a  boyish  way  with  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  more  intimately  so  with  his  son  Robert,  who  attended  the 
same  school.  The  Esbjorn  family  having  removed  to  Chicago  in  1860, 
Joseph  worked  at  the  printer's  trade  until  the  war  broke  out,  when  he 
enlisted  immediately  in  a  company  recruited  by  Charles  J.  Stolbrand. 
The  quota  being  already  filled,  the  company  was  not  accepted,  but  at 
the  second  call  for  volunteers  Stolbrand  again  raised  a  company,  which 
young  Esbjorn  joined  Aug.  12,  1861.  He  served  with  this  organization, 
known  as  Battery  G.,  Second  111.  Light  Artillery,  until  July,  1863,  when, 
after  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  he  was  placed  on  detached  service  at  Gen. 
Logan's  headquarters,  where  he  served  for  several  months. 

During  this  time  Stolbrand  offered  Osborn  the  captaincy  in  the 
]lth  Miss.  Inf.,  a  colored  regiment,  which  he  declined  and  rejoined  the 


LIEUT.  JOSEPH    E.  OSBORX 


683 


battery.  Early  in  1864  he  applied  to  be  examined  for  a  commission  in 
a  colored  regiment  and,  after  passing  the  examination  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  and  assigned  to  Co.  G..  4th 
U.  S.  Heavy  Artillery,  colored,  in  garrison  at  Columbus,  Ky.  He  was 
at  once  appointed  on  the  staff  of  Ma j. -Gen.  Ord,  commander  of  the 
department  of  the  Mississippi,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  U.  S.  ordi- 
nance depot  at  Columbus,  a  responsible  place  for  a  man  of  twenty-one. 
Relieved  of  the  command  after  eight  months,  he  was  appointed  post 
commissary  at  the  same  point,  to  succeed  Maj.  Overton.  When  relieved 


BATTERY  G, 
2D  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 

CAPT.  FREDERICK   SPARRESTROM 
LIEUT.  JOHN    W    LOWELL. 
3D  DIV.,  17TH  CORPS. 

CASUALTIES  : 

WHILE  CROSSING  THE  RIVER  TO  BRUINSBURG. 

ON  TRANSPORT  "HORIZON."  THE   BOAT 
WAS  SUNK    BY  COLLISION   WITH  TRANSPORT 

WERE  DROWNED:  THE  GUNS.  EQUIPMENTS  AND 

ABOUT  JUNE  30 

Monument  at  Vicksburg  National  Military  Park 

of  his  duties  as  such,  he  was  made  provost  marshal  of  the  Freedmen's 
Bureau.  He  again  rejoined  the  regiment  late  in  the  fall  of  1865,  when 
ordered  to  Arkansas,  where  it  was  mustered  out  Feb.  5,  1866,  Osborn 
being  at  the  time  in  command  of  a  company,  although  not  holding  a 
captain's  commission. 

Osborn,  after  a  visit  north,  took  charge  of  a  store  in  Corinth,  Miss., 
owned  by  Gen.  Eaton.  In  1867  he  visited  his  relatives  in  Sweden,  re- 
turning the  following  year,  when  he  became  cashier  and  general  book- 
keeper for  the  American  Emigrant  Co.,  and  in  1869  traveling  repre- 


684 


WAR 


sentative  for  the  company.  He  was  sent  to  Sweden  in  1871  by  the 
C.  B.  &  Q.  Railway  Co.,  to  advertise  their  lands  in  Iowa  and  Nebraska, 
and  remained  two  years.  On  his  return  he  opened  a  steamship  ticket 
and  foreign  exchange  office  and  importing  and  exporting  agency,  and 
was  laying  the  foundation  for  a  very  promising  business  when,  during 
his  absence  in  the  West,  the  stealings  of  a  confidential  clerk  caused  his 
failure. 

Osborn  in  1874  associated  himself  with  two  clergymen,  J.  G. 
Princell  and  A.  Hult,  for  the  purpose  of  founding  "Barnvannen,"  a 
juvenile  paper  published  in  Chicago  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1875-6 
he  was  organist  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Boston.  While 
there  he  was  married,  Sept.  19,  1876,  to  Miss  Anna  I.  Bergstrom.  From 
1877  to  1883  he  served  as  school  teacher  and  organist  of  his  father's  old 
charge  in  Andover,  111. 

Osborn  was  associated  with  Capt.  Eric  Johnson  in  the  publishing 
of  "The  Swedish  Citizen,"  a  paper  finally  named  "The  Daily  and 
Weekly  Moline  Citizen."  In  1883  he  severed  his  connection  with  the 
publication  and  removed  to  St.  Paul  to  become  manager  of  "Skaffa- 
ren"  ("Minnesota  Stats-Tidning").  In  that  city  he  now  holds  a  posi- 
tion in  the  office  of  the  State  Auditor. 

Captain   Andrew   StenbecH. 

Captain  Andrew  Stenbeck,  who  commanded  Battery  H,  2nd  Illinois 
Light  Artillery  from  date  of  muster  Dec.  31,  1861,  until  his  resignation 
May  25,  1863,  was  a  native  of  Hafvarod,  Skane,  Sweden,  where  he  was 
born  Feb.  12,  1828.  Emigrating  in  1854,  he  settled  in  Galesburg.  In 
December,  1861,  having  enlisted  as  a  volunteer,  he  organized  the  battery 
at  Camp  Butler,  Springfield,  and  on  the  last  of  the  month  received  his 
captain's  commission,  partly  through  the  influence  of  C.  J.  Stolbrand, 
then  captain  of  Co.  G,  2nd  111.  Artillery,  and  a  former  comrade  in  arms 
in  the  Swedish  army.  Captain  Stenbeck  fought  at  Fort  Donelson, 
Shiloh,  Clarksville,  Nashville,  and  led  his  company  through  a  num- 
ber of  other  operations  in  the  Tennessee  campaign.  After  having 
resigned  his  command,  Stenbeck  located  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  served 
as  superintendent  of  Benton  Barracks  until  1866,  when  in  the  piping 
time  of  peace  he  removed  to  Chicago  and  became  a  piano  tuner.  Capt. 
Stenbeck  had  a  desire  to  enter  the  regular  army,  and  after  peace  was 
restored  applied  to  Johnson  for  a  captaincy,  which  was  denied,  the 
President  offering  him  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  which  Stenbeck 
declined.  All  through  his  vocation  as  a  tuner,  Capt.  Stenbeck  worked 
in  connection  with  the  firm  of  Julius  Bauer  and  Company.  He  was  an 
amateur  violinist  of  no  mean  talent.  To  relieve  the  strain  on  his  nerves 
and  hearing  incident  to  his  vocation,  he  secured  an  appointment  as 


SILFVERSPARRE'S     BATTERY 


685 


deputy  under  Sheriff  Mattson,  but  failing  health   compelled  him  to 
resign  the  position  after  a  few  months,  resuming  his  former  employ- 


Captain  Andrew  Stenbeck 

ment.  He  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Chicago  Dec.  14,  1891,  leaving 
a  widow,  Mrs.  Caroline  Stenbeck,  and  three  children,  of  whom  a  son. 
Edward  Stenbeck,  of  Denver,  Colo.,  survives. 

Capt.  Axel  Silfversparre  and  Battery  H,  1st  Regt.  Light  Artillery 

In  1861,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  Axel  Silfversparre,  a  former 
lieutenant  of  the  Svea  Artillery  Kegiment  in  the  Swedish  Army, 
left  in  order  to  go  to  the  United  States  to  fight  for  the  Union 
cause.  He  received  his  commission  from  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont,  who 
at  once  put  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  the  young  Swedish 
artillery  officer  to  good  use.  Silfversparre  was  first  sent  to  Fort 


686  THE   CIVIL  WAR 

Fremont,  at  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  to  put  a  number  of  heavy  artillery 
pieces  in  place.  This  duty  done,  Silfversparre,  burning  with  an  ambi- 
tion to  distinguish  himself  in  the  war,  went  to  Illinois  on  leave,  intent 
on  organizing  a  Swedish  battery.  On  Dec.  25,  1861,  he  secured  from 
the  state  authorities  a  commission  to  that  effect  and  during  the  next 
two  months,  accompanied  by  John  A.  Anderson  of  Chicago,  he  made 
a  recruiting  tour  of  the  Swedish  settlements  in  the  state,  starting  with 
Chicago  and  visiting  Rockford,  St.  Charles,  Batavia,  Geneva,  Sycamore, 
DeKalb,  Princeton,  Galva,  Bishop  Hill,  Andover,  Moline,  Knoxville, 
Victoria,  Galesburg,  and  other  places.  Swedish- Americans  to  the 
number  of  fifty  joined  him,  besides  a  larger  number  of  men  of 
ten  other  nationalities.  These  volunteers  met  in  Chicago  to  complete 
the  organization,  when  the  organizer,  Silfversparre  himself,  was  elected 
captain,  while  all  the  subordinate  offices  were  given  to  men  of  other 
than  Swedish  descent. 

Silfversparre  was  a  scion  of  the  Swedish  nobility.  His  parents 
were  Viscount  Gustaf  Johan  Silfversparre,  an  ex-lieut. -colonel  of  the 
Royal  Horse  Guards,  and  his  wife,  Countess  Sophie  Morner  of  Mor- 
landa.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Strangnas  May  8,  1834,  and 
•educated  at  the  Upsala  University.  After  his  graduation  from  college 
in  1852  he  became  a  non-commissioned  officer  of  the  Svea  Artillery, 
and  was  promoted  second  lieutenant  the  following  year.  He  served  in 
the  regiment  at  Stockholm.  Vaxholm  and  Hernosand  until  1858,  when 
he  entered  the  artillery  academy  of  Marieberg,  continuing  his  studies 
until  1860.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  a  number  of  army  officers 
who  after  having  been  engaged  in  a  fracas  with  civilians  in  Stockholm, 
were  court-martialed  and  degraded.  Shortly  thereafter  he  came  to 
the  United  States  and  was  employed  in  Missouri  as  army  engineer  be- 
fore enlisting  in  the  volunteer  army. 

Captain   Silfversparre's   Command 

The  battery  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  on  Feb. 
20th,  1862,  as  Battery  H,  First  Illinois  Light  Artillery,  commanded  by 
Col.  Joseph  D.  Webster.  Early  in  March  it  was  ordered  to  Benton 
Barracks,  Mo.,  where  the  men  were  given  three  weeks'  drill  and  the 
battery  was  provided  with  four  20-pound  Parrott  guns.  By  boat  they 
were  then  sent  south  to  join  the  army  of  the  Tennessee.  The  battery 
reached  Pittsburg  Landing  on  April  5th,  the  day  before  the  battle. 
It  was  given  a  place  in  the  center  of  a  line  of  artillery  protecting  the 
landing,  and  aided  materially  in  beating  back  the  last  assaults  of  the 
rebels  on  the  first  day's  battle.  Silfversparre  here  put  his  Swedish 
military  training  to  excellent  use  and  displayed  great  skill  and 
"braverv. 


SILFVERSPARRE'S    BATTERY  687 

Silfversparre  had,  according  to  his  own  memoranda  of  the  battle, 
most  carefully  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  enemy,  differing  in 
that  respect,  as  we  have  seen,  from  most  of  the  other  Union  officers  in 
that  fatal  affray.  At  that  time  the  Swedish  artillery  was  in  point  of 
equipment  rather  in  advance  of  that  of  the  Union  army.  Patterning 
after  the  Svea  Artillery,  Silfversparre  had  furnished  his  men  with 
spades,  picks  and  axes,  and  having  planted  his  cannon,  he  had  them 
well  protected  by  walls  of  earth  and  logs  built  up  in  front.*  To  those 
who  thought  he  took  needless  pains  he  explained,  "My  battery  is  put 
to  stay,  not  to  run."  Another  arrangement  of  his  was  to  mount  his 
gunners  on  the  horses  hitched  to  the  guns  so  as  to  be  instantly  on  hand, 
instead  of  following  with  the  ammunition  wagons.  By  putting  handles 
on  the  sponge-heads  he  made  it  possible  to  reload  without  danger  while 
the  guns  were  still  hot  from  the  last  discharge,  thereby  enabling  his 
men  to  fire  about  five  shots  in  the  time  otherwise  required  for  one. 
While  in  St.  Louis  he  had  procured  at  his  own  expense  fuses  of  varied 
length,  and  when  in  this  battle  the  enemy  closed  in  on  his  position  he 
used  the  shortest  lengths,  with  the  result  that  when  General  Chalmers' 
column  charged  the  battery,  it  was  met  by  a  blizzard  of  shrapnel  which 
made  further  advance  impossible,  and  the  enemy  was  forced  back  with 
great  loss.  Silfversparre  was  personally  thanked  by  Grant  and  Slier- 
men  that  day  for  his  part  in  checking  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  but 
like  most  of  the  heroes  of  the  day,  received  no  mention  in  Grant's 
report  of  the  battle. 

These  arrangements  are  said  to  have  rendered  him  many  compli- 
ments in  the  press,  which  in  turn  aroused  the  envy  of  the  other  artillery 
officers.  Twice  he  was  court-martialed  on  the  trumped-up  charge  of 
cruelty  to  the  horses  and  .wasteful  handling  of  the  ordnance  stores  and 
material,  but  was  acquitted  both  times,  and  complimented  upon  his 
skillful  tactics. 

Shortly  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh  the  Silfversparre  battery  was 
transferred  to  General  Sherman's  division  and  subsequently  belonged 
to  the  second  division  of  the  15th  army  corps  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
At  the  first  inspection  Gen.  Sherman  rejected  the  "newfangled  things" 
introduced  by  Silfversparre  with  instructions  to  equip  the  battery  in 
the  regular  way.  This  was  done,  but  after  the  second  shot  sub- 
sequently fired  by  the  battery  a  man  lost  his  hand  in  a  premature 
explosion  of  a  load,  all  because  of  the  absence  of  the  handle  to  the 
sponge-head. 

In   September,    1862,    Capt.   Silfversparre   was   assigned   to   Fort 

*  A  survivor  of  Battery  H  states  as  his  recollection  that  sacks  of  grain  and  feed  from 
the  commissary  stores,  stacked  up  in  front  of  the  guns,  afforded  the  only  protection  against 
the  enemy's  fire.  Major  Reed's  account  of  the  battle  corroborates  the  survivor's  impression 
in  these  words:  "We  find  at  Shiloh  that  with  three  exceptions  no  breastworks  were  prepared 
by  either  side  on  Sunday  night.  Of  these  exceptions  a  Union  battery  near  the  Landing  was 
protected  by  a  few  sacks  of  corn  piled  up  in  front  of  the  guns." 


688 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


Pickering,  near  Memphis,  Tenn.  He  was  detailed  by  Gen.  Sherman 
on  Sept.  16th  to  take  charge  of  the  fixed  and  permanent  batteries  in 
the  fort  and  instructed  to  mount  and  equip  heavy  guns,  besides  super- 
vising the  appurtenances  of  the  lighter  guns.  The  officers  of  the 


Captain  Axel  Silfversparre 

batteries  were  to  be  instructed  by  him  in  the  manual  of  the  guns. 
Sherman  further  directed  him  to  instruct  or  supervise  the  drill  of  two 
of  the  companies  and  to  personally  drill  the  other  two  companies  daily. 
In  case  of  action,  Silfversparre  was  to  command  the  four  companies. 
About  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  he  was  also  assigned  as  drill- 


ARTILLERY 


BATTERY  H  -  1^  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  AKD  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE  WITH  2B  DIVISION.  I5IB  COOPS 
.    LOSS  REPORTO).  KILLED  I. 


CAPTAIN    LEVIW.HART 
lil  LIEUT.  LEWIS  B.  MITCHftL 
22  LIEUT.  FRANCIS  DE  GRESS 
28  LIEUT.  EDWARD  ADAMS 

SrRKMtS       .PETER  STARK 


.WWB1.C.  PTTS3UK. 1. 

jFUEn.  CHARLIS   RK  R1CHUID 


MHAMSlW.  MH«   .  »\OKMl.  PETER         TO*. 


BATTERY  T  •  1^  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  SIEGE  ON  EXTERIOR  LINE,  FROM  ABOUT  JUNE  12, 1861 
WITH  IH  DIVISION.  I6IM  CORPS. 


LIEUT.  WILLIAM  N.  LANSING 

'•ISLJW'SLrf    usssi«s?r  s 

'     I  WMEiiMaW.     «YA».  K»n' 

I          GOOWifX  CNAS.  F,  WCAHTY.JMAS       SAMO,  WIU1W  K. 


C          SUHOfWIAK.  6fO.      MILLS. 


BATTERY  A'-  2^  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  AND  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE  WITH  MB  DIVISION,  I3IH  CORPS. 
LOSS  REPORTED.  KILLED  I. 


CAPTAIN    PETER  DAVIDSON 
12  LIEUT.  FRANK  B.  FENTON 

25  LIEUT.  NATHAII  C.  GOODNOW 

26  LIEUT.  RENSALLERW.HINMAN 


.'  ALORICH,  JOHN  P.       I  INKER,  KUDY 


Di)     "WORSE.  ROSWILL 1.  STOWILL  HEIMV 


BATTERY  "E"-  2°-  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  FR01  ABOUT  MAY  20, 1863,  AND  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE 
WITH  42*  DIVISION.  I6B  CORPS, 


CAPTAIN  CONRAD  GUMBART 
IH  LIEUT.  GEORGE  L  NISPFL 
•si  LIEUT.  EMIL  STEGER 


MISEHEWER.  Ph  l:P  SE6ER,  JOHN 

IWZf  R,  CHAIHES  SHARP,  «CHOUS 

NACFLWILUII  SHEMlLnMUS 

1110X3.  PETER  i '«.  I«OB 

— iwuwn 


!EMUJM.MTTlin  P1SIE«.X»M 


SieSWMOAKTM          EKSUW.  STEPHEI    HAUPPi  R.  WIU'AM     WUTE».« 


BATTERY  ' T"-  2»-  ARTILLERY 


SERVED  DURING  CAMPAIGN  AND  ON  INVESTMENT  LINE 
WITH  6Q  DIVISION.  I7IH  CORPS 


CAPTAIN    JOHN  W.  POWELL 


i    NLIEU  xmy 

HlWlE*AII,«WWIjlS'-1!lL!«,HE!IRyC.      SMCR,  »M«  K. 
E.      MUCH.  LOIR  JOUWliefRC.  CH 


CARROLL,  CHAHlfS     IMWl  AU6USI        OtUCHUelWHr  SCHUIIE,  CMISIM 


.  .  .         . 

C'.'M*.  OOWKICK       «OHIE».  HEdltY         PTM*.  LrCf 


690  THE   CIVIL    WAR 

master  of  General  Hurlbut's  division,  encamped  four  miles  distant. 
Apparently  doubtful  of  his  ability  to  attend  to  his  complex  duties,  he 
resigned  his  commission  Feb.  22nd,  to  take  a  position  in  another  depart- 
ment of  the  army.  But  before  his  transfer  he  had  the  misfortune  of 
being  captured  by  the  Confederates. 

Like  many  other  officers,  Silfversparre  engaged  in  a  little  private 
speculation.  While  out  in  the  country  alone  one  day  buying  up  cotton, 
which  at  that  time  brought  high  prices,  he  encountered  a  band  of  bush- 
whackers and  was  taken  prisoner  after  killing  one  of  his  antagonists. 
He  was  threatened  with  hanging,  when  a  squad  of  cavalry  interfered 
and  carried  him  off  to  Jackson,  Miss.  There  he  was  granted  an  inter- 
view with  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  who  sent  him  to  the  Libby  prison 
at  Richmond,  with  other  prisoners  of  war.  After  having  endured 
inhuman  treatment  there  for  ten  months  he  made  good  his  escape  by 
bribing  a  guard,  whose  uniform  he  donned  and.  after  having  secured 
a  pass  at  the  military  headquarters,  went  south  to  Wilmington.  S.  C. 
There  he  engaged  as  engineer  on  the  blockade  runner  Cornubia. 
which  was  chased  by  Union  vessels  the  better  part  of  the  way  to  the 
Bermudas.  Such  was  the  closing  episode  in  Capt.  Silfversparre 's 
military  career. 

Death  of  Sergeant  Wyman 

Capt.  Levi  W.  Hart,  who  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Silfver- 
sparre battery,  was  followed  by  Francis  De  Gress,  from  Cape  Girar- 
deau.  Mo.,  the  oldest  second  lieutenant,  who  was  promoted  to  the  chief 
command  of  the  battery  Dec.  25th  of  the  same  year.  Under  him  the 
battery  took  active  part  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  second  division 
of  the  15th  Army  Corps  and  was  one  of  its  working  batteries  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Mission  Ridge  and  Atlanta.  The  battery  especially  distinguished 
itself  for  brilliant  work  at  the  taking  of  the  latter  city  July  21-22.  1864, 
but  lost  in  that  engagement  Sergeant  Peter  S.  Wyman,  one  of  its  most 
efficient  men.  The  batteries  of  the  brigade  were  posted  in  a  semi-circle, 
De  Gress'  battery  holding  one  of  the  flanks.  The  unionists  were  con- 
fronted by  a  force  of  rebels  five  times  their  own  number,  which  made 
an  irresistible  charge.  The  brigade  commander  therefore  ordered  a 
retreat,  and  all  but  Capt.  De  Gress  and  Sergeant  Wyman  fell  back. 
The  two  stuck  to  the  guns  to  give  the  rebels  a  few  parting  shots.  This 
done,  De  Gress  turned  and  ran,  but  Wyman,  not  yet  satisfied,  reloaded 
for  a  final  warm  farewell.  Then  he  spiked  the  gun  and  sought  safety 
in  flight,  but  fell  the  next  instant,  pierced  by  three  musket  balls.  The 
battery,  captured  by  the  enemy,  was  soon  retaken,  and  its  guns  again 
pointed  at  the  Confederates,  who  now  made  reverse  tracks  faster  than 
they  had  stormed  forward  just  before. 


SILFVERSPARRE'S   BATTERY 


691 


Under  the  command  of  De  Gress,  Battery  H,  henceforth  known  as 
De  Gress'  Battery,  added  to  its  laurels  and  became  a  very  famous  one 
in  Gen.  Sherman's  command.  From  Atlanta,  it  participated  in  the 
march  to  the  sea,  and  finally  marched  in  review  before  the  President  at 
Washington  and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield  June  14,  1865.  The 
surviving  members  of  the  battery  are  said  to  have  been  a  unit  in  praise 
of  Silfversparre  as  a  commander  as  brave  as  any  and  a  tactician  of 


Sergeant  Peter  S.  Wyman 

more  than  average  skill,  but  they  were  of  the  opinion  that  his  ironclad 
Swedish  discipline  was  impracticable  in  a  citizen  army  of  volunteers. 
Peter  S.  Wyman  (Yman),  who  died  a  hero's  death  before  Atlanta, 
was  born  at  Ysanna,  Blekinge,  Sweden,  in  1836,  and  emigrated  in  1854, 
locating  in  Galesburg,  where  he  was  working  as  a  blacksmith,  when 
the  war  broke  out.  When  on  his  recruiting  tour  Silfversparre  reached 
Galesburg,  Wyman  was  one  of  the  first  to  apply.  Enlisting  as  a  private, 
he  soon  became  sergeant.  Had  he  lived  one  day  longer,  he  would  have 
been  promoted,  his  appointment  to  a  lieutenancy  having  reached  his 
chief  the  very  same  day  that  Wyman  lost  his  life.  Capable,  brave, 
patriotic,  Wyman  had  the  making  of  a  good  artillery  officer,  and  his 


692 


THE   CIVIL   WAR 


comrades  in  arms  looked  for  him  to  rise  to  high  rank  in  the  service. 
His  remains  rest  in  an  unmarked  spot  on  the  battlefield  where  he  fell. 
In  the  battle  of  Atlanta  Peter  Larson,  Gustaf  Ahlstrand  and  S.  A. 
Lundgren  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands.  What  became  of  the  two  last 
named  is  not  recorded,  but  Larson  had  to  spend  several  months  amid 
the  horrors  of  Andersonville  prison,  before  he  was  transferred  to  more 
tolerable  quarters. 


BATTERY  H, 

1ST  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 


CASUALTIES  I 

SKIRMISHES.  MAY  18,  2O  AND  21.  1863, 
KILLED  1. 


Monument  at  Vicksburg  National  Military  Park 

Peter  B.  Larson  of  Silf  versparre 's  Battery,  who  was  mustered  out 
as  corporal,  located  in  Chicago  after  the  war  and  as  general  agent  of 
the  National  Line,  became  extensively  known  among  his  fellow  country- 
men. He  was  born  at  Axeltorp,  Skane,  Sweden,  March  31,  1843,  and 
came  along  with  his  parents  to  this  country  in  1854.  The  family 
located  in  Galesburg,  Avhere  Peter  Larson  enlisted.  He  was  captured  at 
Atlanta  and  was  a  prisoner  at  Andersonville,  Charleston  and  Florence 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  Upon  his  return  home  he  took  a  four  years' 
course  of  study  at  the  Illinois  Soldiers'  College  at  Fulton,  prior  to 
engaging  in  the  steamship  ticket  business.  He  died  about  April,  1881. 


SILVERSPARRK'S   BATTERY 


693 


From  Atlanta  the  battery  was  ordered  to  Savannah,  participating 
in  the  capture  of  Fort  McAllister,  and  thence  to  Columbia,  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  supposed  to  have  been  started  by  a  random  shot  fired 
by  this  battery.  At  Bentonville  Battery  H  had  its  last  fight. 

While  the  battery  lay  at  Savannah  the  term  of  enlistment  expired 
and  all  but  eight  men  of  the  battery  re-enlisted.  The  eight  took  the 
steamer  General  Lyon  for  New  York,  but  never  reached  home,  the 
vessel  being  burned  at  sea  March  31,  1865.  All  on  board  perished, 
including  Charles  Beckman  and  John  Johanson  of  Chicago,  Peter  Olson 
Hult  of  St.  Charles  and  Peter  Munson  of  Knoxville. 

About  the  time  of  re-enlistment,  battery  H  was  given  a  brief 
furlough.  Its  Swedish  members  then  went  home  to  Illinois  in  a  body 
and  were  accorded  a  public  reception  in  Chicago,  and  presented  with 
a  handsome  parade  flag,  emblazoned  with  the  names  of  the  three  great 
victories — Shiloh,  Vicksburg,  Atlanta. 

Silfversparre's   Civil   Career 

From  the  Bermudas  Silfversparre  betook  himself  to  New  York 
and  there  met  Col.  W.  W.  Adams,  who  promised  to  make  him  his  assist- 
ant in  the  construction  of  the  Union  Pacific  railway  projected  by  Gen. 
Fremont  and  of  which  Adams  was  to  have  been  chief  engineer.  When 
the  project  failed,  owing  to  the  murder  of  Fremont's  chief  financial 
backer,  Adams  and  Silfversparre  collaborated  on  plans  for  a  suspension 
bridge  across  East  River,  which  plans  were  afterwards  used  by  the 
war  department  and  the  New  York  legislature  in  planning  the  Brook- 
lyn bridge. 

Toward  the  close  of  1864  Silfversparre  was  engaged  as  engineer  of 
the  Quincy  copper  mine  in  Michigan.  In  1865  he  became  assistant  city 
engineer  of  Chicago,  a  place  retained  for  several  years.  In  the  great 
fire  he  lost  his  home  and  everything  he  owned,  including  a  number  of 
instruments.  The  year  following  he  helped  to  draw  the  new  city  plans. 
He  was  nominated  on  the  police  board  that  year,  but  failed  of  election, 
and  also  suffered  defeat  as  a  candidate  for  county  surveyor  in  1876. 
Having  left  the  city  engineer's  office,  he  was  engaged  in  preparing  a 
commercial  atlas  of  Illinois  in  1877  and  during  part  of  the  next  two 
years  worked  under  Gen.  McDowell,  who  superintended  the  construc- 
tion of  the  federal  building  in  Chicago. 

Going  to  Colorado  in  1880,  Capt.  Silfversparre  drew  plans  for  the 
city  of  Denver  that  year,  and  the  next  made  the  survey  for  the  Denver 
and  Rio  Grande  railway  over  the  Rockies  to  the  Utah  border.  A  map 
of  the  state  of  Colorado,  with  a  supplement  covering  the  mining  dis- 
tricts, was  worked  out  by  him  in  1882  and  printed  in  Chicago  under 
his  supervision  the  following  year.  A  map  of  the  city  of  Washington 


694 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


was  next  undertaken,  but  the  work  being  interrupted,  he  secured  a 
position  in  1886  as  draftsman  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  The 
next  year  the  map  of  the  capital  city  was  completed  and  published. 

Owing  to  failing  strength,  Capt.  Silfversparre  in  1888  sought  ad- 
mittance to  the  soldiers'  home  at  Hampton,  Va.,  where  the  veteran 
spent  eight  years,  being  subsequently  transferred  to  the  home  at  Day- 
ton, O.,  where  he  was  chosen  commandant  in  1897.  Having  been  pen- 
sioned, he  made  a  trip  to  Sweden  in  1898.  After  his  return  he  was 
engaged  in  Chicago  on  a  large  wall  map  of  Sweden,  drawn  according 
to  the  latest  maps  issued  by  the  Swedish  general  staff. 

Again  laying  down  the  draftsman's  pen,  he  entered  the  soldiers r 
home  at  Danville,  111.,  where  he  passed  away  March  2,  1906,  and  was 
buried  with  military  honors.  Capt.  Axel  Silfversparre  was  married  in 
1866  to  Mary  Jane  Gunning  of  Chicago.  Their  union  was  dissolved  in 
1884.  Of  their  three  children,  Servais  Zacharias  Silfversparre.  a 
lawyer,  is  the  publisher  of  a  mining  journal,  "Ores  and  Metals,"  at 
Denver. 


Roster  of  Battery  H,  First  Illinois  Artillery 


With  the  exception  of  the  officers,  only  Swedish  names  are  given 


Name  and  Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Captains 
Axel  Silfversparre.. 

Springfield  

Dec. 
Feb. 
Dec. 

Feb. 
March 
Dec. 

June 

Jan. 
Feb. 

June 
it 

Feb. 
Jan. 

Jsn. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
• 

25,  '61 

22,   '63 
25.   '63 

I,   '62 

6,  '62 
25,  '63 

12,   '65 

I,  '62 
I,  '62 

13.  >65 

5,  '62 
28,  '62 

6,  '62 
27,  '62 

12,    '62 
13,   '62 
20,    '62 

Resigned  Feb.  22,  '63  

Discharged  Dec.  25,  '63  

Francis  DeGress  

First  Lieutenants.  . 
Lewis  B.  Mitchell  .  . 
George  G.  Knox.  .  . 
Robert  S.  Gray  
Robert  S.  Gray  

Second  Lieutenants 
Francis  DeGress  
Edward  Adams  

C.GirardeauMo. 

Pro.  by  President  Brevet  Major, 
Mar.  13,   '65,  M.  O.  June  14,  '65 

Resigned  April  14,   '65  

Erie,    Penn  .... 

C.Girardeau.Mo 
Springfield  
Knoxville  

Discharged  Nov    i,   '62. 

Promoted  Senior  ist    Lieuten't 
Mustered  out  June  14,   '65  

Promoted    Captain  

Killed  July  10,   '63  

Mustered  out  June  14.  '65  
M.  O.  June  14,   '65.  as  Sergeant 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

C.  GirardeauMo 

First  Sergeant 
John  R.  Scupham.  . 

Sergeants 
William  E.  Merritt. 

John  A.  Anderson.. 
Lewis  Larson  
Henry  O.  Olson  

Chicago  

Private.      Drowned    at    sea    by- 
burning   of   steamer   Gen'l 
Lvon    March   31,   '65  

Knoxville  
Chicago            .  . 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran         .... 

Discharged  Dec.  14,  '62,  as  pri- 
vate: disabilitv.  . 

Rockford  

Daniel  E.  Steward.. 

Chicago  

SILFVERSPARRE'S   BATTERY 


695 


Name  and  Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Re  m  arks 

Privates 
Abrahamson  John  .  . 

Rockford  

Feb.      25,  '62 

Dis    Oct.  7    '62*   disability 

•\nderson  Andrew 

Andover  

Dis    Sept.  14    '62*  disability 

Anderson  Peter. 

Galesburg  

Jan.        15,  '62 

Died   Pittsburg  Ldg   May  9  '62 

\nderson  John  A. 

Moline  

Jan.       29,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

\lstrand  Gustav 

Andover   

Jan.       28,  '62 

\nderson  Thomas 

Chemung  

Jan.       28,  '62 

Died,  Memphis,  Aug.  21     '62. 

Anderson  Anders  E. 

Chicago  

Feb.      21,  '62 

Disch.  Oct    24,   '62'  disability 

Buckland  John  J. 

Rockford  

Jan.        15,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Beckman  Charles 

Chicago    

Feb.      24,  '62 

Drowned  at  sea  by  burning  of 

the  steamer  General  Lyon, 
March  31,   '65  

Charleson  N.  Peter. 

Rock  Island.  .  . 

Feb.      25,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Charleson  Aaron 

Andover  

Jan.       28,  '62 

Erickson   Sven  
Godee   Seth     

Knoxville  
Galena  

Feb.      26,  '65 
March    2,  '62 

Died  at  Memphis,  Sept.  19,  '62. 
Deserted  

Hultgreen  N  John 

Andover  

Jan.       28,  '62 

Disch    Oct.  20,   '62°  disabilitv 

Hult  Peter  Olson..  . 

St.   Charles.... 

Feb.        5,  '62 

Drowned  at  sea  by  burning  of 
the  steamer  General  Lyon, 
March  31,  '65.  . 

Hagerstroni  John  C. 

Chicago  

Feb.        4,  '62 

Re-  enlisted  as  Veteran 

Hogberg  Olof  

Feb.      28,  '62 

Disch    June  19,  '63°  disability 

Johannson  John  .... 

" 

Feb.      24,  '62 

Drowned  at  sea  by  burning  of 
the  steamer  General  Lyon, 
March   31,  '65 

Johnson  Johannes. 

Feb.      24,  '62 

Johann  August 

Chicago  

Feb.      22,  '62 

Johnson  John  A 

Rockford  

Tan.       i  \.  '62 

Deserted 

Johnson  Carl  Peter 

Moline      

Jan.       31,  '62 

Died  near  Corinth    Ma}"  17   '62 

Johnson   C.  Julius 

Chicago  

Jan.       20,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Johnson  August 

Jan.       22,  '62 

Johnson   Axel 

Chicago  

Jan.       23    '62 

Johnson  Andrew  J.. 
Larson  Peter   . 

Galesburg  

Jan.       26,  '62 
Jan.       27,  '62 

Larson  Ch  W  . 

Andover  

Lindman    Axel 

Moline  

Jan.       30,  '62 

Landstrom  John. 

Knoxville.  ..... 

Feb.      26,  '62 

Deserted  

Ldfgren  Charles  . 

Andover  

Feb.      25,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Lundgren  S.  A  

Lindquist  C  

ii 

« 

Died,  Vicksburg,  Nov.  20,  '63. 

Munson  Peter  

Knoxville  ..... 

Feb.      19,  '62 

Drowned  at  sea  by  burning  of 

the  steamer  General  Lyon, 
March  31  ,   '65  

Nelson   August 

Rock  Island.  .  . 

Feb.      25,  '62 

Deserted. 

Nelson  John. 

Galesburg  

Feb.      25,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

Nero  Samuel  John 

Geneva  

March     4,  '62 

Olson    Abraham 

Andover   

Jan        27,  '62 

Oberg  Peter  Alfred 

Rockford  

Jan         15    '62 

Olson  Gustaf 

Chicago  

March     2,  '62 

Peters  John 

Rockford  

Feb.      25,  '62 

Peterson  Sven 

Chicago    

Jan        26    '62 

Swanson   S    M 

Andover   

Jan.       28,  '62 

Died,  Andover.  Ill    Sept   17  "6^ 

Swanson  Nels  P.  ... 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran  

Stark   Peter 

Chicago  

March     2,  '62 

Winlof  N         

Jan.       28,  '62 

Died,  Memphis,  Nov.  19    '62 

Wvman  Peter  S.  .  .  . 

Galesburg  

Feb.      26,  '62 

Re-enltsted  as  Veteran  

\Vesterland  E  A. 

Andover   

Jan.       28,  '62 

Died  at  Camp  Sherman    Miss 

Sept.  4,   '6^.  . 

Wahlborg  Louis  .... 

Rockford  

Jan.        15,  '62 

Re-enlisted  as  Veteran 

I  'eterans 

Mustered  out  June  14, 
1865,  except  as  noted. 
Anderson  John  A.. 

Chicago  .  . 

Feb.       27.  '6/1 

Disch.    Tan.   A.    '6s:    rlisabililv.  . 

696 


THE    CIVIL   WAR 


Name  and   Rank 

Residence 

Date  of  rank  or 
enlistment 

Remarks 

Veterans 

Chicago  

Feb.      27,  '64 

M.  O.  June   14,  '65,  as  Corporal 

Alstrand  Gustaf  
Buckland  John  J.  .  . 
Benson    Henk  

March     6,  '64 

VI.  O.  June   14,  '65,  as  Corporal 

Charleson   Aaron  .  .  . 
Charleson  N.  Peter. 
Ha^erstrom  Jolin  C 

flock  Island  .  .  . 
Chicago  

Feb.      27,  '64 
Feb.      27,  '64 

Died  in  the  field,  Ga.,Oct.4,  '64 
Died,  Chattanooga,  Nov.  15,  '64 

Johnson   C.  Julius.  . 
Johnson  August  
Johnson    Andrew   J. 
Johnson   Axel  

Abs't,  wounded,  at  M.  O.  of  Bat. 

Larson  Peter   

H 

fi 

M.  O.  June  14,   '65,  as  Corpor'l 

Larson  Louis  

ECnoxville  

"             "          as  Sergeant 
"             "           as    Co.    Q. 
M.  Serg't.    Com.  2cl  Lieut., 
but  not  mustered  

Lindnian   Axel  

Andover   

" 

Chicago    

ii 

Nero  Samuel  J  

March     6,  '64 

Nelson  John  

« 

Feb.      27,  '64 

Olson    Abraham  .... 
Olson  H    Olof  

(( 

" 

Disch.  March  24,  '65;  disability 

Oberg  Peter  Alfred 

Rockford    

i> 

Olson  Peter             .  . 

Chicago  

n 

Olson  Gustaf  

March     6,  '64 

M.  O.  June  14,  '65,  as  Sergeant. 

Peters  John             .  . 

ii 

Feb.      27,  '64 

Peterson  Sven  

K 

" 

Stark  Peter.  ........ 

11 

March     6/64 

Swanson  Nels  P.  ... 
Wahlborg  Louis.  .  .  . 
Wyman  Peter  S.... 

Recruits 
Anderson  John  

Chicago  

Feb.      27,  '64 
March  30   '65 

Corp'l.     Died  in  Ala.  June  7/64 
M.  O.  June  14,  '62,  as  Sergeant. 
Serg't.  Killed  in  battlejuly22,'64 

Deserted  April  6,   '62  

Anderson  N  J  

Chicago    

March     2    '62 

Danielson   August.  . 
Godee  Seth  

April     21,  '64 
Aug       1  1    '64 

M.  O.  June  14,  '65,  as  Corporal 

Johnson  Samuel  .... 
Johnson  Sven  J  

Galesburg 

March  30,  '64 
Feb          i    '62 

Deserted  

Lindwall    August.  .  . 

Rockford 

March     5    '62 

Lindwall  Lewis. 

Andover 

March     2    '62 

« 

Nelson  Peter           .  . 

Geneva 

March     4    '62 

"         April  6,  '62  

Olson  John  

Chicago    

March  30    '62 

Olson  Nils  

March     6    '62 

Okerson  William  .  .  . 
Peterson  John  G  .  .  . 
Pearson  Olof 

Rockford     . 

March  30,  '64 
March     5    '62 

Deserted                            

Svenson  Sven  

Chicogo  

March  30,  '64 

Disch.  Oct.  20,  '62;  disability 

Sword  Andrew  
Tragardh  Lewis  .... 

April     22,  '64 
March  30,  '64 

Absent,  sick,  at  M.  O.  of  Batt'y 
Mustered  out  July  3,   '65  

Captain   Carl  Arosenius 

Carl  Arosenius,  whose  antecedents  we  have  been  unable  to  trace, 
was  a  resident  of  Galesburg.  In  1859  he  became  editor  of  "Frihets- 
vannen,"  a  Swedish  newspaper  of  Baptist  tendencies,  and  appears  to 
have  been  in  charge  of  the  paper  until  it  ceased  publication  after  a 


AROSENIUS— EKSTRAND 


697 


year.  Arosenius  was  a  college  bred  man  from  Sweden  and  has  been 
credited  with  considerable  ability  as  a  writer.  He  had  laid  down  the 
pen  some  time  before  taking  up  the  sword  in  defense  of  the  Union 
cause.  On  July  17,  1861,  he  enlisted  and  was  mustered  in  as  corporal 
of  Co.  A.  in  a  regiment  recruited  in  Missouri,  and  afterwards  credited 
to  Illinois  as  the  59th.  Arosenius  was  promoted  quartermaster  sergeant 
Dec.  1st  that  year,  serving  as  such  until  the  following  autumn,  when, 
on  Oct.  9th,  at  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  he  was  transferred  to  the  43rd  regiment 
and  made  captain  of  Co.  C.,  to  succeed  Capt.  Edvall,  who  had  died  of 
wounds  received  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  At  the  end  of  his  three-year 
term,  he  re-enlisted,  as  did  almost  all  the  members  of  Co.  C.,  and  re- 
mained in  command  of  the  company,  which  was  known  as  Co.  A.,  after 
consolidation  of  the  43rd  regiment,  until  mustered  out  on  Nov.  30,  1865. 
His  war  record  is  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  company  he  so  gallantly 
led.  After  the  war  Capt.  Arosenius  is  known  to  have  joined  in 
establishing  the  Swedish  weekly  "Svenska  Amerikanaren  "  of  Chicago, 
in  1866,  and  he  is  said  to  have  aspired  to  the  editorial  position  with  that 
paper  which  was  tendered  to  Col.  Mattson  of  Minnesota.  The  sub- 
sequent career  of  Arosenius  we  are  unable  to  trace  for  want  of  data. 
He  is  said  to  have  died  in  Chicago  not  many  years  after  the  close  of 
the  war. 

Lieutenant  John   H.  E,H.strand 

One  of  those  Swedish-American  veterans,  whose  names  deserve  to 
grace  the  roll  of  honor  for  gallant  service,  was  Lieutenant  John  H. 
Ekstrand.  He  was  born  Dec.  24,  1828,  in  Goteborg,  Sweden,  and  there 
obtained  a  college  education,  then  taught  public  school  until  he  enlisted 
in  the  Gota  Artillery,  where  he  was  promoted  sergeant.  He  went  to 
sea  in  1851,  was  for  a  time  in  England,  then  shipped  for  Egypt  and  had 
a  siege  of  severe  illness  at  Alexandria.  Returning  to  Liverpool,  he 
shipped  for  the  United  States  and  came  to  New  York  early  in  1854. 
At  Buffalo  he  met  Capt.  C.  M.  Lindgren  and  sailed  on  one  of  his 
schooners  that  summer.  After  two  years  of  errant  existence  he  came 
to  Chicago  in  1856.  Here  he  fell  bravely  to  studying  the  English 
language,  was  soon  married  to  a  widowed  lady,  Katarina  Johnson, 
whereupon  the  pair  settled  on  a  small  farm  at  Beaver,  111.  There  Ek- 
strand served  as  school  teacher  for  two  .years.  One  Christmas  morning 
he  heard  a  stirring  sermon  by  a  Methodist  preacher,  which  effected  his 
conversion.  In  his  spiritual  exaltation  he  began  preaching  the  same 
day  and  was  soon  duly  licensed  as  a  preacher  of  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Church.  On  Sept.  20th,  1861,  Ekstrand  enlisted  for  volunteer  service 
as  a  private  in  the  51st  111.  Vol.  Inf.  regiment.  At  the  muster-in  Dec. 
24.  1861,  he  was  made  sergeant  of  Co.  C..  and  was  detailed  to  service 


698 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


as  orderly.  He  was  with  the  regiment  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  at  Stone 
River,  and  after  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge.  Nov.  24,  1863.  Ekstrand's 
gallantry  and  military  capacity  were  brought  to  the  attention  of  his 
superiors.  Upon  Sherman's  recommendation.  Grant  promoted  him  to 
second  lieutenant  in  the  13th  regiment  of  the  regular  army.  In  the 
battle  of  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Nov.  30,  1864,  he  received  an  ugly  wound  in 
the  leg,  necessitating  the  amputation  of  the  limb  and  compelling  his 
retirement  from  the  service.  He  resigned  after  having  bravely  served 
the  Union  for  three  vears  and  three  months.  The  mutilated  veteran 


Lieutenant  John  H.  Ekstraml 

re-entered  the  service  of  the  church  militant  as  a  Methodist  preacher, 
and  during  the  next  fifteen  years  served  the  Swedish  churches  in  Le- 
land,  Victoria,  Andover,  Geneseo  and  Beaver.  In  1879  he  was  retired, 
being  declared  superannuated  when  but  fifty-one  years  old. 

In  the  year  1890,  or  prior,  he  removed  to  Seattle,  Wash.,  where  he 
attained  some  consequence  as  a  politician.  Being  a  maimed  veteran,  he 
had  little  difficulty  in  securing  fairly  lucrative  positions.  He  was  alter- 
nately clerk  of  court,  under  Judge  Ashburn.  private  secretary  to  Mayor 


BRIEF    MENTION  699 

Phelps  and  held  a  position  in  the  county  clerk's  office.  Ekstrand 
passed  away  April  11,  1902,  leaving  a  widow  tolerably  well  provided 
for. 

Even  late  in  life  Ekstrand,  although  an  invalid,  was  an  exception- 
ally agile  man,  and  still  bore  the  stamp  of  the  rough  and  ready  fighter, 
with  no  traces  of  the  meek  and  sanctimonious  divine.  His  gifts  as  a 
public  speaker,  which  were  not  small,  he  devoted  in  his  latter  years  to 
the  cause  of  politics.  He  entered  with  great  zest  into  the  American 
Protective  Association  movement  while  that  was  at  its  height.  He  was 
an  extreme  and  uncompromising  Republican,  and  is  said  to  have  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  forego  the  eternal  bliss  of  heaven,  should  a  single 
Democrat  be  admitted  to  that  sacred  realm. 

Officers  and   Men    of  Various  Regiments 

Adjutant  John  E.  Youngberg,  who  was  of  a  pioneer  Swedish 
family  of  Galesburg  and  Galva,  enlisted  in  Co.  H.,  57th  111.,  Oct.  2,  1861, 
and  was  mustered  into  the  service  on  Dec.  26th.  He  was  promoted 
sergeant-major  Dec.  27,  1863,  and  mustered  as  such  Jan.  17,  1864.  On 
Dec.  30th  of  the  same  year  he  was  promoted  adjutant  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  mustered  out  July  7,  1865. 

Capt.  Herman  Lund  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Co.  H,  16th  111.,  from 
St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  on  May  24,  1861 ;  was  promoted  second  lieutenant  June 
28th,  1862,  and  given  a  captain's  commission  Aug.  2nd  the  same  year. 
His  subsequent  promotion  to  major  of  the  regiment  did  not  go  into 
effect  because  he  was  not  mustered  in.  On  July  8,  1865,  he  was 
mustered  out  as  captain  of  Co.  H. 

Lieutenant  John  Lindroth  of  Co.  G.,  43rd  111.,  was  killed  in  the 
first  day's  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  6th,  1862.  He  enlisted  Sept.  1,  1861, 
and  was  made  2nd  lieutenant  at  the  organization  and  muster-in  of 
the  regiment  the  following  16th  day  of  December. 

Capt.  Axel  F.  Eckstrom,  who  commanded  Co.  G.  of  the  65th  111.  for 
two  years,  enlisted  as  a  resident  of  Cook  county.  He  held  the  rank  of 
1st  lieutenant  from  Nov.  1,  1862,  until  May  31st  the  following  year, 
when  he  succeeded  to  the  captaincy  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  resigna- 
tion. He  was  mustered  out  April  25,  1865. 

Capt.  Jonas  F.  Lempke  began  earning  his  shoulder-straps  as  a 
private  in  Battery  B.,  First  111.  Artillery,  which  was  organized  in  April, 
1861,  and  mustered  in  July  16th.  With  this  battery,  which  began  its 
career  at  Belmont,  going  into  the  fight  with  six  guns  and  coming  out 
with  eight  after  demolishing  the  balance  of  the  enemy's  battery,  and 
did  excellent  work  throughout  the  campaign,  Lempke  served  until 
Nov.  30,  1863,  when  he  was  discharged  as  corporal  for  promotion.  He 
afterwards  attained  the  rank  of  captain. 


yoo 


THE    CIVIL    WAR 


Col.  Steelhammar.  mentioned  in  Mattson's  memoirs,  appears  to 
have  entered  the  service  in  Illinois,  though  he  is  not  shown  to  have 
attained  that  rank  in  the  rosters  of  this  state.  One  Charles  Stillham- 
mer  of  McLean  county  enlisted  July  25,  1861,  as  a  private  in  Co.  K.  of 
the  Eight  111.  Inf.,  and  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran.  He  was  promoted  2nd 
lieutenant  Nov.  25,  1864,  or,  according  to  another  statement,  1st  lieut- 
enant from  corporal.  The  adjutant-general's  report  of  Illinois  gives 
no  further  record  of  promotion. 

Lieut.  Nels  Nelson  of  Galesburg  served  in  the  ranks  of  Co.  C.  of 
the  43rd  111.  Inf.  until  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  the  regiment  was 


Lieutenant  Nels  Nelson 


Corporal  Peter  Larson 


Consolidated,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  1st  lieutenant  of 
the  company,  now  Co.  A.,  dating  from  March  3,  1865.  He  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service  Nov.  30,  1865.  He  was  for  many  years  a  merchant 
and  subsequently  managed  the  head  office  of  a  mutual  life  association, 
as  told  elsewhere  in  a  biographical  sketch. 

Private  John  J.  Engberg,  of  a  family  well-known  to  the  first 
generation  of  Swedish  settlers  in  the  West,  enlisted  before  attaining 
military  age.  On  his  way  to  the  recruiting  office  he  chanced  to  cross 
Kinzie  street  bridge,  which  had  just  been  closed  by  the  tender,  Charles 
Lindholm,  an  acquaintance  from  Minnesota.  "Where  are  you  bound 
for,  John?"  said  he.  "To  the  recruiting  office,  to  enlist."  Lindholm 
threw  down  the  turning  bar  saying:  "Wait  till  I  get  my  coat,  and  I 
am  with  you."  Before  that  night,  Nov.  12,  1863,  the  two  were  mustered 
in  Co.  D,  Eighty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  popularly  called  "the  Railroad 
Regiment"  because  it  was  originally  made  up  of  railroad  men. 


BRIEF    MENTION 


701 


After  drilling  two  months  at  the  instruction  camp  at  Springfield, 
Engberg  was  sent  to  his  regiment,  then  stationed  at  Chattanooga, 
preparatory  to  taking  part  in  General  Sherman's  famous  "March  to 
the  Sea."  Engberg  fought  in  the  battles  of  Rocky  Face,  Resaca, 
Pickett's  Mills,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  Peach  Tree  Creek.  The  latter 
engagement  took  place  July  20,  1864,  near  Atlanta. 

Having  become  sick,  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  in  Chattanooga 
and  later  to  Nashville.  He  was  transferred  to  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois 
Infantry  and  shortly  after,  about  Dec.  1st,  was  transferred  to  Co.  A, 


Private  John  Engberg 

Veteran '  Reserve  Corps  at  Chicago,  where  he  guarded  Confederate 
prisoners  at  Camp  Douglas  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Among  the  score  or  so  of  Swedes  in  the  55th  regiment  was  Oliver 
Erickson,  first  lieutenant  of  Co.  E,  who  died  a  hero's  death  before 
Atlanta  in  August,  1864.  He  was  a  gallant  officer  who  had  won 
promotion  from  the  ranks,  having  entered  the  service  as  a  corporal 
in  Co.  A.  He  was  struck  by  three  or  more  bullets,  while  at  the  head 
of  his  company,  and  died  where  he  fell. 

Lieutenant  Jonas  Eckdall  enlisted  from  Macomb.  111.,  on  Dec.  1, 
1861,  and  was  mustered  in  with  Battery  H,  Second  Light  Artillery,  on 


702 


THE    WAR  WITH    SPAIN 


the  31st  of  the  same  month.  The  next  day  he  was  promoted  sergeant 
and  on  Aug.  21,  1862.  became  senior  second  lieutenant.  He  attained  the 
rank  of  senior  first  lieutenant  in  the  battery  on  May  25,  1863.  and  was 
mustered  out  July  29,  1865. 


Swedes   in  the   Spanish-American   War 

When  in  more  recent  years  the  Spanish-American  War  stirred 
the  patriotic  sentiment  of  our  country,  the  Swedish-Americans  gave 
prompt  response  to  the  call  to  arms.  In  the  ten  regiments  of  land 
troops  furnished  by  this  state  there  were  more  than  four  hundred  men 
of  Swedish  extraction.  Those  in  the  naval  reserves^  of  Chicago  and 
Moline  brought  the  number  safely  beyond  five  hundred,  making  them 
about  one-twentieth  of  the  forces  mustered  into  service.  The  great 
battles  of  the  war  being  fought  at  sea,  deciding  the  outcome  of  the 
conflict  in  a  very  short  time,  the  volunteers  did  little  or  no  fighting. 
These  troops  consisted  largely  of  the  National  Guards,  whose  men, 
trained  and  disciplined  as  they  were,  needed  but  an  opportunity  to 
make  the  same  distinguished  record  as  the  defenders  of  the  Union 
thirty-five  years  before. 

The  greatest  percentage  of  Swedes  was  found  in  the  first  and 
second  regiments,  from  Chicago,  in  the  third,  where  they  were  numer- 
ous in  the  Kockford  companies,  H  and  K,  and  others,  and  in  the  sixth. 
where  the  Swedes  of  Galesburg  figured  prominently  in  Companies  C 
and  D,  and  those  of  Moline  in  Co.  F.  A  canvass  of  the  names  gives 
the  following  result : 

Regt.  No.   Swedes      Regt.  No.  Swedes 

1  Infantry 53      7  Infantry 9 

2  " 78      8         "          12 

3  " !04      9         "          3 

4  "          6      i   Cavalry 37 

5  "         22      i   Artillery,  Battenr  A 9 

6  "         95 

Total 428 

While  war  was  imminent  and  before  the  actual  outbreak,  Carl  A. 
W.  Liljenstolpe  of  Chicago  planned  to  organize  an  entire  regiment  of 
Swedish-Americans.  Aided  by  Axel  af  Jocknick,  another  Swedish 
Chicagoan,  he  set  about  recruiting  and  on  May  1.  1898,  within  ten  days 
after  war  was  declared,  he  was  reported  to  have  four  hundred  men 
enrolled.  The  recruiting  continued  for  a  number  of  weeks,  and  in 
July  the  regiment,  which  was  named  "The  Blue  and  Gray  Legion." 


THE   WAR   WITH   SPAIN 


703 


had  its  officers  appointed,  including  Liljenstolpe  as  lieutenant  colonel 
and  Jocknick  and  M.  Theodore  Mattson  as  majors  of  battalions.  The 
son  of  a  major  in  the  Swedish  army,  Liljenstolpe  entered  the  Karlberg 


Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Carl   A.  W.  Liljenstolpe 


military  academy  at  the  age  of  thirteen ;  became  instructor  in  gym- 
nastics and  fencing;  was  graduated  at  twenty-two,  as  lieutenant;  was 
offered  a  place  as  instructor  in  gymnastics  in  the  Russian  army,  which 
he  declined;  served  as  lieutenant  in  the  Kalmar  regiment  until  1882. 
when  he  resigned  to  devote  himself  to  the  care  of  his  estate,  Ostrabo, 


704 


THE    WAR    WITH    SPAIN 


in  Smaland,  and  in  1894  came  to  this  country  engaging  in  the  practice 
of  medical  gymnastics  and  massage,  a  vocation  he  still  pursues. 

By  short,  sharp  and  decisive  action,  the  American  navy  put  a  sudden 
end  to  the  war,  and  the  Swedish-American  regiment  of  Illinois  was. 
one  of  many  volunteer  organizations  who  never  were  called  into 
service.  It  appears,  therefore,  that  no  less  than  1,500  Swedes  had 
enlisted  in  this  state,  up  to  the  time  of  the  naval  engagement  at 
Santiago,  which  deprived  two-thirds  of  them  of  the  privilege  of  taking 
the  field.  But  in  the  fact  that  among  those  who  actually  entered 
military  service  in  Illinois  in  the  year  1898  .one  out  of  every  twenty 
men  was  a  Swede,  while  that  nationality  constituted  little  more  than 
one-twentieth  of  the  state  population,  the  former  record  of  the  Swedish- 
Americans  for  loyalty  and  patriotism  seems,  nevertheless,  well  sus- 
tained. 


CHAPTER   XII 

Music  and  Musicians 

Music   in   the    Early    Days 

WEDISH  song  on  American  soil  dates  from  the  arrival  of 
the  first  Swedish  immigrants  who  upon  landing  raised 
their  voices  in  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God  for  safe 
guidance  across  perilous  seas.  Strangers  in  a  foreign 
land,  they  found  their  first  comfort  and  cheer  in  the 
sacred  hymns  dear  to  them  from  childhood.  Also  for  some  length  of 
time  after  settlement,  their  musical  utterances  were  chiefly  of  a 
devotional  character.  But  there  were  occasions  even  in  hard  pioneer 
times  when  the  joy  of  life  or  recollections  of  the  home  land  prompted 
the  singing  of  merry  folksongs  or  patriotic  airs.  The  first  harvest 
festival  at  Bishop  Hill  in  1847  and  the  visit  of  Fredrika  Bremer  to 
Pine  Lake  in  1850  are  instances  in  point.  We  have  noted  that  L.  P. 
Esbjorn,  the  pioneer  preacher,  who  had  a  musical  education,  early 
began  drilling  his  congregations  so  as  to  improve  their  singing,  which, 
even  at  its  best,  was  not  of  a  high  order.  Another  musical  pioneer  was 
Jonas  Engberg,  who  in  1855  formed  and  conducted  a  small  Swedish 
choir  in  Galesburg,  probably  the  first  of  its  kind  in  this  state,  and 
during  the  winter  of  1856-7  led  the  singing  and  conducted  choral 
practice  in  the  church  at  Vasa,  Minn.  About  that  time  the  first  musical 
instruments  were  introduced  in  the  Swedish  churches.  A  primitive 
affair  with  one  string,  known  as  a  psalmodikon  or  monochord, 
played  with  a  bow,  was  used  in  1853  in  the  Immanuel  Church  of  Chi- 
cago. This  was  superseded  in  1856  by  a  melodeon.  An  instrument  of 
the  latter  kind  was  procured  for  the  Moline  Lutheran  church  in  1858. 
The  Vasa,  Minn.,  church  bought  a  psalmodikon  in  1859,  the  same  being 
replaced  the  following  year  by  a  melodeon.  Among  the  people  at  large, 
there  were  musical  amateurs  who  loved  the  characteristic  folksongs, 
ballads  and  romances  of  Sweden  and  sang  them  in  their  immediate 
circles,  and  probably  some  self-taught  fiddler  might  be  found  to  time 


yo6 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


the  old-country  dance  at  neighborhood  gatherings.  Most  of  the  new- 
comers, however,  were  sternly  religious  folk,  who  disapproved  of 
pleasures  of  a  worldly  sort,  and  in  consequence  secular  music  among 
Swedish-Americans  is,  on  the  whole,  of  a  much  later  date.  At  the 
present  day,  when  no  Swedish  home  is  considered  well  equipped  with- 
out some  musical  instrument,  and  music  is  the  art  cultivated  by 
Swedish-Americans  with  predilection,  in  all  branches  and  to  every 
degree  of  perfection,  it  is  interesting  to  recall  that  it  was  from  the 
very  first  a  cultural  factor  among  these  people. 

TKe    Immarvuel  Church   CKoir 

With  the  exception  of  the  choir  named  Svenska  Sangforeningen, 
which  existed  in  August  and  September,  1855,  in  Galesburg,  during  the 
short  sojourn  of  Jonas  Engberg  in  that  place,  the  Immanuel  Church 
Choir  of  Chicago  has  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  Swedish 
church  choir  in  Illinois.  It  was  formed  at  the  instance  of  Jonas  Eng- 
berg, who  was  organist  1863-67.  The  choir  was  the  first  Swedish- 
American  chorus  to  sing  a  cantata.  The  work  chosen,  George  F.  Root's 
"Queen  Esther,"  was  sung  at  the  opening  of  Augustana  College  at 
Paxton  in  the  fall  of  1863.  The  performers  were  Jonas  Engberg,  Emma 
Peterson,  Anna  Carlsson,  Tilda  Swedman,  Hannah  Carlson,  John  J. 
Engberg,  L.  E.  Lindberg,  and  P.  Lindberg.  "Queen  Esther"  was  later 
repeated  at  Chicago.  Trips  were  made  to  the  church  conventions  at 
Geneseo  and  Moline.  Jonas  Engberg  was  so  interested  in  his  choir 
that  he  provided  it  with  music  at  his  own  expense.  Among  later  choir 
leaders  were  Lars  E.  Lindberg,  1867,  Joseph  Osborn,  1869,  K.  Sand- 
quist,  1870-74,  J.  F.  Eing,  1874-79.  In  1883  the  choir  was  reorganized 
by  Mrs.  Emmy  Evald,  who  drilled  the  augmented  choir  of  about  one 
hundred  voices  for  a  jubilee  concert.  This  choir,  together  with  the 
choirs  of  Salem  Church  and  Gethsemane  Church  sang  some  Messiah 
choruses  and  several  of  Wennerberg's  ''Psalms  of  David"  at  the  Luther 
Jubilee  concert,  Nov.  10,  1883,  at  Central  Music  Hall.  Joseph  Osborn 
was  the  director  and  the  accompaniments  were  played  by  the  Augustana 
Orchestra  with  Clarence  Eddy  at  the  organ.  The  choruses  sung  were 
"And  the  glory  of  the  Lord,"  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,"  "Psalm 
XXIV,"  "Psalm  LXXXIV,"  "Psalm  XC VI, ""Psalm  CXXXVII"  and 
"Psalm  CL. "  Mr.  Osborn  and  the  orchestra  had  just  assisted  in  similar 
celebrations  Nov.  7th  and  8th  at  Augustana  College.  C.  Levinsen  and 
Mrs.  Ella  Carlson  were  the  soloists.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  few 
excellent  Swedish  sopranos  of  that  time.  In  1889-90  she  was  soprano 
soloist  of  the  Immanuel  Church  Choir.  She  is  now  soprano  soloist  of 
the  Ravenswood  M.  E.  Church  Choir. 

Victor  J.   Tengwald  served   as   director  from   1886-88   and  was 


7o8  MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 

followed  by  John  L.  Swenson,  1888-90.  It  was  in  1889  that  the  choir 
sang  Gaul's  "The  Holy  City."  The  choir  was  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  efficiency  under  Swenson 's  term  and  that  of  his  successor,  Samuel 
E.  Carlsson,  1891-98.  The  latter  had  been  trained  under  Dr.  Stolpe, 
was  highly  musical,  and  prepared  many  artistic  programs  from  time 
to  time.  On  Nov.  14,  1894,  the  choral  numbers  were  Farmer's  "Gloria 
in  Excelsis,"  Rossini's  "Inflammatus"  and  Gounod's  "Unfold,  ye  Por- 
tals." The  choir  sang  on  Jan.  22,  1896,  Woodward's  "The  Radiant 
Morn  Hath  Passed  Away,"  and  Gounod's  "By  Babylon's  Wave,"  with 
splendid  effect.  Mr.  Carlsson  organized  during  his  incumbency  an 
orchestra  of  twelve  members  which  played  both  sacred  and  secular 
music.  It  existed  about  a  year. 

During  the  first  eight  months  of  1897  Martin  J.  Engberg  acted  as 
director.  The  choir  sang  Gaul's  "Ruth"  on  April  21,  1897.  In  the  fall 
of  1898  William  Dahlen  became  director,  serving  until  1907.  During 
this  period  several  cantatas  have  been  sung,  viz.,  Stainer's  "Daughter 
of  Jairus,"  Nov.  19,  1902,  an  abridged  version  of  Gaul's  "The  Holy 
City,"  Nov.  3,  1903,  Gaul's  "The  Ten  Virgins,"  April  23,  1904,  besides 
two  revivals  of  Gaul's  "Ruth." 

Alfred  Holmes,  the  organist,  succeeded  Dahlen  in  January,  1907. 
Some  months  later  he  directed  a  third  revival  of  Gaul's  "Ruth,"  with 
accompaniments  by  an  orchestra.  On  June  3,  1908,  he  directed  Haydn's 
"Creation,"  abridged,  with  orchestral  accompaniment.  Mrs.  Christine 
Engstrom  has  been  soprano  soloist  of  the  choir  since  1890. 

The  annals  of  this  organization  have  been  given  at  some  length 
because  it  is  a  typical  Swedish-American  church  choir.  Besides  per- 
forming its  chief  function,  viz.,  assisting  in  the  congregational  sing- 
ing, it  has  generally  prepared  from  one  to  three  anthems  for  each 
Sunday,  besides  rehearsing  special  choruses  and  cantatas  for  numerous 
concerts  during  its  long  career. 

Edward   A.  Wimmerstedt 

The  first  professional  musician  among  the  Swedish  Illinoisans  was, 
without  doubt,  Edward  Anders  Wimmerstedt,  who  was  born  at  Skar- 
stad,  near  Jonkoping,  Sweden,  Jan.  18,  1838.  His  father,  Anders 
Wilhelm  Wimmerstedt,  was  an  organist  and  musical  director,  having 
attained  both  positions  by  examination.  He  was  a  prolific  composer. 

The  son  emigrated  in  1863  and  settled  in  Chicago,  where  he  was  a 
piano  teacher  for  three  years.  In  1866  he  moved  to  Jacksonville,  111., 
where  he  became  the  director  of  the  musical  department  of  Illinois 
Female  College.  He  also  imparted  instruction  in  the  Illinois  School 
for  the  Blind  in  the  same  city.  Mr.  Wimmerstedt  married  a  fellow 
teacher  in  the  college,  Marion  Phillips,  a  soprano  and  pianist.  They 


OLIVER    LARSON 


709 


gave  many  recitals  during  their  career  at  the  college.  E.  A.  Wimmer- 
steclt  composed  many  songs  and  piano  pieces  which  were  popular  in 
the  sixties  and  seventies.  On  one  of  his  programmes,  dated  Nov.  15, 
1878,  are  to  be  found  the  titles  "Shadows,"  a  song,  "Mirth  and  Prank," 
a  rondo  and  "Polacca  Sentimentale,"  Op.  156.  He  is  said  to  have 
become  wealthy  through  his  musical  talents. 

"Wimmerstedt  became  consumptive  and  went  to  Napa,  Cal.,  in  1879 
or  1880,  where  he  bought  a  fruit  farm  which  he  cultivated  successfully. 


Edward  A.  Wimmerstedt 

In  the  fall  of  1883  a  frost  was  threatened,  whereupon  he  climbed  to  the 
top  of  a  tree  to  cover  it  with  a  sheet  and  thus  protect  it  from  damage. 
The  limb  broke  and  Wimmerstedt  fell  to  the  ground  and  was  hurt 
internally.  He  was  taken  to  Oakland,  where  he  lingered  some  time. 
He  died  on  Oct.  28,  1883,  leaving  a  widow,  who  still  survives. 

Oliver   Larson 

Oliver  Larson  was  born  in  1851  at  Ahus,  Skane,  Sweden.  He 
emigrated  in  1863  Avith  his  parents  who  settled  in  Chicago.  The  father 
purchased  a  melodeon  and  Oliver  attained  with  its  aid  quite  a  pro- 


yio 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


ficiency  in  playing.  His  voice  developed  into  a  rich  second  bass.  In 
1869  he  became  identified  with  an  organization  known  as  the  Scandi- 
navian National  Quartette,  composed  besides  himself  of  two  Swedes, 
John  L.  Swenson,  C.  J.  Blomquist,  and  three  Norwegians,  Evert,  Jacob- 
sen  and  Olsen.  They  made  a  tour  of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  always 
appearing  in  provincial  costumes.  After  returning  they  became  the 
nucleus  of  the  Freja  Society. 

Mr.  Larson  was  a  typographer  and  had  worked  in  the  "Hem- 
landet"  and  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  offices.     Leaving  in  1873  for 


Oliver  Larson 

Minneapolis,  he  worked  there  at  his  trade  and  married  in  that  city. 

Mr.  Larson  became  active  in  the  musical  life  of  the  twin  cities, 
singing  solos  and  leading  quartettes  and  male  choruses.  For  several 
years  he  was  organist  of  the  Augustana  Sw.  Luth.  Church  and  besides 
gave  instruction  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music.  He  was  drowned 
June  18,  1882,  in  the  Mississippi  river  and  left  a  widow  and  a  daughter. 
Mr.  Larson  was  a  brother  of  Emil  Larson,  the  well-known  musician. 

Joseph    E,.   Osborn 

One  of  the  pioneer  Swedish- American  musicians  is  Jos.  E.  Osborn, 
son  of  the  patriarch,  Lars  P.  Esbjorn.  During  a  portion  of  the  year 
1869  he  was  organist  and  choir  leader  of  the  Immanuel  Church  in 
Chicago.  In  1875-6  he  was  organist  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  in 
Boston.  The  next  year  he  moved  to  Andover,  111.,  where  he  served 
as  school  teacher  and  organist  until  1883.  It  was  at  Andover  in  the 
summer  of  1880  that  the  idea  of  the  Augustana  Oratorio  Society  was 


ANNA  F.  MAGNUSSON  JEWETT  7II 

first  broached.  Joseph  Osborn  became  leader  of  the  society  and  con- 
ducted the  "Messiah  concerts"  at  various  places  during  the  next  few 
years.  From  the  proceeds  of  half  a  dozen  concerts  conducted'  under  his 
direction  at  Lindsborg  the  first  building  of  Bethany  College  was 
erected.  Mr.  Osborn  has  two  daughters  who  have  had  musical  careers. 
Constance  Osborn  has  been  well-known  as  a  pianiste  in  Minnesota. 
Esther  Osborn  has  not  only  appeared  as  a  vocalist  in  this  country  but 
has  prosecuted  further  studies  at  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music  in 
Stockholm  and  has  made  a  successful  debut  in  the  Royal  Opera  in 
that  city. 

Anna  FrederiKa  Mag'nusson  Jewett 

It  was  in  1855  that  Lewis  J.  Magnusson  came  to  Chicago  with  his 
family.  He  was  a  merchant,  an  early  member  of  the  Svea  Society,  and 
was  a  cousin  of  Consul  von  Schneidau's  wife.  He  had  once  lived  in 
New  York,  where  he  met  Sarah  Corning,  a  young  lady  of  Huguenot 
and  New  England  ancestry,  who  was  becoming  known  in  literary 
circles  through  her  sketches,  essays  and  verses.  They  were  mutually 
attracted  and  were  married.  Moving  to. Stockholm,  his  birthplace,  Mr. 
Magnusson  embarked  in  business  and  prospered.  Mrs.  Magnusson 
became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  Swedish  language  and  trans- 
lated many  Swedish  poems  into  English.  The  young  couple  mingled 
in  the  literary  and  musical  circles  of  the  day.  Among  the  family 
friends  were  Crusenstolpe,  Fredrika  Bremer,  Jenny  Lind,  and  Ole  Bull. 
Three  children  were  born  to  the  parents:  Howard  C.  Magnusson,  who 
became  the  founder  of  Northwestern  College  of  Dental  Surgery,  Anna 
Frederika  and  Rosalie. 

Anna  Frederika  began  the  study  of  the  piano  at  the  age  of  seven. 
The  talented  girl  made  rapid  progress,  for  when  only  thirteen  years 
old  she  played  with  orchestral  accompaniment  at  the  Saturday  after- 
noon concerts  instituted  by  Arne,  an  early  Chicago  musician.  The  next 
year  she  became  organist  of  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church,  and  subsequently 
had  a  similar  position  in  Ascension  Church.  Having  found  that  she 
had  an  unusually  good  voice,  Anna  went  to  New  York,  where  she 
studied  under  the  direction  of  Barille,  the  brother  and  teacher  of  the 
famous  Patti.  In  1860  she  went  to  Hamburg  to  study  with  Mme. 
Cornet.  It  is  said  that  she  was  the  first  Chicago  girl  to  go  abroad  to 
seek  instruction  in  music.  She  soon  met  Jenny  Lind,  who  advised  her 
to  become  a  pupil  of  Lamperti  at  Milan.  Anna  went  there  and  studied 
operatic  singing  with  the  famous  Italian  vocal  teacher.  She  also 
studied  dramatic  art  with  Fiorvanti  and  the  playing  of  accompaniments 
with  Alberti,  remaining  three  years  in  Italy. 

Returning  in  1864  to  Chicago,  Miss  Magnusson  sang  at  the  Chicago 


712 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


Philharmonic  Society's  concert  in  Bryan  Hall  and  was  enthusiastically 
welcomed.  She  also  sang  to  the  Swedish  people  at  the  St.  Ansgarius 
and  Immanuel  churches.  Engaged  as  prima  donna  by  Strakosch  for  a 
season  of  grand  opera,  she  was  having  great  success  when  she  was 
stricken  with  typhoid  fever.  Several  recurrences  of  the  illness  induced 


Anna  Frederika  Magnusson  Jewett 

her  permanently  to  abandon  the  operatic  stage.  Miss  Magnusson 
opened  a  studio  in  Crosby  Opera  House  and  entered  upon  a  successful 
career  as  vocal  teacher.  Among  the  many  pupils  trained  by  her  was 
Marie  Engel,  a  grand  opera  singer.  She  married  Frederick  Jewett  and 
thereafter  was  known  as  Mrs.  Magnusson  Jewett.  While  in  Europe  she 
had  been  correspondent  for  the  "Evening  Journal."  She  was  a  facile 
writer  and  prepared  many  articles  for  the  musical  journals.  No  less 
than  six  languages  were  familiar  to  her. 

Mrs.  Magnusson  Jewett  was  seized  with  a  stroke  of  apoplexy  and 
died  on  May  8,  1894. 


ROSALIE   MAGNUSSON   LANCASTER 


Rosalie  Magnusson  Lancaster 


713 


The  younger  daughter,  Rosalie,  was  born  in  Stockholm  and  came 
to  Chicago  at  a  tender  age.  When  she  was  six  years  old  her  parents 
took  her  to  hear  Ole  Bull,  the  violinist.  After  they  had  returned  home, 
the  child  asked  her  father  to  open  the  piano.  Seating  herself,  she 
astonished  her  parents  by  playing  through  one  of  the  Norwegian 
violinist's  selections,  "The  Carnival  of  Venice."  While  still  a  young 
girl,  she  became  a  pupil  of  Louis  Staab,  a  Chicago  pianist,  and  continued 
with  him  several  years.  After  a  period  of  study  in  New  York  she  went 


Rosalie  Magnusson  Lancaster 


to  Berlin  in  1871,  where  she  was  a  student  under  the  ablest  masters. 
In  Vienna  she  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  studying  under  the  personal 
direction  of  Anton  Rubinstein,  who  took  a  kind  interest  in  her. 

After  three  years  of  intense  application,  Miss  Magnusson  returned 
to  this  country.  She  was  married  to  Alvin  M.  Lancaster  and  moved  to 
southern  California,  where  she  achieved  a  reputation  as  a  concert 
pianiste.  She  was  generally  regarded  as  the  most  successful  piano 
teacher  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  having  trained  a  number  of  concert 
pianists  and  piano  teachers.  The  Lancaster  Musical  Club,  a  southern 
California  society,  was  named  in  her  honor. 

Mrs.  Lancaster  has  recently  returned  to  Chicago,  where  she,  besides 
giving  occasional  recitals,  imparts  instruction  on  her  chosen  instrument. 
She  is  a  fine  linguist  and  is  a  writer  of  ability  on  musical  subjects.  Mrs. 
Lancaster's  daughter  Rosalie  is  also  a  professional  pianiste. 


MUSIC    AND   MUSICIANS 

TKe    Freja   Society 

A  singing  society  named  Freja  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1869 
by  Swedes  and  Norwegians  in  Chicago.  The  initiative  was  taken  by 
John  L.  Swenson,  together  with  a  little  company  of  Chicago  singers 
upon  their  return  from  a  concert  tour  in  the  Northwest.  The  funda- 
mental idea  was  to  unite  the  Scandinavian  singers  of  Chicago  into  a 
common,  powerful  organization.  Its  first  director  was  Mr.  Swenson, 


John  I/.  Swenson 

who  led  the  choral  society  for  ten  years.    A  biographical  sketch  of  him 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  , 

The  chorus  numbered  sixty  singers  on  an  average.  Many  excellent 
concerts  were  given,  attracting  audiences  numbering  as  high  as  one 
thousand  persons.  The  bulk  of  the  membership  in  Freja  was  Swedish. 
A  sick  and  death  benefit  was  an  added  feature  of  the  society,  but  the 
principal  beneficiaries  turned  out  to  be  "Bikupan"  and  Skow-Peterson, 
Isberg  &  Co.'s  bank,  two  Swedish  financial  institutions,  upon  whose 
failure  Freja  lost  respectively  $500  and  $200  of  its  funds.  Among  the 
early  presidents  of  the  organization  were  C.  Bryde,  G.  Nyquist,  Henry 
L.  Hertz  and  Charles  Ferm. 

SvensKa   Sangforening'en 

A  society  known  by  the  name  of  Svenska  Sangforeningen  was 
formed  in  January,  1875,  by  Alfred  Lagergren.  Persons  of  both  sexes 
were  eligible  to  membership  and  there  were  no  particular  requirements, 
the  organization  being  more  of  a  singing  school  than  a  body  of  trained 
singers.  Almost  at  the  outset  the  membership  was  about  one  hundred. 


THE   SWEDISH  LADY   QUARTETTE  715 

The  results  obtained  were  commendable.  Among  the  soloists  who 
appeared  were  Emma  Larson  (Mrs.  H.  E.  C.  Peterson),  soprano, 
Christine  Britten  (Mrs.  Engstrom),  soprano,  and  Emma  Blanxius  (Mrs. 
Hodge),  alto.  This  chorus  was  continued  until  1879,  when  it  was 
dissolved,  the  burden  of  holding  the  organization  together  having 
grown  too  heavy  for  the  shoulders  of  the  director. 

Alfred  Lagergren  was  born  in  Kristianstad,  Sweden,  May  29,  1840. 
After  having  had  employment  in  Malmo  and  Goteborg,  he  emigrated 
in  1869  and  became  identified  with  the  White  Star  Line  steamship 
ticket  office  in  New  York.  In  1871  he  established  a  branch  office  in 
Chicago  and  continued  in  the  same  business  during  the  rest  of  his 
career  in  that  city.  Mr.  Lagergren  was  active  in  musical  circles  in 
both  New  York  and  Chicago  and  did  all  that  he  could  to  keep  alive 
the  interest  in  Svenska  Sangforeningen.  He  returned  to  Sweden  in 
1883  and  has  since  lived  near  Goteborg,  where  he  conducts  a  chicken 
farm. 

D'Ailly   and    Owen 

About  1876  there  was  in  Chicago  a  tall,  good  looking  young  man 
by  the  name  of  D'Ailly.  His  grandfather  had  fled  from  France  during 
the  French  revolution  and  settled  in  Stockholm  so  that  the  family 
became  Swedish.  D'Ailly  had  a  sonorous  bass-baritone  voice  and  sang 
at  concerts  in  Swedish  and  American  circles.  Grau,  the  impresario, 
was  so  struck  with  the  quality  of  his  voice  that  he  paid  D'Ailly  one 
hundred  dollars  a  month  to  aid  him  in  preparing  himself  for  the  grand 
opera.  D'Ailly  did  not  appreciate  his  opportunity,  and  after  a  few 
months  Grau's  interest  in  him  ceased. 

One  of  the  early  Swedish  musicians  of  Chicago  was  Benjamin 
Owen,  (Oven),  who  was  organist  of  Plymouth  Church  about  1878.  He 
retained  this  position  for  several  years  and  was  considered  one  of  the 
leading  organists  of  the  city.  Owen  was  a  good  musician,  theorist  and 
composer.  Some  of  his  anthems,  as  the  "Ave  Maria,"  are  still  sung. 
He  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  died  there  in  the  early  eighties. 

The   Swedish   Lady   Quartette 

The  woman's  quartette  which  first  toured  this  country,  calling 
themselves  the  Swedish  Lady  Quartette,  was  organized  at  Stockholm, 
in  1873,  by  August  Jahnke.  They  then  styled  themselves  "Den  nya 
svenska  damkvartetten. "  Under  Jahnke 's  management  they  toured 
Sweden,  Norway,  Denmark,  Germany  and  Holland,  returning  to  Stock- 
holm. Continuing  their  studies  for  a  year,  they  were  graduated  from 
the  Koyal  Conservatory  of  Music.  The  two  first  sopranos  now  left  and 
a  single  soprano  was  chosen  in  their  stead.  The  members  now  were 


7i6 


MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 


Amanda  Carlson,  soprano,  Ingeborg  Lof'gren,  mezzo-soprano,  Inga  Ek- 
strom,  alto,  and  Bertha  Erixon,  contralto.  In  1875  they  started  on  a 
tour  through  Sweden,  Finland  and  Russia,  where  at  St.  Peters- 
burg they  sang  at  Nobel's  reception  given  in  honor  of  A.  E.  Norden- 
skiold.  They  continued  on  through  Germany,  Belgium  and  Holland. 
There  meeting  the  impresario  Max  Strakosch,  the  quartette  came  to 
America  under  his  management,  arriving  in  Boston,  Sept.  5,  1876.  Their 


BERTHA  ERIXON 


INGA  EKSTROM 

The  Swedish  Lady  Quartette 

first  American  concert  was  given  at  that  place  with  the  Philharmonic 
Club.  After  a  concert  at  New  York  they  went  to  Philadelphia,  where 
they  sang  on  Nov.  1st  at  one  of  the  Centennial  Musical  Festival  Concerts 
conducted  by  Theodore  Thomas.  Myron  W.  Whitney,  the  famous  basso, 
and  the  Thomas  Orchestra  were  on  the  same  programme.  After  return- 
ing to  New  York  and  there  singing,  they  went  to  Boston  and  on  Nov. 
24th  appeared'  on  the  same  stage  with  Ole  Bull,  Aptommas,  the  Welsh 
harpist,  and  the  Mendelssohn  Quintette  Club.  Not  long  after,  they  sang 
at  the  Worcester  musical  festival  and  continued  their  tour  through  the 
eastern  states. 


THE   SWEDISH    LADY   QUARTETTE 


717 


In  the  fall  of  1877  the  quartette  went  westward,  stopping  at 
Chicago.  There,  on  Nov.  5th,  they  gave,  in  conjunction  with  Aptommas, 
a  concert  in  McCormick's  Hall,  at  Clark  and  Kinzie  streets,  then  the 
largest  hall  in  the  city.  In  the  east  the  quartette  sang  both  Swedish 
and  English  songs.  To  their  countrymen  they  sang  only  the  cherished 
songs  from  the  fatherland,  such  as  Prince  Gustaf's  "Kalkarne  fram," 
compositions  by  Lindblad,  Wahlin,  Soderman's  "Wedding  March," 
"Kjerulf  's  "Brudefa?rden  i  Hardangers  Fiord,"  besides  numerous  folk- 
songs, among  them  being,  "En  gang  i  bredd  medmig,"  "A  janta  a  ja'," 
"Tanker  du  att  jag  forlorader  ar,"  "Vill  int.'  du,  sa  ska'  fall  ja',"  etc. 
It  was  the  first  time  that  a  Swedish- American  audience  here  heard  the 
familiar  songs  interpreted  by  highly  cultivated  voices.  Numerous 
bouquets  of  flowers  besides  frantic  plaudits  \vere  bestowed  upon  the 
quartette  by  the  enthusiastic  audience. 

After  a  second  concert,  given  in  the  same  hall.  Nov.  7th,  a  banquet 
was  tendered  the  Swedish  Lady  Quartette  at  Brand's  Hall.  Vice-consul 
C.  J.  Sundell,  J.  A.  Enander,  C.  F.  Peterson,  O.  G.  Lange  and  C.  G. 
Linderborg  made  addresses,  while  Freja  and  Svenska  Sangforeningen 
sang  several  numbers. 

The  quartette  was  greeted  with  many  poetic  effusions  in  the 
Swedish  and  American  press  of  the  day.  Continuing,  they  went  as  far 
west  as  San  Francisco,  where  their  tour  was  interrupted,  for  Bertha 
Erixon,  in  1878.  was  there  married  to  the  violinist  Christian  Krause. 
Returning  to  Chicago,  Miss  Carlson  left  them  and  was  engaged  as 
soprano  in  a  Reading,  Pa.,  church.  After  a  couple  of  years  she  married 
August  Svenson  of  Kearney,  Neb.  In  Chicago  the  remaining  two  met 
Emma  Larson,  a  young  soprano  of  rare  musical  ability  and  education, 
who  was  soon  persuaded  to  join  them.  The  three  ladies  sent  to  Stock- 
holm and  engaged  Anna  Cedergreu,  a  contralto  of  very  rich,  deep  voice. 
The  quartette  went  on  concert  tours  through  Upper  and  Lower  Canada, 
and  all  over  the  United  States,  until  1882,  when  Anna  Cedergren  left 
them.  Bertha  Erixon  Krause,  then  widowed,  rejoined  her  former  com- 
panions, and  the  quartette  traveled  until  1883,  when  the  Swedish 
Lady  Quartette  was  disrupted  by  the  double  marriage  of  two  of  the 
members,  the  event  taking  place  at  the  Palmer  House,  Chicago,  on  June 
5th.  Inga  Ekstrom  was  united  with  Emil  Olund,  then  a  politician  and 
business  man  at  Red  Wing,  Minn.  Emma  Larson  was  married  to  Henry 
E.  C.  Peterson,  a  portrait  artist  of  Chicago. 

Anna  Cedergren  and  Bertha  Erixon  Krause  are  both  dead.  Inge- 
borg  Lofgren  Schreiner  lives  at  Palestine,  Texas.  Amanda  Carlson 
Svenson  in  1895  went  to  Salt  Lake  City  where  she  trained  a  woman's 
chorus  so  well  that  it  gained  first  prize  at  the  Eisteddfods  of  1895,  '97 
and  '99.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olund  moved  to  Hudson,  Wis.,  and  later  to 


7i8 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


Duluth,  where  Mr.  Olund  was  collector  of  customs.  They  now  reside 
at  St.  Paul,  where  Mr.  Olund  is  in  the  insurance  business.  Mrs.  Olund 
has  continued  to  use  her  musical  talents  as  vocal  instructor  and  as 


INGEBORG  LfiFGRKX 


ANNA  CEUERGREN 


KM  MA   LARSON 


ING  A  EKSTROM 


The  Swedish  Lady  Quartette  1878—83. 


concert  singer.     One  of  her  five  children,  a  daughter,  is  a  student  at 
the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Stockholm. 

During  its  career  the  Swedish  Lady  Quartette  was  managed  by  the 
Slayton  Lyceum  Bureau  of  Chicago,  the  Redpath  Lyceum  Bureau  of 


EMMA    LARSON 


719 


Boston,  and  then  by  their  own  management.  They  were  among  the 
most  popular  attractions  of  the  day,  for  no  other  woman's  quartettes 
had  sung  in  this  country  prior.  The  sympathy  of  the  singing  and  the 
perfect  blending  of  their  voices  made  them  irresistible  to  their  audi- 
ences. They  had  a  standing  invitation  to  sing  at  the  Worcester  Musical 
Festival.  Their  popularity  caused  several  female  quartettes  to  appear 
under  similar  names  at  various  periods  for  years  after. 

Emma   Larson 

Mrs.  Emma  L.  Peterson  is  the  daughter  of  Anders  and  Sarah  B. 
Larson,  who  came  to  this  city  in  1846,  on  the  same  ship  with  Eric 
Jansson,  the  Bishop  Hill  prophet.  The  family  settled  in  Chicago  and 


Miss  Emma  Larson 

it  was  there  that  the  daughter  Emma  was  born.  From  her  eleventh 
year  it  was  noticed  that  she  had  an  unusual  voice.  When  Christina 
Nilsson  was  banqueted  by  the  Svea  Society  on  the  occasion  of  her  first 
visit  to  Chicago  in  December,  1870,  it  was  Emma  Larson  who,  escorted 
by  Vieuxtemps,  the  famous  French  violinist,  placed  in  the  Swedish 


720  MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 

singer's  hands  a  magnificent  bouquet.  At  a  subsequent  interview  the 
little  girl's  voice  was  heard  by  Miss  Nilsson,  who  advised  her  to  have  it 
cultivated.  Miss  Nilsson  came  to  Chicago  at  various  times  until  1884, 
and  at  each  visit  Miss  Larson  was  a  welcome  caller. 

Miss  Larson  studied  singing  for  two  years  with  Sig.  Carrozi.  She 
sang  solos  at  the  public  concerts  of  Freja  and  Svenska  Sangforeningen 
in  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church,  and  was  well  known  in  the  Swedish  circles 
of  that  time.  Besides  singing  at  concerts  in  various  American  churches, 
she  was  soprano  soloist  at  the  Eighth  Presbyterian  Church  and  the 
Fullerton  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church.  A  benefit  concert  was  given 
to  Miss  Larson  by  Freja  and  Svenska  Sangforeningen,  after  which  she 
went  to  New  York,  where  a  year  was  spent  in  study  with  Mme.  Ruders- 
dorff,  the  mother  of  Eichard  Mansfield.  During  this  period  Miss 
Larson  was  soprano  soloist  of  Dr.  Scudder's  church  in  Brooklyn. 
Returning  to  Chicago,  she  had,  in  1878,  just  accepted  an  appointment 
as  soloist  in  St.  James'  Episcopal  Church,  when  she  was  asked  by  Inga 
Ekstrom  and  Ingeborg  Lofgren  to  join  with  them  in  reorganizing  the 
Swedish  Lady  Quartette,  which  had  successfully  toured  this  country 
for  two  seasons.  The  three  ladies  sent  to  Stockholm  for  the  contralto, 
Anna  Cedergren.  They  traveled  many  times  through  this  country  and 
three  times  through  Canada.  Ofttimes  they  were  welcomed  to  the 
country  towns  by  brass  bands.  They  appeared  on  the  same  programmes 
with  many  notabilities,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned  Tagliapetri, 
Anne  Louise  Gary,  Teresa  Carrenno,  Edwin  Booth  and  Clara  Morris. 
Among  their  pleasant  recollections  is  the  dinner  given  them  at  Wash- 
ington by  the  Swedish  minister,  Count  Lewenhaupt.  Miss  Larson  had 
the  leading  part,  that  of  first  soprano,  during  her  five  years  member- 
ship with  the  quartette.  Their  artistic  triumphs  were  brought  to  a 
close  by  the  marriage  of  two  of  the  members.  Miss  Larson  was  married 
June  5,  1883,  to  Henry  E.  C.  Peterson,  the  portrait  artist,  of  Chicago, 
of.  whom  a  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Since  her  marriage  Mrs.  Peterson  has  occasionally  sung  in  public 
at  charity  concerts. 

The   Original   Ladies'   Quartette 

The  second  woman's  quartette  which  sang  in  the  United  States 
was  the  first  one  of  its  kind  organized  in  Sweden  and  was  there  known 
as  "Svenska  damkvartetten. "  Hilda  Wideberg,  Amy  Aberg,  Wilhel- 
mina  Soderlund  and  Mrs.  Maria  Petterson,  fellow  students  at  the  Royal 
Conservatory  of  Music  at  Stockholm,  after  a  successful  debut  at  the 
university  seat,  Upsala,  toured  through  Norrland  and  Finland,  sang  at 
St.  Petersburg  and  other  Russian  cities,  at  Rome,  Leipsic,  Berlin,  Paris, 
London  and  other  continental  points.  They  sang  at  Wagner's  home, 


MUSIC   AT  AUGUSTANA   COLLEGE  721 

"Wahnfried, "  where  they  moved  the  master  to  tears  by  their  beautiful 
singing. 

The  quartette  made  tours  of  the  United  States  during  the  seasons 
1878-79  and  1879-80,  during  which  time  they  made  several  visits  to 
Chicago  and  vicinity.  Their  first  concert  was  held  in  Hershey  Hall  on 
Madison  street. 

Music   at  Augustana   College — The   College   Band 

The  first  band  at  a  Swedish- American  college  was  founded  in  1874 
by  President  Hasselquist.  It  played  at  various  college  celebrations. 
At  one  time  it  was  called  Augustana  Silver  Cornet  Band.  Like  all 
student  organizations,  its  membership  has  changed  greatly  each  succeed- 
ing year.  Prof.  C.  L.  Krantz  led  the  Augustana  Band  in  1903-4  whilst 
Prof.  L.  W.  Kling  was  the  director  in  1907-8.  The  membership  is 
usually  about  twenty. 


This  student  orchestra  was  first  proposed  by  Henning  Jacobson  in 
1879  to  some  of  his  musically  inclined  comrades.  The  idea  caught  fire 
and  early  in  January,  1880,  the  boys  had  an  orchestra  composed  as 
follows : — Samuel  E.  Carlsson  and  C.  L.  E.  Esbjorn,  first  violins ;  F.  A. 
Linder  and  J.  A.  Krantz,  second  violins;  Fritz  N.  Andren,  viola;  J.  A. 
Udden,  cello;  Henning  Jacobson,  contra  bass;  Gustaf  Andreen,  flute; 
William  Reck,  second  flute;  G.  N.  Themanson,  cornet;  C.  J.  Freberg, 
clarinet,  and  Fritz  Jacobson,  trombone.  Henning  Jacobson 's  enthusiasm 
soon  cooled  and  C.  A.  Backman  took  his  place. 

The  accompanying  illustration  portrays  the  orchestra  at  this 
stage  of  its  career. 

The  boys  engaged  Petersen,  a  Danish  musician  in  Davenport,  as 
instructor  and  chose  S.  E.  Carlsson  as  director.  They  had  no  aid  from 
the  college,  but  bought  their  own  instruments  and  music,  and  paid  for 
their  instruction  themselves.  The  orchestra  played  overtures,  marches 
and  other  light  music  at  college  entertainments  and  made  short  trips 
to  various  towns  in  Illinois  and  Iowa,  playing  in  Swedish  churches. 

When  it  was  decided  to  sing  the  "Messiah"  at  Rock  Island,  the 
orchestra  was  annexed  to  the  chorus.  The  score,  parts  and  books  were 
imported  from  London,  arriving  early  in  January,  1881,  after  which 
rehearsals  of  the  orchestra  and  chorus  began.  The  story  is  told  under 
the  caption  Augustana  Oratorio  Society. 

Samuel  E.  Carlsson  continued  as  leader  of  the  orchestra  until  he 
left  college  in  1883.  Dr.  Stolpe  now  took  active  charge  and  introduced 
some  of  his  orchestral  compositions  and  other  music  to  the  members,  be- 
sides having  them  play  the  accompaniments  to  the  oratorios.  During 


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OLOF   OLSSON 


723 


1888  S.  E.  Carlsson  acted  as  assistant  leader.  After  Stolpe's  withdrawal 
from  the  Augustana  Conservatory  the  orchestra  had  a  precarious  exist- 
ence. It  was  revived  by  Franz  Zedeler,  who  conducted  it  until  1904. 
For  the  next  two  years  it  wras  directed  by  Christian  Oelschlaegel. 
During  the  school  year  1907-08  Gertrude  Housel,  the  violin  instructor 
at  the  conservatory,  has  conducted  the  Augustana  Orchestra.  With 
the  help  of  a  few  outside  musicians  they  played  the  overtures  to 
Rossini's  "Barber  of  Seville"  and  Balfe's  "Bohemian  Girl"  besides 
furnishing  accompaniments  for  Gounod's  "Gallia"  and  Mendelssohn's 
"Hymn  of  Praise."  The  membership  is  about  sixteen. 

Olof  Olsson 

Among  our  musical  pioneers  we  may  well  include  Dr.  Olof  Olsson. 
It  was  he  who  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the  rendering  of  the  "Messiah" 
and  other  great  oratorios,  first  at  Augustana  College  and  later  at 
Bethany  College,  where  the  annual  Messiah  concerts  have  become  a 
noted  musical  event.  His  glowing  account  of  a  Messiah  concert 
attended  by  him  in  Exeter  Hall,  London,  at  Easter,  1879,  inspired  the 
organization  of  the  Augustana  Oratorio  Society  in  February,  1881.  The 
idea  underlying  the  establishment  of  the  Augustana  Conservatory  of 
Music  is  also  traceable  to  Dr.  Olsson,  who  that  same  year  publicly  ex- 
pressed the  desirability  of  having  an  orchestra,  a  trained  chorus  and  a 
professor  of  music  at  the  Rock  Island  institution.  We  quote  the  follow- 
ing words  by  way  of  characterizing  his  musical  views  and  ideals:  "If 
ever  there  was  a  place  for  an  orchestra  and  a  good  chorus  "it  is  at  a 
divinity  school.  There  the  great  works  of  Handel,  Bach  and  other 
masters  ought  to  be  most  thoroughly  studied.  In  the  sacred  composi- 
tions of  Handel  and  Bach  there  is  more  genuine  theology  than  in  many 
a  heavy  tome  of  biblical  exegeses  and  theological  treatises.  Had  our 
congregations  the  correct  conception  of  the  matter,  they  would  forth- 
with engage  a  competent  professor  of  sacred  music  at  our  institution." 

The  Augustana    Oratorio   Society 

In  the  summer  of  1880  the  preliminary  steps  toward  the  organiza- 
tion of  an  oratorio  society  were  taken  by  the  forming  of  choruses  in 
various  cities  and  communities,  including  Rock  Island,  Moline,  Gales- 
burg  and  Andover,  but  the  actual  organization  was  not  completed 
before  Feb.  25-26,  1881,  when  the  various  choruses  and  the  orchestra 
met  together  to  rehearse  for  the  first  time.  They  chose  the  name 
Augustana  Oratorio  Society.  After  a  second  general  rehearsal  the 
society  gave  its  first  public  concerts  April  llth  and  12th,  at  Moline  and 
Rock  Island,  respectively,  this  being  the  first  time  that  the  "Messiah" 
or  any  equally  pretentious  musical  work  was  rendered  by  Swedish- 


THE   AUGUSTANA   ORATORIO    SOCIETY 


725 


Americans.  Encouraged  by  the  first  successful  appearances,  the  chorus, 
orchestra  and  soloists  at  once  started  out  on  a  tour  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, appearing  at  Galva,  Galesburg,  Orion,  Geneseo,  Altona  and 
Andover,  large  audiences  being  attracted  at  each  place. 

The  participating  members  of  the  Oratorio  Society  numbered  one 
hundred.  Dr.  Olsson  was  president  and  virtual  manager;  Joseph 
Osborn  (Esbjorn),  musical  director;  J.  F.  Ring,  organist,  and  the  solo- 
ists were,  C.  A.  Backman,  Wilhelmina  Kohler,  Sophie  Fair,  Cecilia 
Stromberg,  Esther  and  Joshua  Hasselquist  and  Maria  Bergblom. 

In  April  the  following  year  the  Messiah  concerts  were  repeated. 
The  society  first  appeared  at  Princeton  and  Geneseo,  then  rendered 
Handel's  great  masterpiece  in  the  large  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of 
Moline  two  successive  evenings.  These  two  events  proved  a  most 
gratifying  climax  to  the  tour,  the  edifice  being  crowded  to  the  doors 
both  times,  while,  on  an  estimate,  five  hundred  people  were  turned 
away. 

That  same  spring  the  orchestra  and  soloists  went  to  Kansas  and 
participated  in  the  first  renditions  of  the  "Messiah"  in  Lindsborg  and 
vicinity.  The  entire  society  was  also  invited  to  Omaha,  to  several 
places  in  Iowa  and  to  Minneapolis.  It  was  found  impracticable,  how- 
ever, to  fill  these  engagements,  but  as  a  direct  result  of  Dr.  Olsson 's 
successful  efforts  at  Rock  Island  similar  choruses  were  subsequently 
formed  in  Lindsborg,  St.  Paul  and  New  York  City. 

On  Nov.  7  and  8,  1883,  a  grand  Luther  jubilee  was  celebrated  at 
Augustana,  and  for  that  occasion  there  was  erected  on  the  slope  of  the 
college  hill  an  amphitheatrical  structure,  named  Jubilee  Hall,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  several  thousand.  This  rudimentary,  yet  service- 
able structure,  now  torn  down,  was  made  necessary  principally  through 
the  success  of  Dr.  Olsson  and  the  Oratorio  Society  in  attracting  large 
audiences.  The  "Messiah"  was  sung  the  first  evening.  The  second 
concert  was  devoted  chiefly  to  Wennerberg's  "Psalms  of  David,"  Dr. 
T.  N.  Hasselquist  figuring  as  one  of  the  soloists.  Two  days  after,  the 
orchestra  assisted  at  a  similar  celebration  in  Chicago.  The  following 
year  P.  A.  Edquist  became  director  of  the  chorus.  Some  of  the  choruses 
from  "Messiah"  were  repeated  in  the  annual  concert.  On  June  10, 
1885.  selections  from  Haydn's  "Creation"  and  Mendelssohn's  "Elijah" 
were  sung.  Nov.  6th,  the  same  year,  selections  from  Wennerberg's 
"Psalms  of  David"  were  sung.  Professor  Stolpe  directed  the  chorus  in 
1886  and  was  followed  the  next  year  by  James  Moody.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1887  Professor  Stolpe  again  assumed  direction  of  the  society. 
At  this  period  Stolpe  composed  and  dedicated  to  the  chorus  "David's 
LXVIIth  Psalm"  for  three  solo  voices,  chorus  and  orchestra. 

During  1888  there  arose  friction  causing  a  division  of  the  chorus, 


726 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


Stolpe  remaining,  however,  at  the  head  of  the  college  chorus  and 
orchestra.  The  same  year  "Messiah"  and  Stainer's  "Daughter  of 
Jairus"  were  rendered  by  the  chorus.  On  June  4,  1891,  Bennett's 
"Woman  of  Samaria"  was  performed. 

The  other  wing  chose  in  1888  Victor  J.  Tengwald  as  its  director  and 
then  adopted  the  present  name,  Handel  Oratorio  Society.  Mr.  Teng- 
wald rehearsed  assiduously  with  his  chorus  and  in  1889  the  "Creation" 
was  for  the  first  time  rendered  in  full,  the  concert  taking  place  at 
Moline.  At  a  later  concert  in  Rock  Island  some  of  Wennerberg's 
"Psalms  of  David"  were  sung.  The  "Messiah"  and  "Creation"  were 
also  given. 

In  1891  Prof.  0.  Olsson  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of  Augustana 
College.  He  effected  the  next  year  a  union  of  the  two  choruses  under 
the  leadership  of  Prof.  G.  E.  Griffith,  who  remained  in  this  capacity 
until  1896.  The  organization  retained  the  new  name,  Handel  Oratorio 
Society.  At  the  Jubilee  Concert  in  1893  the  following  works  were 
rendered  with  the  assistance  of  Strasser's  Orchestra,  Augustana  Brass 
Band  and  Bethany  Brass  Band;  Stolpe 's  " Jubel-kantat"  for  baritone, 
alto,  chorus,  organ  and  orchestra;  Gade's  "Zion,"  a  cantata  for  bari- 
tone, chorus,  orchestra  and  organ;  Cowen's  "Song  of  Thanksgiving;" 
excerpts  from  "Messiah,"  and  Wennerberg's  "Psalm  CL."  Other 
works  sung  in  1892-6  are  Mercadante's  "Seven  Last  Words,"  Wenner- 
berg's "Jesu  Fodelse,"  Gaul's  "Holy  City,"  Spohr's  "Last  Judg- 
ment," "Creation,"  "Elijah,"  Bach's  "God's  Time  is  Best,"  besides 
other  works  of  a  high  order.  During  1896  and  1897  Prof.  A.  D.  Bodfors 
directed  the  society,  presumably  drilling  several  of  the  above  works. 
In  the  fall  of  1898  Prof.  F.  E.  Peterson  took  charge  of  the  chorus  and 
directed  the  performance  of  the  following  oratorios:  1889,  Apr.  and 
Dec.,  "Messiah";  1900,  "Creation";  1901,  "Elijah";  1902,  "Crea- 
tion"; Founder's  Day,  1903,  "Messiah";  1904,  "Messiah";  1905, 
"Creation".  Prof.  Christian  Oelschlaegel  was  the  next  leader,  repeat- 
ing the  "Messiah"  in  1906.  Emil  Larson,  the  conservatory  director, 
next  assumed  charge,  and  in  the  spring  of  1907  Gaul's  "Holy  City"  was 
performed.  On  May  7,  1908,  Mendelssohn's  "Hymn  of  Praise"  and 
Gounod's  "Gallia"  were  rendered  by  the  chorus,  which  on  this  occasion 
consisted  of  75  voices,  accompanied  by  organ,  piano  and  the  Augustana 
Orchestra  of  20  pieces.  Mr.  Larson  in  July,  1908,  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Augustana  Conservatory  of  Music  and  thereby  with  the 
chorus.  The  above  list  of  works  performed  would  be  creditable  to  any 
musical  society,  but  is  especially  so  to  a  college  chorus,  whose  member- 
ship changes  from  year  to  year,  a  large  percentage  each  year  being 
lost  to  it. 


THE   WENNERBERG   CHORUS 


The   Chapel   Choir 


727 


The  Chapel  Choir  at  Augustana  College  has  been  led  for  quite  a 
number  of  years  by  Edla  Lund,  the  vocal  instructor.  Many  good  com- 
positions have  been  artistically  rendered  by  it  in  the  course  of  time. 
Among  them  may  be  mentioned  Soderman's  smaller  mass  with 
Latin  text  called  "Andeliga  Sanger,"  Soderman's  "Hjertesorg," 
Gade's  "Spring  Song"  and  MacDowell's  "Barcarolle."  Mrs.  Lund  has 
also  been  conductor  of  the  Choral  Union  of  Moline,  which  among  other 
things  has  sung  the  Soderman  Mass,  the  "Messiah"  and  Goring- 
Thomas'  "The  Swan  and  the  Skylark." 

The  Wennerberg'   Chorus 

The  first  male  quartette  at  Augustana  College  was  formed  in  1867 
when  the  school  was  still  at  Paxton.  In  that  year  the  350th  anniversary 
of  the  sixteenth  century  Eeformation  was  celebrated  very  generally  in 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  churches.  Professor  Hasselquist  lectured  in 
many  of  the  Illinois  churches  and  the  male  quartette,  which  accom- 
panied him,  sang  at  each  place  to  appreciative  audiences.  From  time  to 
time  similar  student  quartettes  arose,  so  that  when  the  first  college 
building  at  Rock  Island  was  dedicated  in  1875,  the  students  could 
furnish  both  band  and  vocal  music  to  enrich  the  exercises. 

It  was  not  until  1901  that  a  student  maje  chorus  was  permanently 
organized.  Gunnar  Wennerberg  had  died  that  year  and  memorial  con- 
certs were  held  in  many  of  the  Swedish  communities.  The  Svea  Male 
Chorus  of  Moline  asked  the  aid  of  the  students  for  such  a  concert  and 
the  Wennerberg  Chorus  was  accordingly  organized  Oct.  21,  1901.  A.  S. 
Hamilton,  the  first  director,  was  succeeded  by  Prof.  C.  J.  Sodergren  the 
next  year.  In  September,  1903,  E.  C.  Bloomquist  was  chosen  leader.  The 
following  April,  the  chorus  gave  concerts  in  Rockford,  Aurora,  Batavia 
and  Elgin.  In  January,  1905,  Emil  Larson,  the  conservatory  director, 
became  the  musical  head  of  the  chorus.  During  April,  concerts  were 
given  in  Rockford,  DeKalb,  Joliet,  Aurora,  Paxton  and  Chicago.  After 
commencement,  a  tour  was  made,  beginning  with  Galesburg  and  extend- 
ing as  far  west  as  Stromsburg,  Neb.,  concerts  being  held  in  twelve 
places.  Since  then  the  Wennerberg  Chorus  has  sung  in  Michigan, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Nebraska. 

The  repertory  comprises  the  standard  Swedish  student  songs  and 
also  many  selections  with  English  text.  It  is  noteworthy,  that  there  is 
an  entire  absence  of  the  burlesque  and  vaudeville  features  characteristic 
of  the  usual  college  glee  club  programme.  Under  Mr.  Larson's  leader- 
ship the  Wennerberg  Chorus  has  so  gained  in  precision  of  attack,  in- 
tonation, enunciation  and  general  musical  effect,  that  it  is  perhaps  the 
peer  of  any  similar  student  body  in  the  West. 


u 


GUSTF    STOLAPE 
Gustaf  Stolpe 


729 


Gustaf  Erik  Stolpe  was  born  Sept.  26,  1833,  in  Torsaker  parish, 
Gestrikland,  Sweden,  where  his  forefathers  had  been  organists  for  a 
period  of  one  hundred  and  forty  years.  At  the  early  age  of  five  years 
he  began  to  receive  instructions  in  piano  and  violin  from  his  father, 
Johan  Stolpe.  Three  years  later  he  was  sent  to  the  athenaeum  at  Gefle, 
which  he  attended  for  seven  years.  When  ten  years  old,  he  played  the 
organ  at  the  regular  services  one  Sunday  and  also  appeared  in 


Dr.  Gustaf  Stolpe 

concert  with  some  visiting  musicians.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
twelve  years  old.  The  young  boy  relieved  his  father  of  playing  at  the 
funeral  service  and  performed  a  funeral  march  which  he  himself  com- 
posed for  the  occasion.  The  father  preserved  at  the  homestead  a  pile  of 
musical  manuscripts  composed  by  the  son  from  his  tenth  to  his  sixteenth 
year. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  Gustaf  was  entered  in  the  Royal  Conservatory 
of  Music  at  Stockholm.  After  a  year  he  passed  the  organist's  examina- 
tion with  credit  and,  continuing,  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty-two, 
with  the  degree  of  Director  Musices  et  Cantus.  At  this  period  he  acted 
as  accompanist  and  piano  soloist  to  Jenny  Lind  during  her  tour 
through  Sweden. 


730  MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  En  gel 
Aurore,  daughter  of  Per  Johan  Palman  and  his  wife  Brita  Engel  Ihr- 
fors  of  Vesteras.  The  same  year,  1856,  Stolpe  succeeded  the  composer 
J.  N.  Ahlstrom  as  director  of  the  orchestra  at  the  Ladugardsland  and 
Humlegard  Theatres  in  Stockholm.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
present  royal  kapellmeister,  Conrad  Nordqvist,  then  played  second 
violin  in  his  orchestra.  Stolpe  either  composed  or  arranged  most  of  the 
musical  repertory  during  his  connection  with  the  theatre.  He  com- 
posed thirty-eight  operettas,  each  containing  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
four  pieces.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned  "Sven  och  liten  Anna,"  a 
three  act  piece. 

Kemoving  in  1863  to  Varberg,  Halland,  Stolpe  was  engaged  as 
organist  of  the  city  church,  besides  teaching  vocal  and  instrumental 
music  at  two  institutions  of  learning  in  that  city.  These  positions  he 
retained  for  many  years,  meanwhile  making  frequent  concert  tours  in 
Sweden  as  a  skilled  performer  upon  organ,  piano  and  violin. 

During  1879-80  Stolpe  had  a  year's  leave  of  absence  which  was 
spent  in  Stockholm.  Much  of  this  time  was  passed  in  companionship 
with  his  friends,  Ludvig  Norman  and  P.  A.  Oppfeldt.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  his  twenty-four  studies  for  the  piano  were  published. 

In  1881  Stolpe  left  for  a  concert  tour  of  the  United  States.  The 
enterprise  did  not  prove  a  financial  success,  and  he  was  facing  actual 
want  when  called  to  the  professorship  of  music  at  Augustana  College 
in  1882.  He  accepted  the  position,  and  his  connection  with  the  institu- 
tion resulted  three  years  later  in  the  establishment  of  the  Augustana 
Conservatory  of  Music,  of  which  he  thus  was  the  virtual  founder. 

Stolpe  gave  instruction  to  advanced  pupils  in  piano,  organ,  violin, 
violoncello,  voice  and  harmony.  His  lectures  on  musical  history  were 
'no  less  fascinating  for  their  style  than  for  the  musical  illustrations  with 
which  they  were  embellished.  Prof.  Stolpe  was  a  capable  writer  on 
topics  pertaining  to  his  art  and  contributed  on  occasion  to  various 
periodicals. 

His  ethical  views  Dr.  Stolpe  set  forth  in  "En  Examinerad  Musik- 
direktor,"  a  monograph  written  in  1894  to  the  memory  of  his  deceased 
friend  P.  A.  Oppfeldt,  the  contents  of  the  book  being  an  indirect,  but 
none  the  less  vigorous  protest  against  the  pretentions  of  cheap  dilet- 
tantism. 

From  1883  until  the  end  of  his  Eock  Island  career,  Prof.  Stolpe 
was  organist  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Moline.  He  had  won- 
derful skill  in  improvisation  and  his  chorale  playing  has  been  declared 
by  musicians  to  be  well-nigh  matchless.  He  refused  to  play  music  of  a 
"gospel  hymn"  character  at  the  Sunday  evening  services,  deeming  it 
unchurchly.  Consequently  a  substitute  had  to  perform  the  objection- 
able melodies. 


GUSTAF    STOLPE 


731 


During  1888  the  Stolpe  Trio  existed.  Stolpe  played  the  piano, 
Samuel  E.  Carlsson  the  violin  and  A.  D.  Bodfors  the  cello.  They  play- 
ed many  classic  compositions.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Music  was  con- 
ferred upon  Stolpe  in  1891  by  the  New  York  Conservatory  of  Music 
in  recognition  of  his  talent  in  composition. 


Dr.  Gustaf  Stolpe 

During  the  school  year  1893-94  differences  of  opinion  arose  be- 
tween Dr.  Stolpe  and  the  president  of  the  college,  which  culminated  in 
the  resignation  of  the  former.  Dr.  Stolpe  remained  in  Rock  Island, 
giving  instruction  to  advanced  students.  In  1895  he  opened  in  Rock 
Island  a  music  school  of  very  modest  proportions,  which  existed  for 
several  years.  In  1900  Dr.  Stolpe  was  called  to  head  the  department  of 
music  at  Upsala  College,  Kenilworth,  New  Jersey,  and  taught  there  for 


732 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


two  terms.  The  following  year  his  health  failed  and  on  October  3, 
1901,  he  breathed  his  last. 

Dr.  Stolpe  had  a  son  in  his  first  marriage,  viz.,  Rev.  Johan  Gustaf 
Mauritz  Stolpe,  D.  D.,  Knight  of  the  Order  of  Vasa,  pastor  of  the 
Gustavus  Adolphus  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  New  York  City.  In 
his  second  marriage,  with  an  American  lady,  he  had  two  sons,  George 
Vitus,  a  naval  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American  war,  now  dead,  and 
David  Evald.  The  widow,  Mrs.  Malvina  Stolpe,  resides  in  Kenil- 
worth,  N.  J. 

Professor  Stolpe  was  a  pious  man,  who  spent  his  Sunday  after- 
noons in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  said  that  he  read  his  Bible 
through  about  two  hundred  times.  This  undoubtedly  had  a  great  in- 
fluence upon  his  literary  style. 

An  idea  of  Dr.  Stolpe 's  productiveness  and  versatility  is  afforded 
by  the  following  schedule  of  his  published  works: 

Thirty-eight  operettas,  all  of  them  rendered  in  Stockholm;  about 
twenty-five  orchestral  works,  among  them  "Marehe  Militaire,"  "Fes- 
tival Overture,"  "Mazurka,"  "Fantasia  on  Swedish  Melodies,"  "Ar- 
rangement of  Gavotte  from  J.  S.  Bach's  Second  Violin  Sonata,"  "The 
Lark  in  the  Sky,"  "Tone  Sketches,"  a  suite,  and  several  more  over- 
tures; twenty-five  pieces  for  brass  band;  a  string  quartette;  a  trio  for 
violin,  cello  and  piano;  a  trio  for  violin,  piano  and  organ,  entitled, 
"Over  the  Forest,  Over  the  Sea;"  three  duets  for  violin  and  piano, 
among  them  "Vue;"  several  piano  duets;  for  organ:  "Fantasia 
Heroica,"  "Symphony,"  "Concertino,"  "Preludium  and  Fuga,"  fifty 
"Preludes,"  "En  moders  bb'n;"  for  piano:  "20  Originalpolskor  fran 
Gestrikland, "  composed  by  Per  Stolpe,  1756,  Johan  Stolpe,  1792,  and 
by  Gustaf  Stolpe  in  his  youth,  and  harmonized  by  him;  "24  Piano- 
studier, "  about  twenty-five  piano  solos,  including  "Vinterkvallarne," 
"Matrossang,"  "Gondoliersang,"  "Guldfjarilarne,"  "Ballad  vid 
hafvet,"  "Sonja,"  "Den  gamla,  goda  tiden,"  " Prarieskizzer, "  "En 
tonsaga,"  "Hedvig  Vals,"  "Konsertvals,"  "Humoresk,"  "Irlandsk 
Dans,"  "Malvina,"  "A  Dream  of  Haydn,"  "Soldatkor;"  for  mixed 
chorus:  "Korer  for  Blandade  Roster,"  comprising  twenty-four  sacred 
choruses;  "Davids  LXVII  Psalm"  for  solo  voices,  chorus  and  orchest- 
ra; "Ordet,"  for  alternating  choirs;  a  cantata  for  chorus  and  organ; 
" Jubelkantat,"  for  baritone  and  alto,  chorus,  organ,  and  orchestra;  a 
cantata  for  baritone  solo,  chorus,  and  orchestra;  for  male  chorus: 
"Tjugufyra  sanger  for  Manskor,"  with  sacred  text;  "Dolda  ting," 
"Sverige  och  Norge";  "100  Sangstycken, "  for  children's  voices;  about 
fifteen  songs  with  piano  accompaniment,  among  them  being,  "Mina 
dagar,"  "En  lyra  ar  hjartat,"  with  violin  obligate,  "Uppa  Gud  hoppas. 
jag,"  "Pa  blomsterdoft,"  "Angeii  star  slagen,"  "Paa  Fjeldet," 


EMIL   LARSON 


733 


"When  the  grass  shall  cover  me,"  "Hur  skont  det  ar  att  komma  i 
Herrens  tempelgard,"  besides  a  sacred  duet  for  soprano  and  alto,  and 
"Dagar  komma,  dagar  flykta,"  for  soprano,  female  quartette  and 
piano. 

Stolpe's  Opus  94  was  published  in  1895,  and  the  opus  number  since 
reached  was  undoubtedly  over  100,  as  various  songs  and  piano  com- 


Emil  Larson 

positions  were  published  in  this  country  during  his  last  years.  If  the 
individual  compositions  in  these  were  counted  they  would  amount  to 
far  more  than  one  thousand  numbers. 

Emil   Larson 

One  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  Swedish  musical  life  in  this 
country  is  that  of  Emil  Larson.  Schooled  under  teachers  like  Creswold, 
Mathews,  Eddy  and  Sherwood,  he  has  developed  into  an  able  musician, 
whose  influence  has  been  far-reaching. 


734 


MUISC  AND  MUSICIANS 


Emil  Larson 's  career  as  organist,  professor  of  music  at  North  Park 
College,  director  of  the  Augustana  Conservatory  of  Music  and  as 
private  instructor  in  Chicago  has  served  to  impart  the  principles  of 
good  musicianship  to  hundreds  of  earnest  pupils,  many  of  whom,  in 
turn,  have  themselves  become  music  teachers  in  various  parts  of  the 
country. 

Many  odd  moments  during  his  busy  life  have  been  devoted  to 
composition.  Perceiving  the  dearth  of  good  music  for  Swedish  church 
choirs,  he  has  written  or  arranged  numerous  anthems.  About  twenty- 
five  of  these  were  published  in  the  collection  called  "  Kyrkokoren. " 
A  fresh  series  collected  under  the  title  "Sangkoren"  has  just  been 
issued.  The  new  series  has  also  been  published  in  English,  German  and 
Norwegian  editions.  Larson's  choral  arrangements  are  characterized 
by  the  melodiousness  of  not  only  the  leading  air  but  also  of  the  inner 
parts.  Many  short  airs  have  also  been  prepared  for  children 's  choruses 
and  collected  in  annuals  called  "Bethlehemsstjarnan"  and  "Pask- 
liljan." 

The  folksongs  of  the  fatherland  have  appealed  to  Emil  Larson  to 
so  great  a  degree  that  he  has  taken  some  of  the  melodies  as  themes  and 
built  larger  musical  structures  therefrom.  ' '  Konsertf antasi  of ver  sven- 
ska  folkvisor,"  "Second  Fantasia  on  Swedish  Folk  Songs"  and  "Varia- 
tions on  an  Old  Swedish  Lullaby"  show  considerable  powers  of  inven- 
tion and  originality,  and  are  very  brilliant  and  effective  concert  pieces. 
They  are  not  to  be  classed  with  the  general  run  of  variations  and 
fantasies  on  operatic  or  other  airs. 

In  July,  1908,  Emil  Larson  severed  his  connection  with  the  Augus- 
tana Conservatory  of  Music,  moving  to  Chicago,  where  he  has  resumed 
his  career  as  a  musician.  A  biographical  sketch  is  given  elsewhere  in 
this  work. 

The   Swedish   Festival  Chorus,  Chicago 

The  May  Festival  Chorus  was  organized  in  1894  as  a  part  of  a 
movement  to  provide  funds  to  prosecute  the  murderers  of  the  unfortun- 
ate Swan  Nelson.  A  concert  was  given  in  May  in  the  Auditorium  and 
proved  a  musical  as  well  as  a  financial  success.  The  chorus  numbered 
several  hundred  men  and  women,  enlisted  mostly  from  the  church 
choirs  and  the  male  choruses.  John  R.  Ortengren  acted  as  director  and 
Emil  Larson  was  accompanist.  Early  in  1895  rehearsals  began  for  an- 
other concert  which  was  held  in  the  Auditorium  the  following  May. 
"The  Heavens  are  telling"  was  sung  with  orchestral  accompaniment, 
besides  several  melodies  a  capella.  In  February,  1896,  the  name 
Swedish  Festival  Chorus  was  adopted.  The  membership  varied  from 
three  to  four  hundred.  A  concert  was  given  May  23rd  in  the  Audito- 


CHORUSES   AND    CHOIRS 


735 


rium,  one  of  the  numbers  being  Abt's  "Neckrosen,"  arranged  for 
the  chorus  by  Emil  Larson.  Haydn's  chorus  from  the  "Creation," 
''Achieved  is  the  Glorious  Work"  was  also  sung. 

The  next  concert  took  place  May  8,  3897,  in  the  same  hall.  Wen- 
nerberg's  largest  chorus,  "Psalm  CXIII,"  was  one  of  the  numbers. 
Concerts  were  held  in  various  churches  and  halls  during  the  season  of 
1897-98.  The  attendance  at  the  rehearsals  flagged  during  the  last  two 
seasons  and  the  chorus  wound  up  its  existence  in  the  fall  of  1898. 

The   Gurmar   Wennerberg'   Memorial  Choruses,    Chicago 

The  Gunnar  Wennerberg  Memorial  Chorus,  for  the  most  part  com- 
posed of  the  same  material  as  the  Swedish  Festival  Chorus,  was  organ- 
ized to  assist  in  a  concert  to  be  held  in  memory  of  the  then  recently 
departed  poet  and  composer,  Gunnar  Wennerberg.  John  R.  Orten- 
gren  was  the  director  of  the  chorus  of  five  hundred  voices.  The  con- 
cert, held  Oct.  2,  1901,  in  the  Auditorium,  began  with  an  organ  fantasia 
on  Wennerberg  melodies  arranged  by  Emil  Larson.  The  mixed  chorus 
sang  "Psalm  XXIV"  and  "Psalm  CL, "  whilst  the  male  chorus  sang 
"Hor  oss,  Svea,"  "Sta  stark"  and  "O  Gud,  som  styrer  folkens  oden." 
The  other  Wennerberg  numbers  were  two  duets  from  "Gluntarne"  and 
three  solos.  Four-fifths  of  the  proceeds  were  distributed  to  local 
charities,  the  balance  being  sent  to  Sweden  in  1907  to  go  toward  the 
erection  of  a  statue  of  Wennerberg  at  Upsala  University. 

In  August,  1907,  John  R.  Ortengren  gathered  a  chorus  of  five 
hundred  voices  from  the  various  church  choirs  and  male  choruses  in 
order  to  add  to  the  fund  for  the  proposed  Wennerberg  statue. 
The  concert  was  held  at  the  Casino.  Tb.e  mixed  chorus  sang  "Psalm 
CL,"  "Psalm  XXIV,"  "Sommarsondag"  and  "Trasten  i  hostkvallen. " 
The  male  chorus  sang  "Hor  oss,  Svea"  and  "Sta  stark,  du  ljusets  rid- 
darvakt. "  A  duet  and  a  solo  by  Wennerberg  were  also  on  the  pro- 
gramme. 

Baptist   Choirs 

The  choir  of  the  First  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago  was 
founded  in  1871  but  had  a  somewhat  irregular  existence  until  reorgan- 
ized in  1891,  when  it  assumed  the  name  Symphony  Singing  Society.  A. 
P.  Nelson,  who  had  been  leader  since  1889,  translated  the  text  to 
Baker's  cantata  "The  Storm  King"  and  conducted  its  production  on 
Dec.  4,  1891.  It  was  repeated  in  ]892  and  1893.  Among  the  later 
leaders  were  Axel  Francke  1899,  John  E.  Spann  1895-8,  1900-3,  and 
1908. 

A  male  chorus,  Sangarbroderna,  was  organized  among  the  Swedish 
Baptists  of  Chicago  by  A.  P.  Nelson  in  1900.  It  has  sung  at  several 


736  MUSIC    AND   MUSICIANS 

large  celebrations,  as  the  Golden  Jubilee  concert  in  1902,  and  the  con- 
cert for  the  benefit  of  the  Swedish  famine  sufferers  in  1903. 

The  Swedish  Baptist  Jubilee  Chorus  of  Chicago  is  a  union  choir, 
organized  in  1902  with  John  E.  Spann  as  director,  for  the  purpose  of 
singing  at  the  Golden  Jubilee  of  the  Swedish  Baptists  on  Sept.  27,  1902. 
The  chorus  has  since  been  permanently  organized.  It  has  taken  part  in 
the  benefit  concert  for  the  famine  sufferers  of  Sweden,  April  4,  1903, 
and  in  several  local  charity  concerts.  The  chorus  numbers  about  250 
mixed  voices  and  rehearses  about  ten  weeks  previous  to  the  annual  fall 
concert.  Among  the  works  sung  are  Wennerberg's  "Psalm  CL,"  Costa 's 
"Zion,  Awake,"  Bellini's  "Lofsang,"  Berens'  "Vid  alfvarne  i  Ba- 
bylon," Gounod's  "Unfold,  ye  Portals,"  Cowen's  "Bridal  Chorus," 
Gounod's  "By  Babylon's  Wave"  and  Gounod's  "Zion's  ways  do 
languish." 

Mission   Choirs 

The  energetic  Axel  L.  Hvassman  was  chorister  of  the  Lake  View 
Mission  Choir  1890-92,  the  Swedish  Tabernacle  Choir  1892-96,  1899-1902 
and  of  the  North  Side  Mission  Choir  1896-99,  1902—.  In  the  Tabernacle 
Church  the  choir  sang  P.  U.  Stenhammar's  "Hostpsalm"  on  Nov.  20, 
1892,  H.  Berens'  "Fader  var"  on  May  25,  1895,  L.  Norman's  "Det 
gudomliga  ljuset"  on  Dec.  14,  1895,  and  Gounod's  "Vid  Babylons 
alfvar"  on  Nov.  15,  1902.  Several  of  the  above  works  have  been  sung 
by  the  North  Side  Mission  Choir  under  Mr.  Hvassman 's  leadership. 
In  1895  many  members  of  the  above  choruses  sang  at  the  Covenant  con- 
certs in  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis. 

Mr.  Hvassman  organized,  in  1892,  the  Swedish  Mission  Festival 
Chorus  of  Chicago.  Under  his  direction  the  chorus,  varying  from  350 
to  500  voices,  has  sung  at  the  Auditorium  during  various  seasons  such 
works  as  Gounod's  "Gallia,"  P.  U.  Stenhammar's  "David  och  Saul" 
and  "Hostpsalm,"  A.  F.  Lindblad's  "Drommarne,"  Gounod's  "Naz- 
areth" and  parts  of  "Messiah"  and  "Elijah." 

The  Asaph  Singing  Society  was  organized  in  1894  by  Mr.  Hvass- 
man from  among  the  male  singers  in  Mission  choirs.  The  usual 
quartettes  are  sung,  often  furnished  with  religious  text.  On  Nov.  28, 
1896,  Petterson-Berger's  cycle,  "Fjallfard, "  was  sung  to  words  written 
by  D.  Nyvall.  The  chorus,  numbering  about  thirty-five  members,  sang 
at  Minneapolis  and  various  points  in  Iowa  in  1900. 

Mr.  Hvassman  is  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  provide  for  his 
audiences  a  high  grade  of  choral  music,  both  as  to  content  and  vocal 
quality.  He  is  one  of  the  best  Swedish  chorus  directors  in  the  state. 

One  of  the  excellent  Swedish  choirmasters  in  Illinois  is  Andrew 
G.  Hvass,  who  led  the  Lake  View  Mission  Choir  in  the  singing  of  P.  U. 


CHORUSES    AND   CHOIRS 


737 


Stenhammar 's  fine  "Hostpsalm"  on  Nov.  29,  1900.  For  several  years 
he  had  a  union  chorus  in  Lake  View,  Chicago.  Since  1906  he  has  been 
leader  of  the  Swedish  Tabernacle  Choir.  This  excellent  chorus  sang 
Stenhammar 's  "Hostpsalm"  and  part  I.  of  Gaul's  "Ruth"  Nov.  29, 
1906,  while  on  June  29,  1907,  it  sang  A.  F.  Lindblad's  "Drommarne." 
Mr.  Hvass  has  organized  the  South  Side  Choral  Union  which  sang  Van 
Boom's  "Lofsang"  and  Stolpe's  "Davids  LXVII  Psalm"  on  April  9, 
1908,  in  the  Swedish  Tabernacle. 

Lutheran  Choirs 

John  Peters,  organist  and  choir  leader  of  Salem  Sw.  Luth.  Church 
in  Chicago  was  educated  in  Oberlin  and  New  England  musical  con- 
servatories. Besides  the  usual  work,  he  has  prepared  many  programmes 
with  excerpts  from  standard  oratorios  and  cantatas. 

The  Trinity  Sw.  Luth.  Church  in  Lake  View,  Chicago,  sang  "Beth- 
lehem" under  Robert  Anderson  in  1904.  The  next  year,  when  Otto 
Carlson  became  leader,  the  choir  sang  Stainer's  "Crucifixion."  This 
was  repeated  in  1906  and  1908.  In  1907  Gaul's  "The  Holy  City"  and 
Mercadante's  "The  Seven  Last  Words"  were  sung.  The  choir  numbers 
sixty-five  voices. 

On  Feb.  20,  1908,  the  Swedish  Lutheran  churches  of  Chicago  had  a 
"national  festival"  in  Orchestra  Hall,  where  the  Swedish- American 
National  Chorus,  composed  of  church  choir  members,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Alfred  Holmes,  sang  Stolpe's  "Ordet,"  a  composition  for  male 
chorus,  female  chorus,  mixed  chorus  and  final  eight  part  chorus,  Wen- 
nerberg's  "Nar  Herren  Zions  fangar"  and  "Aftonklockan,"  besides 
several  numbers  with  English  text.  Emil  Larson  has  been  appointed 
director  for  1909. 

Many  church  choirs  in  various  parts  of  the  state  have  done  similar 
good  work.  Owing  to  their  preparing  from  one  to  four  anthems  for 
each  Sunday  they  do  not,  as  a  rule,  have  the  leisure  to  obtain  that 
finesse  in  singing  which  the  male  choruses  sometimes  attain.  Taking 
this  into  consideration,  the  results  obtained  are  praiseworthy.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark  that  with  but  two  or  three  exceptions  the  male 
choruses  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  singing  of  small  quartettes. 
The  church  choirs  have  not  hesitated  to  learn  and  perform  large  choral 
works,  such  as  cantatas  and  oratorios,  quite  often  scoring  brilliant 
results.  In  this  respect  they  may  well  be  emulated  by  the  male 
choruses. 

It  is  doubtless  a  fact  that  one  of  the  greatest  influences  toward  a 
popular  elevation  of  musical  taste  in  the  Swedish  communities  in  this 
country  has  been  exerted  by  the  church  choirs. 


738 


MUSIC    AND   MUSICIANS 
The   Svithiod   Singing"    Club 


The  present  organization  known  as  the  Svithiod  Singing  Club 
is  the  outgrowth  of  a  male  chorus  formed  in  1882  among  the  early 
members  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Svithiod.  It  was  directed 
successively  by  Bjornholzt,  E.  Becker,  August  Elfaker  and  others. 
On  Feb.  11,  1893,  the  chorus  was  organized  under  its  present  name 


The  Home  of  the  Svithiod  Singing  Club 

and  charter  as  a  singing  and  social  club.  Theodore  Sjoquist,  then 
chosen  as  leader  of  the  chorus,  shortly  gave  place  to  John  L.  Swenson, 
who  remained  as  director  until  1906,  when  John  R.  Ortengren  became 
his  successor.  The  new  organization  took  an  active  part  in  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  song  festival  on  Swedish  Day  at  the  World's  Fair. 

Jan.  11,  1896,  was  a  memorable  day  in  the  history  of  the  Svithiod 
Singing  Club.     On  that  date  a  tournament  of  song  was  held  at  the 


740  MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 

Auditorium,  participated  in  by  male  choruses  of  seven  nationalities. 
The  Svithiod,  with  its  twenty-four  voices,  had  to  compete  with  choruses 
three  times  its  size,  but  they  sang  Jahnke's  "Sjomannen"  with  such 
spirit,  such  consummate  finish,  that  when  the  contest  was  over,  the 
prize^  was  theirs.  This  consisted  of  a  costly  banner,  bearing  the  inscrip- 
tion :  "The  Champion  Singers  of  Chicago.''  The  judges  of  the  contest 
were  three  noted  musicians  of  Chicago.  The  director,  John  L.  Swenson, 
was  awarded  a  gold  medal. 

Besides  numerous  concerts  and  public  entertainments,  this  club 
has  made  two  successful  attempts  in  the  operatic  line.  The  first  was 
a  rendition  of  Sullivan's  "Pinafore,"  in  Swedish,  at  McVicker's 
Theater,  in  1897,  followed  some  years  later  by  "The  Little  Saint,"  a 
Swedish  operetta,  presented  at  the  Studebaker  Theater.  "Pinafore" 
was  repeated  several  times,  the  last  being  Dec.  29,  1899,  and  Jan.  7, 
1900,  with  the  aid  of  the  Swedish  Glee  Club.  The  two  choruses  played 
Gustaf  Wicklund's  "En  afton  pa  Tre  Byttor"  Dec.  30,  1899. 

To  the  select  chorus  that  toured  Sweden  in  1897  Svithiod  con- 
tributed sixteen  members,  being  one  of  the  two  clubs  to  appear  inde- 
pendently at  the  concerts  given  in  the  old  country. 

The  Svithiod  Singing  Club  owns  its  clubhouse,  located  at  1768 
Wrightwood  avenue,  to  which  was  added  in  1901  a  concert  hall  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  several  hundred. 

The   Swedish  Glee   Club 

A  male  chorus  called  Svenska  Sangsallskapet,  founded  in  1887,  was 
led  by  John  L.  Swenson  for  two  years.  In  1889  it  was  consolidated 
with  a  social  organization  known  as  the  Swedish  Club,  and  renamed 
the  Swedish  Glee  Club.  Having  secured  John  R.  Ortengren  as  director, 
it  soon  proved  itself  a  splendid  aggregation  of  singers.  At  the  Scandi- 
navian singing  festival  held  in  1891  at  Minneapolis,  they  took  second 
honors,  but  for  a  long  period  thereafter  were  accorded  foremost  rank 
among  the  clubs  of  the  Swedish-American  singers'  union.  The  Glee 
Club  furnished  many  of  'the  best  voices  that  went  to  make  up  the 
picked  chorus  for  the  Sweden  tour  in  1897. 

Among  the  more  notable  numbers  in  its  repertory  may  be  men- 
tioned Soderman's  "Ett  bondbrollop, "  Hedenblad's  "Pa  kna,"  Witt's 
"I  natten,"  Korling's  "Sten  Sture,"  Grieg's  "Landkjending,"  Noren's 
"Styrbjorn  Starke, "  Hallstrom's  "Hymn  till  fosterlandet, "  and  por- 
tions of  Bruch  's  ' '  Scenes  from  Frithiof  's  Saga. ' '  The  operetta  ' '  Doktor 
Dulcamara"  has  been  given  several  times  by  the  club. 

A  few  years  back  the  club  was  demoralized,  partly  by  the  loss  of 
men  who  had  become  leaders  of  other  clubs,  but  chiefly  on  account  of 
flagging  interest  in  the  rehearsals  on  the  part  of  the  remaining  mem- 
bers. It  was  in  excellent  form  at  the  festival  held  in  Chicago  in  1905, 


THE  SINGERS'  UNION 


741 


but  shortly  thereafter  discontinued  regular  practice.     It  was  revived 
in  the  fall  of  1906,  under  the  leadership  of  William  Dahlen. 

The  Swedish  Glee  Club  occupies  leased  quarters  at  470  La  Salle 
avenue.  Its  club  house  has  been  the  scene  of  many  a  notable  event 
in  the  Swedish-American  musical  and  social  circles  of  the  city 
during  the  past  quarter  century.  In  the  early  part  of  the  year 


The  Swedish  Glee  Club,  Chicago,    1902 

1907  the  club  celebrated  its  silver   anniversary,   the  nucleus  of  the 
organization  having  been  formed  in  1882. 

The   American   Union   of  Swedish  Singers 

A  generation  back  little  groups  of  Swedish-American  singers  began 
to  organize  themselves  into  male  choruses  after  the  manner  of  those 
of  the  mother  country.  At  private  or  public  gatherings,  in  lodge  halls 
and  at  social  assemblages,  a  singer  or  two  would  be  present  who  would 
be  asked  to  give  a  solo  or  try  a  duet  together — some  old  favorite  tune 
familiar  to  all.  A  step  farther,  and  the  result  would  be  a  quartette. 
This  last  would  frequently  form  the  nucleus  for  a  male  chorus,  formed 
to  sing,  for  their  own  pleasure  and  the  entertainment  of  their  friends, 
the  favorite  songs  of  the  home-land.  At  a  later  stage,  when  the 


742 


MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 


choruses  would  grow  to  a  score  or  more  of  voices,  fairly  trained  under 
the  direction  of  the  most  competent  one  from  among  their  own  number, 
they  would  attempt  the  more  difficult  task  of  rendering  the  charac- 
teristic creations  of  Wennerberg,  Soderman  and  others,  written  origi- 
nally for  the  world-renowned  student  choruses  at  the  Swedish  uni- 
versities. 


The  Club  House  of  the  Swedish  Glee  Club 

A  like  movement  had  been  going  on  among  the  other  Scandinavians 
of  the  United  States.  Norwegian  and  Danish  male  choruses  had  been 
formed  in  various  localities,  east  and  west.  In  the  eastern  states  a 
union  of  Scandinavian  fraternal  and  mutual  aid  societies  was  effected 
in  the  middle  eighties.  Why  not  a  similar  organization  of  singing 
societies?  The  idea  was  taken  up  by  the  Scandinavian  Society  of 
Philadelphia  at  the  instance  of  Capt.  C.  M.  Machold,  on  whose  initiative 
an  association  known  as  the  United  Scandinavian  Singers  of  America 


THE  SINGERS'  UNION 


743 


was  organized  on  the  lines  of  the  German- American  Sangerbund.  The 
organization  took  place  in  the  city  of  New  York  May  16,  1886,  at  a 
meeting  of  delegates  from  five  choruses,  in  Philadelphia,  New  York, 
Brooklyn  and  Boston. 

Their  first  singing  festival  was  held  at  Philadelphia  the  following 
year.  This  was  attended  by  a  strong  Norwegian  male  chorus  from 
Chicago,  which  was  forthwith  admitted  to  membership  in  the  union. 
The  association  now  grew  so  rapidly  that  at  the  next  festival,  held  in 


Carl  Fredrik  Lundqvist 

Chicago  in  1889,  about  six  hundred  singers  were  in  attendance.  When 
the  singers  met  in  Minneapolis  after  another  interval  of  two  years, 
about  two  hundred  more  had  been  added.  Up  to  this  time  harmony 
had  been  the  predominant  note  in  the  united  choruses,  but  the  attempt, 
auspicious  at  first,  to  keep  the  organization  intact  from  the  traditional 
strife  between  Swedes  and  Norwegians,  was  destined  to  fail.  Quarrels 
arose  between  these  two  factions,  while  the  Danes  held  aloof  and  made 
unsuccessful  overtures  for  peace.  Close  upon  the  Minneapolis  festival 
followed  the  dissolution  of  the  organization. 

The  Swedish  choruses  having  gained  many  triumphs  at  the  song 
festivals,  were  desirous  of  continuing  mutual  relations  among  them- 


744  MUSIC   AND   MUSICIANS 

selves,  and  soon  conceived  the  idea  of  forming  a  federation  of  their  own. 
The  Lyran  Singing  Club  of  New  York  took  the  initiative  in  calling  the 
choruses  together,  and  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  club  house  of  the 
Swedish  Glee  Club  of  Chicago  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  Nov.  24,  1892, 
there  was  organized  the  American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers.  Charles 
K.  Johansen,  a  member  of  the  Lyran,  is  the  acknowledged  father  of  the 
organization,  having  been  the  first  to  propose  the  idea  and  one  of  the 
most  zealous  promoters  of  the  singers'  union  from  that  day  to  this. 
Other  men  taking  a  prominent  part  in  the  work  from  the  start  were, 
Magnus  Olson,  John  R.  Ortengren,  Olof  Nelson,  William  Dahlen,  John 
L.  Swenson,  Fred  Franson,  Arvid  Akerlind,  Edward  Molin,  Alfred  G. 
Larson  and  Gustaf  Hallbom. 

The  first  singing  festival  of  the  new  organization  took  place  the 
following  summer  and  the  first  of  the  three  concerts  formed  the  crown- 
ing feature  of  "Swedish  Day."  July  20th,  at  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  in  Chicago.  The  union  had  engaged  three  famous  Swedish 
vocalists  for  the  occasion,  viz.,  Caroline  Ostberg  and  Carl  Fredrik 
Lundqvist  of  the  Royal  Opera  at  Stockholm,  and  Conrad  Behrens,  a 
grand  opera  basso.  The  concerts  were  held  in  Festival  Hall,  which 
seated  6,500  people  and  was  filled  at  each  concert,  thousands  vainly 
striving  to  gain  admittance.  The  Thomas  Orchestra  of  140  pieces, 
led  by  Theodore  Thomas  and  his  assistant,  Oscar  Ringwall,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  furnished  the  accompaniments.  John  R.  Ortengren  was  director 
of  the  chorus  of  about  500  voices  from  the  American  Union  of  Swedish 
Singers.  On  account  of  the  importance  and  interest  of  the  occasion 
the  programmes  for  the  three  concerts  are  given  in  full. 

The  First  Concert,  Thursday,  A-  p.  m.,  July  2O,  1893 

Overture,  "Orleanska  Jungfrun" August  Soderman 

Thomas    Orchestra 

"Hor  oss,  Svea" Gunnar  Wennerberg 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 

Hymn  from  "Gustaf  Wasa" T-  G.  Naumann 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist 

"The  Countess'  Aria,"  from  "The  Marriage  of  Figaro" W.  A.  Mozart 

Mme.  Carolina  Ostberg 

"Swedish  Dances" Max  Bruch 

Thomas    Orchestra 

'  'Tannhauser' ' Aug.  Soderman 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist 

a)  "Neckens  Polska" Folksong 

6)   "I  Brollopsgarden" Aug.  Soderman 

Swedish  Glee  Club,  Chicago 

"Fjorton  ar  tror  jag  visst  att  jag  var" Swedish  Folksong 

Mme.  Carolina  Ostberg 

"Du  gamla,  du  friska,  du  fjallhoga  nord" Swedish   Folksong 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist,  with  Chorus 

"Hell  dig,  du  hoga  nord" B.  Crusell 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 


THE    SINGERS'    UNION  745 

Second  Concert,  Friday.  3  p,  m..  July  21,  1893 

'Stridsbon" O.  Lindblad 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 

Symphony :  August  Elfaker 

Thomas    Orchestra 

Aria  from  "The  Magic  Flute" W.  A.  Mozart 

Conrad  Behrens 

Aria  from  "Der  Freischiitz" C.  M.  von  Weber 

Mme.  Carolina  Ostberg 

"Sjomannens  Farval" Meurling 

Lyran,  New   York 

"Svensk  Rhapsodic" A.  Halle"n 

Thomas    Orchestra 

a)  "Don  Juans  Serenad" Tschaikowski 

b )  "I  djupa    kallarhvalfvet' ' *     *     * 

Conrad  Behrens 

a)  "Still  wie  die  Nacht" *    *    * 

b)  "La  Fioraja". *     *     * 

f)  "Klara  stjarnor  med  de  ogon  snalla" I.  Dannstrom 

Mme.  Carolina  Ostberg 

"Faderneslandet" J.  E.  Nordblom 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 

"America" S.  F.  Smith 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers,  and  the  Audience 

Third  Concert,  Saturday,  3  p.  m.,  July  22,  1893 

"Svensk  Rhapsodic" L/alo 

Thomas   Orchestra 

"Vart  Land" J.  A.  Josephson 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 

"Qvarnruinen' ' Aug.  Soderman 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist 

Aria  from  '  'The  Jewess' ' Halevy 

Conrad  Behrens 

'  'Naturen  och  hjartat' ' O.  Lindblad 

Svithiod  Singing  Club 

a)  "Sjung,  sjung" J.  A.  Josephson 

6)  "Vandring  i  skogen" G.  E.  Geijer 

c)  "Sover  du,  min  Sjael?" E.  Sjogren 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist 

' 'Swedish  Folksong" A.  Hamerik 

Thomas  Orchestra 

"Brollopsmarsch" ' Aug.  Soderman 

Swedish  Glee  Club,  Chicago 

a)  "Trollhattan" O.  Lindblad 

b)  "Nu  ar  det  natt" F.  Abt 

c)  "Per  Svinaherde' ' Swedish  Folksong 

Conrad  Behrens 

a)   "Vennlandsvisan" Swedish  Folksong 

£)  "Du  gamla,  du  friska,  du  fjallhoga   nord" Swedish  Folksong 

Carl  Fr.  Lundqvist,  with  Chorus 

"Sta  stark,  du  ljusets  riddarvakt" G.  Wennerberg 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers 


746  MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 

The  above  programmes  show  a  preponderance  of  compositions  by 
Swedish  composers,  particularly  some  of  the  best  of  the  works  of  the 
brilliant  Aug.  Soderman.  The  symphony  by  August  Elfaker,  a  Chicago 
organist,  was  an  overambitious  attempt  at  orchestral  writing.  The 
three  soloists  were  superior  in  vocal  gifts  to  any  subsequent  visitors 
from  Sweden.  They  all  had  taken  part  in  a  concert  on  July  18th,  given 
at  Central  Music  Hall  by  the  union.  Mr.  Lundqvist  gave  a  parting  con- 
cert with  the  Swedish  Glee  Club  on  Sept.  2,  1893,  at  the  same  place. 

It  having  been  decided  to  hold  quadrennial  conventions  and 
festivals,  the  union  next  met  in  1897,  at  New  York  City.  Immediately 
thereafter,  according  to  a  pre-arranged  plan,  a  select  chorus  of  fifty 
men,  with  John  R.  Ortengren  as  musical  director,  sailed  for  Sweden  to 
visit  the  Northern  Industrial  Exposition  at  Stockholm  and  give  a  series 
of  concerts  in  the  principal  Swedish  cities.  Their  reception  in  the  old 
country  was  as  cordial  as  could  be  wished,  and  the  tour,  besides  being 
a  highly  enjoyable  pleasure  trip  for  the  participants,  served  the  addi- 
tional purpose  of  dispelling  the  too  prevalent  skepticism  in  Sweden  as 
to  the  status  of  general  culture  among  the  Swedish  people  in  the 
United  States.  The  work  of  the  chorus,  while  not  up  to  the  high 
standard  attained  by  the  famous  student  singers  of  Sweden,  neverthe- 
less did  not  fall  so  far  below  that  standard  as  not  to  be  characterized 
as  an  artistic  triumph. 

Jamestown,  New  York,  was  the  scene  of  the  next  convention,  in 
1901.  In  addition  to  the  regular  concerts  given  there,  the  chorus,  of 
four  hundred  voices  sang  at  the  Chautauqua  Assembly,  to  an  audience 
that  filled  the  great  amphitheater  to  overflowing.  This  occasion  was 
one  of  the  highest  significance  for  the  singers'  union,  demonstrating, 
as  it  did,  that  their  renditions  were  listened  to  Avith  the  greatest  zest 
by  a  discriminating  audience  not  made  up  of  their  own  fellow  country- 
men and  to  whom  both  the  words  and  music  of  the  songs  were  foreign. 
Add  to  this  that  the  event  carried  the  fame  of  the  singers  into  wide 
circles  never  reached  before,  and  it  is  apparent  that  this  was  a  most 
notable  triumph  in  the  history  of  the  American  Union  of  Swedish 
Singers. 

The  1905  convention  was  held  in  Chicago,  and  the  grand  concerts, 
given  in  the  Auditorium,  proved  highly  artistic  events.  At  a  sub- 
sequent Bellman  festival,  held  in  one  of  Chicago's  summer  gardens, 
the  chorus  sang  before  a  still  larger  and  more  cosmopolitan  audience 
than  that  assembled  at  the  Auditorium. 

For  these  song  festivals  the  singers'  union  has  brought  over  from 
Sweden  a  number  of  its  most  renowned  artists  of  the  operatic  stage, 
such  as  Caroline  Ostberg,  Carl  Fredrik  Lundqvist,  Conrad  Behrens, 
John  Forsell  and  Anna  Hellstrom,  besides  bringing  out  many  Swedish- 


THE   SINGERS'    UNION 


747 


American  soloists,  not  a  few  of  whom  have  risen  from  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  male  choruses. 

The  singers'  union  is  divided  into  two  sections,  an  eastern  and  a 
western  division,  each  holding  a  quadrennial  convention  and  song 
festival,  so  that  the  singers  meet  every  two  years,  either  jointly  or  in 
two  separate  bodies.  The  joint  festivals  are  held  in  the  East  and  West 
alternately,  and  heretofore  the  concerts  have  been  directed  in  turn  by 
Arvid  Akerlind  of  New  York  and  John  R.  Ortengren  of  Chicago. 

In  1908  the  singers'  union  decided  to  send,  in  1910,  a  select 
chorus  of  fifty  voices  from  their  body  on  a  concert  tour  of  Sweden, 
under  the  direction  of  John  R.  Ortengren. 


John  R.  Ortengren,   1893 


At  the  present  time  the  singers'  union  numbers  about  sixty  clubs, 
those  in  Illinois  forming  one-fifth  of  the  entire  constituency.  No  less 
than  nine  of  these  are  found  in  Chicago,  while  Rockford  and  Moline 
boast  two  each.  Outside  of  this  state  the  union  has  the  bulk  of  its 
membership  in  New  York,  New  England  and  Minnesota.  The  Rockford 
choruses  are  the  Lyran  Singing  Society,  John  L.  Swenson,  director,  and 
Sveas  Soner,  John  R.  Ortengren,  director.  The  Moline  Societies  are 
the  Svea  Male  Chorus,  Petrus  Brodin,  director,  and  the  Olive  Male 
Chorus,  Adolph  Erickson,  director. 

The  Chicago  male  choruses  made  numerous  public  appearances 
under  the  leadership  of  John  R.  Ortengren  before  they  were  incor- 
porated in  1906  as  the  Swedish  Singers'  Union  of  Chicago.  The  Chicago 


748 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


choruses,  with  their  respective  leaders,  are :  Svithiod  Singing  Club,  John 
R.  Ortengren ;  Swedish  Glee  Club,  Lyran  and  Norden,  William  Dahlen ; 
Harmoni,  Iduna  and  Orpheus,  Joel  Mossberg;  Zephyr,  E.  D.  Ytterberg; 
Nordstjernan,  Ernst  Lindblom. 

John   R.   Ortengren 

From  the  time  John  R.  Ortengren  came  to  this  country,  in  1889, 
he  has  been  soloist  at  several  prominent  churches,  and  one  of  the 
principal  teachers  of  a  large  musical  conservatory.  Leader  in  turn  of 
the  best  two  Swedish  male  choruses  in  the  state,  several  mixed  choruses, 
director-in-chief  of  the  American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers,  of  the 
western  division  of  the  union,  and  of  the  Swedish  Singers'  Union  of 
Chicago,  he  is  the  best  known  musician  among  his  countrymen  in  the 
land  of  their  adoption.  He  enjoys  the  universal  respect  and  confidence 
of  the  Swedish  people  of  Chicago  as  evinced  on  more  than  one  occasion. 
In  recognition  of  his  eminent  services  to  the  cause  of  Swedish  music 
in.  America,  Mr.  Ortengren  was  decorated  in  September,  1908,  with 
the  medal  of  Vasa  by  King  Gustaf  V.  of  Sweden. 

The  Lund  Students'   Chorus 

Sweden  is  a  country  devoted  for  almost  a  century  to  a  capella  male 
chorus  singing.  All  of  its  prominent  composers  have  written  music 
in  this  style  and  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  any  land  has 
produced  so  many  beautiful  melodies  and  stirring  march  songs  set  for 
male  voices  as  has  Sweden.  Although  cultivated  everywhere,  the 
traditional  seats  of  this  style  of  chorus  singing  have  been  at  the  univer- 
sities of  Upsala  and  Lund.  The  Lund  Students'  Chorus  was  founded  in 
1838  by  Otto  Lindblad,  who  composed  many  now  famous  songs  for  it 
and  made  it,  at  that  time,  the  best  chorus  in  the  North. 

From  time  to  time  during  the  last  decade  there  were  rumors  that 
either  the  Upsala  chorus  or  the  Lund  chorus  would  tour  America. 
The  former  body  had  made  tours  in  Russia,  Germany  and  France, 
taking  grand  prizes  in  the  Paris  Expositions  of  1867,  1878  and  1900. 
It  was  the  fortune  of  the  latter  chorus,  however,  to  take  the  long  trip 
across  the  Atlantic  before  its  famous  rival.  The  Lund  Students'  Chorus 
of  sixty-eight  men  came  to  Chicago  after  a  tour  of  New  England  and 
some  of  the  central  western  states.  Their  concert  was  held  in  the  Audit- 
orium on  July  7,  1904,  under  the  leadership  of  Alfred  Berg.  With  the 
chorus  appeared  John  Forsell,  a  baritone  from  the  Royal  Opera  at 
Stockholm. 

The  Lund  Students'  Chorus  Programme 

Organ,  "Variations  on  Du  gamla,  du  fria,  du  fjallhoga  Nord" Emil  Larson 

Emit  Larson 

•<H6r  oss,  Svea" G.  Wennerberg 

"Glad  sasom  fageln" Prince  Gustaf 


THE   SWEDISH    Y.  M.  C.  A.  CHORUS 


749 


"Stridsbon" Otto  Lindblad 

"Den  store,  hvide    Flok" Edv.  Grieg 

The  Lund  Students'1  C/torus 

"Naturen  och  hjartat' ' Otto  Lindblad 

Swedish  Singers'   Union  of  Chicago 

"Dalmarsch" I.  Wideen 

"Blommande,  skona  dalar" Herm.  Palm 

The  Lund  Students'1  Chorus 

Organ,   "Variations  on  an  American  Air" Flagler 

Emit  Larson 

"Undan,  ur  vagen'.'. . . , C.  M.  Bellman 

"Sten  Sture" Aug.  Korling 

The  Lund  Students'  Chorus 

''Bjorneborgarnes   Marsch" *     *     * 

Swedish  Singers'   Union  of  Chicago 

"Olav    Trygvason" F.  A.  Reissiger 

"Till  svenska  fosterjorden" Arr.  af  Alfr.  Berg 

"Ett  Bondbrollop" Aug.  Soderman 

a)  "Brollopsmarsch;"  d)  "I  kyrkan;"  c)  "Onskevisa;"  d}  "I  brollopsgarden" 

The  Lund  Students'  Chorus 

Besides  the  eleven  numbers  indicated,  the  chorus  sang  several  extra 
numbers.  The  first  tenors  had  a  beauteous  lyrical  quality  of  voice 
whilst  the  second  basses  gave  forth  a  smooth  and  resonant  tone.  The 
distinct  articulation,  the  good  pronunciation,  the  precision  of  attack 
and  steadiness  of  pitch  were  remarkable.  The  nuances  and  climaxes 
attained  can  be  compared  to  the  effect  produced  by  a  fine  string 
orchestra.  This  was  most  marked  in  "Undan,  ur  vagen."  Grieg's 
"Den  store,  hvide  Flok"  was  new  to  the  audience  and  was  greatly 
admired.  The  noble  but  difficult  ballad  "Sten  Sture"  was  brilliantly 
rendered.  The  tempi  chosen  had  a  tendency  of  being  rather  fast  in 
certain  numbers.  The  general  impression  made,  however,  is  that  such 
splendid  a  capella  singing  had  probably  never  before  been  attained 
by  any  chorus  in  this  country. 

Concerts  were  given  July  8th  at  Rock  Island,  July  9th  at  Rockford 
and  again  on  July  10th  at  Chicago. 

The   Swedish   Y.  M.  C.  A.  Chorus 

This  male  chorus  was  first  organized  in  Sweden  to  sing  at  the  Inter- 
national Y.  M.  C.  A.  conference  at  London  in  1894.  It  is  composed,  for 
the  most  part,  of  professional  men  from  various  parts  of  Sweden,  who 
have  sung  in  university  choruses,  but  it  includes  also  several  laborers 
in  its  ranks.  For  several  years  past  the  Swedish  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Chorus 
has  been  considered  one  of  the  best  choruses  in  Sweden.  Leaving  Stock- 
holm May  28,  1906,  it  made  a  short  tour  of  the  southern  cities  of  Sweden. 
Its  American  tour  began  June  17th  in  New  York.  The  chorus  sang  in 
Rockford  June  25th,  and  the  next  day  in  DeKalb.  On  June  27th  a 
large  audience  was  assembled  in  the  Chicago  Auditorium  to  attend  the 


750  MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 

festival  of  song.    Hugo  Lindquist  was  the  director  and  John  Husberg 
the  baritone  soloist.    The  chorus  consisted  of  fifty  singers. 

The  Swedish  Y.  M.  C.  A.    CKorus  Programme 

Organ,  Overture  to  "Raymond" A.  Thomas 

A.  Alfred  Holmes 

''Sta  stark,  du   ljusets  riddarvakt" G.  Wennerberg 

"Hor  oss,  Svea" G.  Wennerberg 

"Ofver  skogen,  6'fver  sjon" A.  F.  Lindblad 

"Og  jeg  vil  ha  mig  en  hjertenskjer" '. Aug.  Soderman 

'  'Nog  mins  jag,  hur  det  var " Aug.  Soderman 

"Afsked" Hermes 

The  Swedish   Y.  M.  C.  A.   Chorus 

Fides'  Aria  from  "The  Prophet" G.  Meyerbeer 

Elisabeth  Bruce   Wickstrom 

Violin  and  Piano  Duet,    a)  "Romance" Hugo  Alfven 

b )   '  'Norwegian  Dance' ' Johan  Halvorsen 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederik   Frederiksen 

'  'Glad  sasom  fageln" Prince   Gustaf 

' ' Ack,  Varmeland,  du  skona' ' Swedish  Folksong 

"Dalmarsch" I.   Wideen 

"Styrbjorn  Starke" G.  Noren 

The  Swedish   Y.  M.   C.  A.   Chorus 

Organ,  Overture  to  "Semiramide" G.  Rossini 

A.  Alfred  Holmes 

Svenska  Folkvisor *     *     * 

Elisabeth  Bruce   Wiekstrom 

'  'Guds  lof  i  naturen' ' L.  Beethoven 

"Solnedgang  i  hafvet" E.  G.  Geijer 

"Israels  herde' ' Bortniansky 

"Den  store,  hvide  Flok" Edv.    Grieg 

The  Swedish   Y.  M.   C.  A.  Chorus 

The  same  entrancing  effect  as  that  produced  by  the  Lund  Students' 
Chorus  was  again  experienced  by  the  audience.  The  beautiful  timbre 
of  the  first  and  second  tenors,  the  splendor  of  the  first  basses  and  the 
velvety  smoothness  of  the  second  basses  may  be  fitly  compared  to  the 
effect  produced  by  a  stringed  orchestra  or  by  a  brilliantly  voiced  organ. 
Several  da  capo  numbers  were  sung,  among  them  being  a  novelty, 
"Stenbocks  gossar, "  by  Aug.  Korling,  which  was  sung  in  a  spirited 
fashion  and  afforded  the  tenors  an  opportunity  to  display  their  limpid 
high  tones. 

After  a  tour  of  the  central  western  states  a  second  concert  was 
given  in  Chicago  on  July  7th. 

The  well  nigh  perfect  rendition  attained  by  the  two  choruses  from 
Sweden  will  long  be  a  criterion  to  the  Swedish  male  and  mixed  choruses 
in  this  country. 


THE  SVEA    MALE    CHORUS 
The    Svea    Male   Chorus,  Moline 


751 


One  of  the  oldest  male  choruses  in  the  state  is  the  Svea  Male  Chorus 
of  Moline,  which  was  organized  Aug.  23,  1887.  The  nucleus  was  formed 
from  the  sixteen  male  voices  in  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  Choir. 
It  remained  a  church  organization  for  a  number  of  years,  until  it 
engaged  its  own  quarters.  Its  musical  directors  have  been  William 


Ljung,  1887-91,  P.  Hartsough,  1891-2,  William  Svensson,  then  teacher 
at  Augustana  Conservatory,  1892-3,  Joseph  Lindstrom,  1893-4,  C.  M. 
Carlstedt,  1894,  D.  S.  Davies,  1894-6,  Adolf  Hult,  1896-7,  C.  M.  Carlstedt, 
1898-1902,  Edla  Lund,  1902-5,  Emil  Larson,  1905-8.  In  August,  1908, 
Petrus  Brodin  was  chosen  leader.  During  the  last  few  years  the  chorus 
has  gained  so  much  in  precision,  in  surety  of  pitch,  in  shading  and 


752 


MUSIC   AND    MUSICIANS 


phrasing,  as  to  make  it  one  of  the  best  male  choruses  in  the  singers' 
union. 

Gustaf  Holmquist 

Doubtless  Gustaf  Holmquist  is  the  Swedish-American  vocalist  who 
is  best  known  to  the  American  music  loving  public.  Gifted  with  an 
imposing  presence  and  a  rich  and  sympathetic  voice,  he  is  rapidly 
becoming  a  favorite  oratorio  singer,  for  he  is  engaged  by  the  leading 
choral  societies  of  the  country,  from  the  central  West  to  the  East. 
Having  sung  the  bass  solo  in  the  production  of  Gabriel  Pierne's  "The 


Gustaf    Holmquist 

Children's  Crusade,"  by  the  Apollo  Club  of  Chicago,  he  has  been 
engaged  to  take  the  same  part  on  Feb.  19,  1909,  with  the  Minneapolis 
Philharmonic  Society. 

Ever  since  1900,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago,  Mr.  Holmquist 's  voice 
has  been  a  familiar  one  to  Swedish  concert  audiences  in  Illinois.  An 
extended  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Holmquist  is  given  in  another 
part  of  this  work. 

The   Orion    Quartette 

The  Orion  Quartette  has  existed  since  1887,  when  it  made  its  first 
public  appearance  in  Chicago.  William  Dahlen  is  first  tenor,  Mauritz 
Hultin,  second  tenor,  Peter  AYesterberg,  first  bass,  and  Emil  Granath, 


THE   SWEDISH   LADIES'    OCTETTE 


753 


second  bass.  They  have  been  principals  at  scores  of  concerts  during 
the  last  twenty  years  and  probably  form  the  oldest  existing  Swedish 
male  quartette  in  the  state.  Many  similar  organizations  are  to  be 
found  in  all  Swedish  communities. 

The   Swedish   Ladies'   Octette 

The  Swedish  Ladies'  Octette  was  organized  in  1888  and  came  to 
New  York  in  the  fall  of  that  year  from  Sweden.     The  members  were: 


E.  GRANATH        P.  WESTKKBERG 


The  Orion  Quartette 

first  sopranos,  Agnes  Stabergh,  Wilma  Sundborg;  second  sopranos, 
Maria  Heden,  Amanda  Carlson-Svenson ;  first  altos,  Elizabeth  Bruce, 
Maria  Solberg;  second  altos,  Amelia  Heden,  Hilma  Zettersltrand. 
After  touring  the  eastern  states  throughout  the  winter,  they  went  west 
and  gave  concerts  in  Chicago,  March  19  and  20,  1889,  after  which  they 
sang  in  various  Swedish  communities  in  Illinois  the  rest  of  the  season. 
They  toured  the  country  from  coast  to  coast  twice  and  also  sang  their 
way  through  Canada  and  British  Columbia.  The  octette's  last  concert 
was  in  Englewood,  Chicago,  on  May  12,  1891.  Jenny  Norelius,  a  native 
of  Helsingland,  was  a  substitute  for  a  sick  member  for  almost'  one 
season.  Miss  Xorelius  is  very  generally  known  as  Mme.  Xorelli,  a 
prima  donna  of  the  Italian  Grand  Opera  Company  of  New  York. 


754 


MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 


The  Swedish  Ladies'  Quartette 

For  several  years  past  there  has  existed  in  Chicago  the  Swedish 
Ladies'  Quartette,  composed  as  follows:  Ida  Linn-Cooley,  first  soprano, 
Maria  Solberg-Sinn,  second  soprano,  Stephanie  Heden,  first  alto,  and 


MARGARET  DAHLSTROM 


STEPHANIE  HEDEN 
IDA  LINN-COOLEY 


MARIA  SOLBERG-SINN 


The  Swedish  Ladies'  Quartette 

Margaret  Dahlstrom,  second  alto.  Their  repertory  comprises  many  of 
the  Swedish  student  songs,  besides  songs  in  English,  especially  arranged 
for  women's  voices.  Mrs.  Cooley  and  Miss  Dahlstrom  have  appeared 
with  credit  as  soloists  on  numerous  occasions.  Mrs.  Solberg-Sinn  was  a 
member  of  the  Swedish  Ladies '  Octette. 


THE    CARLSSON    TRIO 


The    Carlsson   Trio 


755 


The  Carlsson  Trio  has  existed  since  1907.  It  is  composed  of  Samuel 
E.  Carlsson,  Gustaf  Engstrom  and  Axel  D.  Smith.  S.  E.  Carlsson,  the 
violinist,  was  leader  of  the  Augustana  College  Orchestra  at  its  organiza- 
tion in  1880.  After  moving  to  Lindsborg,  Kans.,  he  organized  an 
orchestra  of  fourteen  players,  which  developed  into  the  Bethany  College 
Orchestra.  In  Chicago  he  conducted  an  amateur  orchestra  for  a  year 
in  the  early  nineties.  He  has  played  in  several  chamber  music  organiza- 


The  Carlsson  Trio,  Chicago 

tions  from  time  to  time.  From  1902  until  1905  he  was  first  violinist 
of  a  string  quartette  composed  of  Messrs.  Carlsson,  Hoyt,  Carr  and 
Carpenter. 

Gustaf  Engstrom  devoted  his  studies  to  the  violin  from  his  eighth 
year.  Conceiving  a  liking  for  the  violoncello  he  derived  instruction 
in  that  instrument  from  several  teachers,  finishing  under  Carl  Brueck- 
ner.  Mr.  Engstrom  has  played  in  several  trios  and  orchestras. 

Axel  D.  Smith  has  studied  the  organ  and  piano  under  the  able 
musicians  Emil  Larson,  Thorwald  Otterstrom,  W.  C.  E.  Seeboeck  and 
Dr.  Julius  Fuchs.  He  has  devoted  his  whole  life  to  musical  art  and  has 


756  SIGFRID 

made  a  special  study  of  chamber  music  and  is  familiar  with  the  works  of 
the  great  masters  in  this  genre.  At  present  he  is  organist  of  the  Rogers 
Park  English  Lutheran  Church,  where  Mr.  Carlsson  is  choir  director. 

The  Carlsson  Trio  has  appeared  in  concert  at  various  times  during 
the  season  of  1907-08.  Its  repertory  consists  of  the  piano  trios  of 
Beethoven,  Mendelssohn,  Haydn,  Hummel,  Gade  and  Chopin. 

Sig'frid   La.urin 

Sigfrid  Laurin  is  the  best  equipped  pianist  who  has  come  from 
Sweden  to  this  country.  His  technique  is  adequate  to  all  demands,  and 
his  repertory  is  enormous.  His  playing  is  sympathetic,  though,  at 
times,  extremely  erratic. 


Sigfrid  Laurin 

The  works  of  Laurin,  most  of  which  are  still  in  manuscript,  com- 
prise eighteen  songs,  romances  and  ballads  for  the  voice  and  six  com- 
positions for  the  piano,  several  of  the  latter  being  quite  large  works. 
The  vocal  solos  are:  songs — "Bon,"  "Mitt  hjertas  vittnesbord, " 
"Julens  stjerna;"  romances — "Vid  grafven,"  "Solen  sjunker,"  "Hem- 
16s,"  "I  Gethsemane,"  "Sorgen,"  "Den  doende  krigaren,"  "I  hostlig 
tid,"  "B6n;"  ballads— "Vid  hafvet,"  "Farval,"  "It  Is  Done,"  "Fran 
mitt  hjertas  lyra,"  "At  Eventide,"  "Till  dods;"  romantic  ballad— 
"Brustna  strangar."  The  piano  compositions  are:  "Mitt  lif,"  a 
rhapsody;  "Excelsior,"  a  symphonic  fantasia,  requiring  some  two  hours 
for  its  execution;  "I  drommar,"  berceuse;  "Ofver  djupen,"  fantasia; 


MINOR    MENTION 


757 


""Pa  6'rnevingar,"  concert  etude;  ' ' Tempelminnen, "  an  arrangement 
of  sacred  melodies  for  piano,  in  four  parts. 

A  biographical  sketch  of  Laurin  is  given  in  another  part  of  this 
work.  Mr.  Laurin  severed  his  connection  with  Augustana  College  in 
June,  1908,  and  has  returned  to  Sweden. 

Minor   Mention 

Eleonore  L.  M.  Wigstrom  was  born  in  Upland,  Sweden  in  1835. 
An  actress  in  1856-7  of  the  Royal  Opera  at  Stockholm,  she  was  married 
to  V.  Planckh.  It  is  related  that  he  sold  her  to  a  Russian,  Petroff,  who 
had  fallen  in  love  with  her.  After  their  marriage,  Mine.  Petroff  is  said 
to  have  studied  with  the  best  European  masters  and  to  have  appeared 
in  concert  and  opera  with  many  renowned  artists,  attaining  great 
success.  Petroff  died  in  1869  after  spending  his  fortune.  The  widow 
assumed  the  name  Mme.  Eleonore  Petrelli  and  gave  concerts  in  Russia, 
Poland  and  Germany  for  many  years.  Returning  in  1886  to  Stockholm, 
she  did  not  thrive,  and  therefore  left  the  next  year  for  this  country. 
After  various  adventures  she  settled  in  1888  in  Chicago  as  a  singing 
teacher.  Mme.  Petrelli  gave  numerous  recitals,  although  her  voice  had 
lost  whatever  beauty  it  once  possessed.  She  died  Feb.  21,  1904. 

Several  singers  of  Swedish  birth  have  sung  in  grand  opera  at 
dhicago,  as  Christina  Nilsson,  Sigrid  Arnoldson,  Conrad  Behrens,  Olive 
Fremstad,  Mme.  Forstrom,  Johannes  Elmblad. 

About  1885  there  arrived  in  Chicago  two  young  ladies  from  Sweden, 
Ellen  Svendblad  and  Minimi  Lindstrom.  The  former  was  a  soprano 
from  the  Royal  Opera  in  Stockholm.  Miss  Svendblad  had  a  good 
dramatic  voice  and  appeared  successfully  in  many  Swedish  concerts 
during  the  following  three  years,  after  which  she  moved  to  New  York 
where  she  was  engaged  by  various  opera  companies. 

Miss  Lindstrom  was  successful  as  a  teacher  and  accompanist.  She 
married  John  R.  Ortengren  after  a  few  years  and  has  since  then 
occasionally  appeared  as  accompanist. 

C.  H.  E.  Oberg  lived  in  Rockford  for  several  years,  where  he  was 
organist,  music  teacher  and  musical  conductor.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Stockholm,  being  one  of  the  few  to 
receive  the  degree  of  Director  Musices  et  Cantus.  Oberg  composed  sev- 
eral male  choruses  and  edited  two  collections  for  male  voices,  entitled 
"Nar  och  fjarran"  and  "Skandia."  He  died  in  Minneapolis  about  1894. 

During  the  past  few  years  A.  D.  Bodfors,  formerly  connected  with 
the  Augustana  Conservatory  of  Music,  has  conducted  music  schools  in 
two  or  three  Illinois  cities,  including  Moline  and  Rockford.  Mr.  Bod- 
fors, who  is  an  accomplished  performer  on  the  piano  and  the  organ, 
received  his  musical  training  chiefly  at  the  hands  of  Dr.  Stolpe. 


758  MUSIC    AND    MUSICIANS 

De  Celle  was  an  amateur  Swedish  tenor  of  French  extraction  who 
sang  in  the  Swedish  church  concerts  in  the  early  eighties. 

One  of  the  Swedish  pianists  sojourning  in  Chicago  in  the  early 
eighties  was  one  Dahlberg,  who  gave  concerts  in  Swedish  circles  and 
aroused  considerable  enthusiasm  through  his  technique. 

Augusta  Ohrstrom  sang  in  Central  Music  Hall  on  Sept.  22,  1891. 
She  had  but  lately  come  to  this  country  from  Europe,  where  she  had 
sung  with  considerable  success. 

About  1890-93  the  Lutteman  Sextette,  organized  in  Stockholm  by 
Hugo  Lutteman,  traveled  in  this  country.  The  male  sextette  gave 
concerts  at  many  points  in  Illinois,  and  sang  with  finish. 

Wilhelm  Lindberg  was  piano  teacher  at  North  Park  College  1895- 
96.  He  had  a  small  tenor  voice  and  played  his  own  accompaniments  on 
a  harp.  His  piano  playing  was  of  a  high  order. 

Ernst  Swedelius  was  in  Chicago  from  about  1895  to  1898.  He  had  a 
tremendous  bass-baritone  voice  and  sometimes  appeared  at  public 
concerts.  More  recently  he  has  sung  in  grand  opera  at  Stockholm. 

In  the  nineties  a  young  Swedish  Chicago  girl,  Miss  Helma  Nilson, 
came  before  the  public.  Gifted  with  a  fine  voice  and  a  charming 
appearance,  she  played  the  star  parts  and  sang  the  interpolated  songs 
in  a  number  of  Swedish  dramatic  productions  in  Chicago  and  other 
American  cities,  and  subsequently  appeared  successfully  in  Sweden. 

"Frithiof  and  Ingeborg, "  an  opera  whose  plot  is  founded  on 
Tegner's  "Frithiof's  Saga,"  was  produced  in  the  Chicago  Auditorium 
for  three  consecutive  night  in  February,  1900.  The  composer,  Charles 
L.  Hanson,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  adapted  the  music  largely  from  extant 
compositions,  such  as  Donizetti's  sextette  from  "Lucia,"  Soderman's 
"Ett  bondbrollop"  and  other  well-known  works. 

Martina  Johnstone,  the  New  York  violinist,  and  Anna  Hellstrom, 
the  opera  singer  from  Stockholm,  appeared  at  the  American  Union  of 
Swedish  Singers'  concerts  in  Chicago  July  20  and  21,  1905. 

Ebba  Hjertstedt,  a  Chicago  girl,  received  her  first  violin  instruction 
in  her  home  city.  She  has  finished  her  education  in  Europe  and  has 
appeared  as  soloist  with  several  continental  orchestras. 

A  tour  that  awakened  much  interest  was  that  made  by  the  Royal 
Kronoberg  Regiment  Band  of  thirty-five  players  led  by  Erik  Hogberg. 
Two  concerts  were  given  in  Chicago  in  April,  1908. 

Among  professional  musicians  of  Swedish  extraction  in  Chicago 
whose  biographical  sketches  are  given  elsewhere  in  this  work  are  John 
R.  Ortengren,  Gustaf  Holmquist,  Rudolph  Engberg,  Olof  Valley, 
Hannah  Butler,  Ragna  Linne,  Ellyn  Swanson,  Lydia  Hallberg,  Elvira 
Wennerskold  and  Axel  B.  C.  Carlstedt. 

Other  Swedish  professional  musicians  in  Chicago  are  Mrs.  Christine 


MINOR    MENTION 


759 


Engstrom,  Anna  Chinlund,  Arthur  Granquist,  Hilma  Enander,  Edgar 
Nelson,  Johannes  Olsson,  Karin  Lindskog,  John  Newstrom,  John  Fr. 
Ring,  Axel  Francke,  Ernst  Fristrom  and  Sara  Nordstrom. 

Sketches  of  the  musicians  Emil  Larson,  Sigfrid  Laurin,  Edla  Lund 
and  Frank  E.  Peterson  will  be  found  under  the  heading  Rock  Island, 
in  another  part  of  this  work. 

Many  musicianly  amateurs  are  to  be  found  in  the  Swedish  popula- 
tion of  this  state.  Swedish  pupils  are  to  be  counted  by  the  hundreds, 
divided  between  the  various  music  schools  and  the  private  teachers. 
This  bespeaks  a  general  spread  of  culture  which  was  not  possible  in 
the  first  generation  of  Swedish  life  in  Illinois. 


CHAPTER    XIII 


Press  and  Literature 


Illinois  the   Producing'  Center 

SURVEY  of  the  whole  field  of  Swedish-American 
literature  establishes  some  interesting  facts  with  respect 
to  Illinois.  The  first  Swedish  printing-press  on  this 
continent  was  started  within  the  borders  of  this  state. 
From  it  was  issued  the  pioneer  Swedish  newspaper  in 
the  United  States  and  the  second  Swedish  periodical  in  the  New  World.* 
Chicago  early  became  the  publishing  center  as  well  as  the  center  of 
literary  activity  among  the  Swedish  people,  a  position  it  still  retains. 
Until  twenty  years  ago  no  Swedish  newspapers  published  elsewhere 
in  this  country  could  compare  favorably  with  those  issued  from  Chicago 
or  dispute  the  field  with  them.  Even  now,  with  a  number  of  formidable 
rivals  in  the  East  and  the  Northwest,  the  Swedish  newspapers  of 
Chicago  are  not  outclassed.  All  the  leading  organs  of  the  Swedish 
denominations  were  founded  in  Illinois  and  are  being  published  from 
Chicago,  except  one,  the  Lutheran  mouthpiece,  which  issues  from  Rock 
Island.  In  the  matter  of  book  publishing,  the  production  of  Swedish 
books  outside  of  this  state  is  insignificant  as  compared  with  that  of 
the  Swedish  publishing  houses  here. 

The  great  bulk  of  the  literary  output  has  passed  through  jour- 
nalistic channels.  To  a  marked  degree  the  Swedish  people  have  relied 
on  their  newspapers  to  furnish  them  with  reading  matter  of  whatever 
sort.  The  result  has  been,  in  a  number  of  instances,  that  around  some 
newspaper  has  grown  up  a  considerable  publishing  business.  Certain 
of  the  secular  papers  have  put  out  good-sized  editions  of  standard 

*     Reference   is    had    to    the   weekly    "Report    of   St.  Bartholomew,"    154   numbers    of 
which  were  published  in  180-t — 12,  in  English,  by    Anders    Bergstedt,    at  Gustavia,  on  the 
sland  of  St.  Bartholomew,  then  a  Swedish   possession. 


EARLY    PUBLICATIONS  761 

works  for  premium  purposes,  while  the  publishers  of  religious  journals 
have  been  called  upon  to  supply  the  respective  churches  with  books  of 
a  devotional  and  liturgical  character.  Many  journalists  have  devoted 
themselves  partially  to  independent  authorship,  as  have  also  certain 
educators,  clergymen  and  other  professional  men,  but  their  number 
has  been  regulated  by  the  rather  limited  demand  for  original  works 
by  Swedish-American  writers.  The  literary  production  of  this  char- 
acter, however,  embraces  a  few  works  of  indisputable  merit  in  the  field 
of  history,  church  and  profane,  religion,  civics,  biography  and  memoirs, 
travel,  prose  fiction  and  poetry. 

In  their  literary  activities  the  Swedish-Americans  are  not,  however, 
confined  to  their  mother  tongue.  Some  of  the  first  and  many  more  of 
the  second  generation  have  devoted  themselves  to  literary  pursuits 
in  the  language  of  the  land  of  their  adoption.  Back  in  the  sixties  we 
find  in  Illinois  newspapers  of  a  distinctively  Swedish-American  char- 
acter published  in  the  English  language.  In  communities  largely 
Swedish,  here  and  in  other  states,  one  frequently  finds  young  men  of 
Swedish  descent  in  editorial  charge  of  the  local  English  newspapers, 
while  Swedish  names  also  are  found  in  the  list  of  writers  on  the  metro- 
politan papers  and  contributors  to  literary  magazines  and  scientific 
journals.  Among  several  Swedish  names  noted  in  American  fiction, 
one  is  borne  by  a  young  novelist  of  Chicago. 

Early    Publications 

Many  of  the  earlier  Swedish  books  and  pamphlets  were  published 
in  Illinois.  The  first  one  appears  to  be  L.  P.  Esbjorn's  four-page 
pamphlet  entitled  "Nagra  enkla  Fragor  och  Svar  rorande  Dopelsen," 
which  was  printed  in  the  beginning  of  1854.  In  the  same  year  was 
issued  the  proceedings  of  the  joint  meeting  of  the  Chicago  Conference 
and  the  Mississippi  Conference,  in  Chicago. 

When  Tuve  N.  Hasselquist  issued  his  prospectus  for  the  newspaper 
which,  on  publication,  was  called  ' '  Hemlandet, "  he  suggested  that  the 
readers  should  each  contribute  fifty  cents  toward  purchasing  a  com- 
plete Swedish  printery  which  would  become  the  property  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Conference.  The  proposal  won  favor,  and,  by  degrees,  the 
appurtenances  of  a  small  printing  shop  were  purchased  and  set  up  at 
Galesburg.  The  first  material  had  been  bought  by  Hasselquist  in  New 
York  for  $500.  In  addition  to  the  papers  "Hemlandet"  and  "Det 
Katta  Hemlandet,"  several  small  books  and  pamphlets  were  printed  at 
Hasselquist 's  shop,  which  was  called  "Svenska  Boktryckeriet. "  Among 
them  are,  "50  Andliga  Sanger"  by  0.  Ahnfelt,  1856 ;  "Enchiridion.  Dr. 
M.  Luthers  Lilla  Cateches,  For  Allmanna  Kyrkoherdar  och  Predikan- 
ter.  Noggrann  ofversattning  Af  L.  P.  E.  Med  ett  upplysande  foretal, " 


762 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


42  pages,  1856.  In  the  preface,  L.  P.  Esbjorn  asserted  that  the  common 
Swedish  editions  of  the  catechism  had  many  alterations,  additions  and 
omissions,  resulting  from  the  whims  of  various  translators.  Now  that 
he  was  free  from  the  influence  of  the  Swedish  state  church,  he  thought 
it  high  time  that  a  faithful  and  correct  translation  be  made.  An  English 
translation  of  the  catechism  appeared  on  the  pages  opposite  to  those 
containing  the  Swedish  text.  In  the  same  year  another  English  and 
Swedish  edition  of  Luther's  catechism  was  printed,  but  this  time  the 


Rev.  Tuve  N.  Hasselquist 

usual  Swedish  text  was  employed.  Other  books  issued  from  the 
Swedish  printery  are,  "Forslag  till  Constitution  for  Evangelisk-Luther- 
ska  forsamlingar  i  Norra  Amerika, "  12  pages,  1857;  "A-B-C-bok,"  or 
primer,  by  Dr.  A.  R.  Cervin,  1856  or  1857;  "Augsburgiska  Bekannel- 
sen,"  15  pages,  1857;  "Doktor  Martin  Luthers  Sandebref  till  tvenne 
kyrkoherdar  om  vederdopet,  1528,"  38  pages,  1857;  several  small 
tracts;  "Plan  for  Dr.  C.  H.  Grans  Skandinaviska  Kansas-koloni ; " 
"Luther-Boken  eller  Den  dyre  Gudsmannen  Doktor  Martin  Luthers 
Lefverne  och  Gerningar  af  Herman  Fick,"  translated  from  the  German 
by  Mrs.  Eva  Hasselquist,  68  pages,  1858. 


THE  SWEDISH  LUTHERAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  763 

The  Swedish  Lutheran  Publication  Society 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Mississippi  Conference  held  at  Galesburg  in 
October,  1856,  attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that  the  Swedish  printery 
founded  by  Hasselquist  was  its  own  property.  A  committee  appointed 
to  examine  the  condition  of  affairs  recommended  that  a  power  press 
be  purchased  and  used  in  place  of  the  hand  press.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  conference  in  April,  1858,  it  was  announced  that  Hasselquist  desired 
to  be  relieved  of  the  responsibility  of  publishing  "Hemlandet, "  owing 
to  the  pressure  of  his  pastoral  duties.  It  was  therefore  decided  to 
organize  "The  Swedish  Lutheran  Publication  Society."  The  following 
September,  the  conference,  then  in  session  at  Princeton,  appointed 
Erland  Carlsson,  Jonas  Swensson  and  John  Johnson  to  confer  with 
Hasselquist  as  to  the  purchase  of  his  newspapers  and  the  stock  of  books 
and  pamphlets  on  hand.  They  were  also  to  order  a  stock  of  books  from 
Sweden  and  to  attempt  to  unite  "Minnesota-Posten"  with  "Hem- 
landet. "  The  first-named  newspaper  had  been  published  fortnightly 
at  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  since  Nov.  7,  1857,  by  Erik  Norelius  and  Jonas 
Engberg.  When  the  Mississippi  Conference  met  in  Chicago  on  Dec.  6-9, 
it  was  reported  that  Xorelius  and  Engberg  had  agreed  to^sell  their 
printing  office  and  newspaper  to  the  society  and  become  its  employees. 
Hasselquist  had  also  made  arrangements  to  turn  over  his  publications 
to  the  society.  It  was  decided  to  move  the  newspapers  to  Chicago 
before  the  end  of  the  year.  Norelius  was  chosen  editor  of  the  news- 
papers and  Erland  Carlsson  was  appointed  business  manager  of  the 
society. 

By  New  Year's,  1859,  the  society  had  moved  its  possessions  into 
a  small  schoolhouse  in  the  rear  of  the  Immanuel  Church  at  190-192  E. 
Superior  street.  After  the  basement  of  the  church  was  renovated,  the 
concern  was  installed  there.  Jonas  Engberg,  who  had  been  a  book  col- 
porteur when  he  first  came  here,  attended  to  the  store  and  assisted 
on  the  newspapers  until  1864.  From  time  to  time,  shipments  of  books 
arrived  from  Sweden  to  replenish  the  supply,  for  there  was  a  brisk 
demand  for  reading  matter.  Engberg  left  in  October,  1864,  to  engage 
in  another  line  of  business.  Erland  Carlsson  apparently  remained  in 
the  capacity  of  business  manager  until  1868,  when  he  was  replaced 
by  Jonas  Engberg,  who  was  elected  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  office 
was  moved  in  1869  to  better  quarters  at  139  North  Clark  street.  About 
this  time  the  society  published  "Luthers  lilla  cateches,  forsedd  med 
bibelsprak, "  "Hemlandssanger, "  text  edition,  "Svenska  Psalmboken, " 
text  edition,  and  in  1869  and  1870,  "Hemlandssanger,"  music  edition. 

In  the  Chicago  fire  of  1871  the  society  lost  its  entire  stock,  printery 
and  book  plates,  and  even  its  account  books  which  were  stored  in  a  safe. 
Fortunately,  Mr.  Engberg  happened  to  have  a  trial  balance  of  the 


764  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

accounts  at  his  home,  which  had  been  spared  from  the  flames,  and  with 
the  aid  of  that  he  could  make  up  the  accounts.  The  property,  valued 
at  $18,000,  had  been  insured  far  $10,000,  of  which  $5,000  was  collected. 
This  sum  was  divided  between  the  bookstore  and  the  newspapers. 
Mr.  Engberg  had  been  in  Sweden  that  summer  and  purchased  a  lot  of 
books  filling  eleven  cases,  which  arrived  at  Chicago  shortly  after 
the  fire.  A  basement  was  now  rented  on  Milwaukee  avenue,  where  the 
business  continued  for  almost  a  year,  after  which  it  was  moved  to  94 
E.  Chicago  avenue.  The  society's  publications  were  now  issued  anew, 
and  in  1872  Dr.  M.  Luther's  smaller  catechism  was  printed  with 
Swedish  and  English  text. 

In  the  meantime,  opposition  to  the  society's  activity  arose  within 
the  Augustana  Synod,  which  was  in  control,  and  on  Sept.  29,  1874, 
the  book  department  was  sold  for  $17,000,  to  the  new  firm  of  Engberg, 
Holmberg  and  Lindell.  It  was  arranged  that  this  should  continue  to 
be  regarded  as  the  official  synodical  bookstore,  the  synod  stipulating 
that  standard  works  of  the  Lutheran  confession  should  be  kept  in  stock. 
The  proceeds  of  the  sale  went  to  Augustana  College  and  Theological 
Seminary. 

The    Eng'berg'-Holmberg'    Publishing'   Company 

The  new  firm,  Engberg,  Holmberg  and  Lindell,  continued  the 
business  at  94  E.  Chicago  avenue,  for  two  years.  In  1874  the  firm 
moved  into  a  new  building  at  119  E.  Chicago  avenue,  which  it  has  ever 
since  occupied.  Charles  0.  Lindell  sold  out  his  interest  to  his  partners 
in  1876.  Soon  after,  he  organized  the  Star  Printing  Co.,  which  was 
bought  out  later  by  the  book  firm.  Engberg  and  Holmberg  have,  at 
various  times,  bought  out  the  stock  and  book  plates  of  the  following 
publishing  firms :  De  Lang  and  Osterlind,  Julin  and  Hedenschoug, 
Wistrand  and  Thulin,  I.  T.  Helling  and  Co.,  Enander  and  Bohman,  P.  A. 
Norstedt  and  Sons'  Chicago  branch  and  Sangen  Publishing  Co. 

In  1884  the  firm  was  incorporated  as  The  Engberg-Holmberg  Pub- 
lishing Company.  Jonas  Engberg,  the  pioneer  publisher,  died  Jan.  1, 
1890.  Charles  P.  Holmberg  remained  in  active  charge  of  the  business 
until  1900,  when  he  retired.  He  died  May  20,  1903.  Since  1900  the 
firm  has  been  managed  by  Oscar  and  Martin  J.  Engberg,  sons  of  Jonas 
Engberg. 

Besides  maintaining  a  large  assortment  of  imported  Swedish  books 
they  have  produced  several  hundreds  of  their  own.  Of  these,  twenty- 
eight  are  language  methods  and  school  books;  ten  are  histories  and 
books  of  travel ;  thirty-nine  are  devotional  and  other  religious  works ; 
one  hundred  and  four  are  Sunday  school  storybooks;  thirty-five  are 
other  works  of  fiction;  fourteen  are  hymnals;  eighteen  are  poems 


K    WALLEN  C.  P.  HOLMBERG  C.  0.  LJNDELL 

F.  N.  ANDREN  JONAS  ENGBERG 


The  Engberg  and  Holmberg  Book  Store, 


766  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

and  collections  of  poetry ;  fifty-five  are  music  books  and  pamphlets,  in 
addition  to  which  there  are  ninety-one  pieces  of  sheet  music ;  while 
sixty-one  publications  are  of  a  miscellaneous  character.  The  total,  four 
hundred  and  fifty-five,  does  not  include  reprints  of  short  stories  from 
collections,  nor  reprints  of  songs  from  collections.  Of  the  latter  over 
two  hundred  separate  numbers  are  issued.  Many  of  the  songs  are 
provided  with  English  text,  but  otherwise  almost  all  of  the 
publications  are  in  Swedish  only.  Artistically  designed  book  covers 
adorn  many  of  the  books,  especially  the  poetical  collections  and  the 
various  bindings  of  "Den  Svenska  Psalmboken."  One  collection  of 
choir  anthems  is  issued  in  four  languages.  Owing  to  the  large  and 
varied  stock  carried,  they  are  the  central  depot  of  supplies  for  the 
Swedish  book  and  music  trade  in  this  country.  The  most  notable  of 
their  original  publications  are:  Olof  Olsson's  "Till  Rom  och  Hem 
Igen,"  C.  F.  Peterson's  "Ett  Hundra  Ar,"  Mrs.  Woods-Baker's 
"Pictures  of  Swedish  Life,"  and  the  present  work.  The  firm  has  pub- 
lished the  following  papers:  "Nad  och  Sanning, "  1877-86,  "Vart  Land 
och  Folk,"  a  weekly  newspaper,  1886-88,  "Land  och  Folk,"  a  semi- 
monthly illustrated  story  paper,  1898-1901,  "Barnvannen,"  1880-88, 
and  the  "Children's  Friend,"  1886-88. 

Jonas   Eng'berg' 

Jonas  Engberg  was  born  March  31,.  1837,  in  Berge,  Bergsjo  parish, 
Helsingland,  Sweden.  He  spent  three  years  in  the  collegiate  institute 
at  Hudiksvall,  obtaining  several  prizes  for  proficiency  in  his  studies. 
Thereafter  he  was  clerk  to  the  crown  tax  collector.  Emigrating  Sept. 
29,  1854,  he  landed  in  New  York  on  Dec.  20th,  and  there  met  0.  G. 
Hedstrom.  An  account  book  and  diary  dating  from  Sept.  1,  1854, 
relates  this  and  other  incidents.  Engberg  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  a  couple  of  weeks  with  his  cousin,  Erik  Norelius, 
then  a  student  in  that  city.  Continuing  his  journey  to  Chicago  he  there 
became  a  book  colporteur,  for  he  had  brought  with  him  some  Swedish 
books.  From  May  until  July  he  taught  school  at  West  Point,  Ind.  The 
Swedish  Lutheran  church  of  that  place  was  too  poor  to  retain  him  any 
longer.  Resuming  his  former  occupation  he  sold  books  until  in  August, 
when,  after  a  visit  to  Bishop  Hill,  he  went  to  Galesburg  and  began 
working  in  Hasselquist 's  printing  shop.  Engberg  aided  in  the  setting 
up  of  No.  9  of  "Hemlandet"  and  continued  in  the  printery  until  Oct.  3, 
1855.  Once  more  he  became  a  book  colporteur  and  traveled  about 
selling  English  and  Swedish  books  until  September,  1856,  when  the 
balance  of  the  Engberg  family  came  from  Sweden.  From  Chicago 
they  went  to  Red  Wing,  Minn.  From  November  until  January,  Eng- 
berg was  teacher  in  the  first  parochial  school  at  Vasa.  He  taught 


JONAS    ENGBERG 


767 


singing  and  the  rudiments  of  English  and  Swedish  grammar,  besides 
the  usual  branches.  His  pay,  $35.00  a  month,  was  tendered  in  the  form 
of  potatoes.  Engberg  unfortunately  stored  his  salary  in  the  schoolroom 
where  it  froze,  whereupon  he  gave  up  the  vocation.  The  next  summer 
Engberg  worked  as  a  compositor  on  a  newspaper  in  Cannon  Falls.  On 
Nov.  7,  1857,  Norelius  and  Engberg  issued  No.  1  of  "Minnesota- 
Posten,"  the  former  as  editor,  the  latter  as  printer.  Engberg  and  his 
brother  John,  who  then  began  learning  the  trade,  subsisted  mainly  on 


Jonas    Engberg 

crackers  and  molasses  and  slept  in  the  printery.  The  subscriptions 
were  paid  in  provisions,  silver  coin  and  wildcat  currency.  In  December, 
1859,  the  paper  was  consolidated  with  "Hemlandet"  and  both  editor 
and  printer  went  to  the  Chicago  office.  Engberg  assisted  in  the  editing 
and  attended  to  the  bookstore.  After  nine  months  Norelius  left  and 
Rev.  Erland  Carlsson  took  his  place,  soon,  however,  leaving  all  of  the 
editorial  work  to  Engberg.  The  latter  remained  editor  until  1864. 
During  the  next  four  years  he  was  associated  with  Peter  L.  Hawkinson 
as  insurance  agent  and  printer.  In  their  office  on  Lake  street  they 
reprinted,  in  1865,  the  first  part  of  "Fanrik  Stals  Sagner, "  84  pages. 
This  little  booklet  was  dedicated  to  the  Scandinavian  soldiers  who 
fought  in  the  Union  Army.  In  the  same  year  they  printed  "Lasebok 


76S  PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 

for  Barn  och  Ungdom,  utgifven  af  B.  J.  Glasell,"  160  pages.  In  1860 
Engberg,  together  with  Sven  Gibson,  had  published  "Konung  Oskar 
den  fridsalles  minne,"  91  pages. 

In  1868  Engberg  became  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Publication  Society.  The  next  year  he  also  became  town 
clerk  for  North  Chicago.  In  the  summer  of  1871  he  went  to  Sweden 
to  make  purchases  for  the  bookstore. 

While  there,  he  made  a  visit  to  Bergsjo,  his  birthplace,  and  copied 
from  the  church  register  the  names  and  dates  of  birth  and  death  of 
his  forbears  as  far  back  as  possible.  He  traced  his  ancestry  to  Peder 
Anderson  from  Savolax  or  Tavastland,  Finland,  who  was  born  about 
1540  or  1550,  settled  in  1598  at  Rickmaki,  also  called  Rigasen,  and  in 
3600  received  permission  from  Charles  IX.  to  build  and  live  at  Sor- 
garden,  on  the  crown  estate  of  Kjolsjo.  Jonas  Engberg  was  the  seventh 
in  descent  from  Peder  Anderson,  being  a  grandson  of  Anderson's  great- 
grandson's  granddaughter.  In  this  well-authenticated  instance,  there 
were  eight  generations  in  a  span  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  years,  an 
average  of  about  forty-three  years  for  each  generation. 

It  has  already  been  related  how  Jonas  Engberg  came  to  organize 
the  firm  of  Engberg  and  Holmberg.  He  labored  assiduously  with  his 
account  books  and  proof  sheets,  habitually  arising  at  3  or  4  o'clock 
in  the  morning  to  begin  his  work.  He  compiled  the  old  edition  of 
"Hemlandssanger"  and  translated  numerous  hymns  from  the  German 
and  English  for  various  songbooks.  "Engelsk-svenska  Brefstallaren 
for  Svenska  Folket  i  Amerika,"  with  mathematical  tables  and  a  course 
in  bookkeeping,  was  written  by  him. 

Mr.  Engberg  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Augustana  Synod  in 
1860.  It  has  been  related  how  he  was  one  of  the  Swedish-American 
musical  pioneers.  In  the  sixties  he  was  a  member  of  Hans  Balatka's 
Chicago  Oratorio  Society  and  sang  with  that  chorus  when  Lincoln's 
body  was  on  view  in  Chicago.  His  musical  tastes  resulted  in  the  pub- 
lication of  numerous  music  collections  by  his  firm. 

Mr.  Engberg 's  health  was  undermined  by  too  constant  application 
to  work.  After  a  week's  illness  he  died  on  Jan.  1,  1890. 

Mr.  Engerg  was  married  March  11,  1861,  to  Elizabeth  Zimmer- 
man, a  native  of  Nussloch,  Baden,  Germany,  born  Dec.  10,  1841,  who 
came  to  this  country  in  1853,  and  to  Chicago  in  1857.  She  still  survives, 
together  with  eight  of  her  children.  They  are :  Oscar  P.  F.  Engberg, 
Helga  E.  C.  (Mrs.  Mauritz  Stolpe),  Vendela  B.  E.  (Mrs.  Emil  Larson), 
Martin  J.  G.  A.  Engberg,  Lucia  E.  R.  (Mrs.  Aksel  G.  S.  Josephson), 
Sigrid  M.  H.  (Mrs.  Joseph  G.  Sheldon).  Emil  X.  J.  Engberg  and  Ruth 
T.  E.  Engberg. 


HOIvMBERG— LINDELL 
Charles   Peter  fiolmberg 


769 


Charles  Peter  Holmberg  was  born  March  8,  1840,  in  Fjarrestad, 
Skane,  Sweden.  He  learned  the  mason's  trade  and  became  a  contractor. 
In  this  capacity  he  spent  some  time  in  Copenhagen,  removing  thence 
to  Stockholm,  where  he  lived  several  years.  In  1865  he  emigrated  and 
settled  in  Chicago,  pursuing  the  same  trade.  From  1869  until  1874,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  insurance  and  real  estate  business.  In  the  last- 


Charles  Peter  Holmberg 

named  year  he  became  a  partner  in  the  publishing  firm  of  Engberg, 
Holmberg  and  Lindell.  The  latter  retiring,  the  firm  became  Engberg  and 
Holmberg.  Mr.  Holmberg  eventually  became  president  of  the  Engberg- 
Holmberg  Publishing  Company.  He  retired  from  active  participation 
in  business  in  1900. 

Mr.  Holmberg  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  trustees  of 
Augustana  Hospital  and  was  active  in  church  work.  He  died  May  20, 
1903,  his  wife  Wilhelmina,  nee  Vetterlund,  surviving  him. 

Carl   Oscar   Lindell 

Carl  Oscar  Lindell  was  born  Feb.  19,  1847,  in  Hvena  parish,  Sma- 
land,  Sweden.  His  parents  were  Carl  Johan  Roos  and  Ingeborg  Roos. 


770 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


At  the  age  of  ten  years,  the  boy  emigrated  to  this  country  with  his 
uncle.  Going  to  Andover,  111.,  he  found  a  fosterfather  in  S.  P.  Lindell, 
and  adopted  his  surname  in  place  of  his  own.  On  the  recommendation 
of  the  Rev.  Jonas  Swensson,  young  Lindell  entered  the  Augustana 
Theological  Seminary  at  Chicago  in  1862.  After  finishing  his  studies 
in  the  same  seminary  at  Paxton,  he  was  ordained  at  the  synodical 
meeting  in  1868.  His  first  pastorate  was  at  Geneva,  111.  Rev.  C.  0. 


Rev.  Carl  Oscar  Lindell 

Lindell  was  married  the  same  year  to  Otilia  Linner.  In  1874  he  moved 
to  Chicago  and  became  a  partner  in  the  book  firm  of  Engberg,  Holm- 
berg  and  Lindell.  He  remained  with  the  firm  two  years,  in  the  mean- 
time having  pastoral  care  of  three  churches. 

Lindell  organized  the  Star  Printing  Co.  about  1877,  and  published 
several  books.  After  selling  his  business  to  Engberg  and  Holmberg, 
he  was  the  chief  editor  of  their  periodicals  until  they  were  sold  in  1888. 
During  1890-91  he  was  assistant  editor  of  "Augustana."  Rev.  Lindell 
was  the  founder  of  Bethlehem  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Ejiglewood, 


HEMLANDET 


771 


Chicago,  and  served  as  a  mission  pastor  at  various  places.  Prom  1903 
on,  he  was  assistant  pastor  to  Dr.  E.  Norelius  at  Vasa,  Minn.  On  Aug. 
16,  1905,  while  at  Red  Wing,  on  the  way  to  attend  his  daughter's 
funeral,  he  was  stricken  with  heart  disease  and  died  instantly.  The 
remains,  together  with  those  of  the  daughter,  were  buried  from  the 
old  home  in  Chicago. 


One  of  the  first  men  to  realize  the  need  of  a  newspaper  for  the 
Swedish-American  immigrants  was  Rev.  T.  N.  Hasselquist,  pastor  of 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg.  Undeterred  by  an  abor- 
tive attempt  a  few  years  before  to  establish  a  Swedish  newspaper  in 
New  York  City — named  "Skandinaven"  and  published  for  a  short  time 
in  1851-1852 — Hasselquist  in  October,  1854,  issued  the  prospectus  of 
a  new  paper  to  be  called  "Den  Svenska  Posten."  On  January  3,  1855, 
the  first  number  was  issued  from  Galesburg,  bearing  the  name  of 
"Hemlandet,  Det  Gamla  och  det  Nya, "  as  a  substitute  for  the  name 
originally  proposed.  The  paper  was  a  sheet  of  four  pages,  10  inches 
by  14  inches,  printed  at  the  office  of  a  local  weekly  in  Knoxville.  It 
was  at  first  issued  fortnightly  and  the  subscription  price  was  two  dol- 
lars per  year.  During  the  first  half-year  it  acquired  about  four 
hundred  subscribers,  and  by  the  end  of  the  year  it  had  over  one 
thousand  subscribers,  principally  among  the  members  of  the  ten 
Lutheran  churches  founded  up  to  that  time,  the  contents  being  from 
the  outset  and  for  a  number  of  years  to  come  essentially  religious  in 
character  and  Lutheran  in  tone.  From  1856  a  companion  paper 
called  "Det  Ratta  Hemlandet, "  a  sixteen  page  monthly,  purely  re- 
ligious, was  also  published.  The  editorial  assistant  of  Hasselquist  was 
his  brother-in-law,  A.  R.  Cervin.  After  running  at  a  loss  for  over  two 
years  this  newspaper  enterprise  was  transferred  from  Galesburg  to 
Chicago,  where  a  publishing  concern  styled  "The  Swedish  Lutheran 
Publication  Society"  was  organized,  with  the  energetic  Erland  Carls- 
son  at  the  head. 

Late  in  the  year  1858  the  new  company  took  charge  and  the  first 
number  of  "Hemlandet"  issued  in  Chicago  was  published  Jan.  7,  1859, 
from  192  East  Superior  street,  a  small  schoolhouse,  and  later  the 
basement  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  serving  as  office  and  print- 
ing shop.  The  "Minnesota  Posten"  was  merged  with  the  "Hemlan- 
det," and  the  latter  became  a  weekly,  with  a  department  for  Minne- 
sota news.  Eric  Norelius,  assisted  by  Jonas  Engberg,  assumed  the 
editorial  duties  of  the  combined  papers.  The  size  of  the  paper  was  in- 
creased twice  during  the  same  year. 

After  nine  months  of  strenuous  work  Norelius'  health  gave  way 


772 


PRESS  AND  LITERATURE 


and  he  resigned.  Erland  Carlsson  then  acted  as  editor,  assisted  by 
Jonas  Engberg.  The  former  soon  after  turned  the  editorial  work  over 
to  the  latter,  owing  to  pressure  of  other  duties.  Jonas  Engberg  was 
editor  during  the  greater  part  of  the  Civil  War.  He  inserted  a  large 
number  of  letters  from  Swedish-American  volunteers  in  the  paper.  The 
originals  were  preserved  by  him  as  long  as  he  lived.  A  feature  of  the 
monthly  "Det  Ratta  Hemlandet"  was  the  hymns  provided  with  nu- 
merical notation,  sometimes  in  four  part  harmony.  A.  R.  Cervin  suc- 
ceeded him  as  editor  on  Oct.  26,  1864,  and  remained  until  the  close  of 
1868,  then  left  J.  G.  Princell,  his  assistant,  in  charge  of  both  papers 
until  July,  1869,  when  P.  A.  Sundelius  became  editor  of  "Hemlandet." 


Rev.  Anders  R.  Cervin 

"Hemlandet"  now  inaugurated  a  new  epoch  in  its  development. 
Doubtless  spurred  by  competition  with  the  secular  weekly  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren, "  started  in  1866,  it  changed  from  a  mainly  religious 
to  a  general  newspaper,  remaining,  however,  loyal  to  the  Lutheran 
Church.  The  office  was  later  removed  to  139  North  Clark  street, 
where  it  was  destroyed  by  the  fire  in  1871.  Three  or  four  days  after 
the  fire  the  paper  appeared  as  a  small  sheet,  printed  on  one  side,  being 
issued  from  a  printing  office  in  Aurora.  On  Nov.  21st  of  the  same 
year  "Hemlandet"  was  again  issued  from  its  own  office,  it  being  the 
first  Swedish  newspaper  to  be  issued  from  Chicago  after  the  fire. 

In  December,  1869,  Sundelius,  whose  relations  with  the  leading 
men  in  the  printing  company  and  the  Lutheran  Church  had  become 
strained,  resigned  and  went  over  to  the  competitive  paper,  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren."  Johan  A.  Enander  was  at  once  chosen  his  successor. 
He  was  in  the  service  of  the  company  until  1872,  when  the  printing 
concern  was  turned  over  to  the  directors  of  Augustana  College  to  help 
support  that  institution  at  Paxton.  The  directors,  deriving  little,  if 
any,  revenue  from  the  business,  soon  sold  the  newspaper  plant,  the 


HEMLANDET  773 

purchasers  being  Enander,  the  editor,  and  G.  A.  Bohman,  another  em- 
ployee. The  purchase  price  was  $10,000,  payable  at  the  rate  of  $500 
every  six  months  without  interest.  The  directors  of  the  Paxton  insti- 
tution entered  into  a  formal  agreement  not  to  start  any  other  political 
newspaper  and  never  to  give  their  support  to  any  such  paper  other 
than  "Hemlandet. "  The  purchasers  held  that  the  directors  acted 
also  for  the  entire  Augustana  Synod. 

The  firm  of  Enander  and  Bohman  published  "Hemlandet"  as  a 
"Republican  political  newspaper  for  the  Swedish  nationality  in  the 
United  States."  Notwithstanding  many  reverses,  such  as  the  panic  of 
1873,  and  successive  losses  through  the  failure  of  Ferdinand  Winslow's 
and  Skow-Peterson,  Isberg  and  Co.'s  Scandinavian  banks  in  the  late 
seventies,  the  enterprise  was  successfully  carried  on  by  Enander  and 
Bohman  until  1889,  when  the  firm  was  dissolved. 

In  1874 — 77  the  firm  published  an  illustrated  monthly,  entitled 
"Nar  och  Fjerran, "  and  from  1871  to  1881  "Ungdomsvannen, "  a 
monthly  paper  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  young  people.  The  firm 
was  not,  as  it  had  supposed,  protected  against  competition  from  within 
the  Augustana  Synod,  rival  newspapers  appearing  from  time  to  time, 
including  "Skandia"  of  Moline,  founded  in  1876  by  Prof.  Melin  of 
Augustana  College,  and  "Skaffaren"  of  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  later  of  St. 
Paul.  To  meet  competition  in  the  Minnesota  field,  "Hemlandet"  in 
1883  established  a  branch  office  at  St.  Paul  and  for  a  long  term  of 
years  published  a  Northwest  edition,  edited  by  Herman  Stockenstrom. 
In  1874 — 77  the  firm  published  fortnightly  a  special  edition  for  Sweden 
and  later  for  a  short  time  maintained  a  small  weekly  at  Lindsborg, 
Kans.,  named  "Kansas-Posten."  In  May,  1886,  the  firm  started  a 
bookstore  in  connection  with  its  newspaper  office. 

The  firm  of  Enander  and  Bohman  went  into  the  general  publishing 
business  quite  extensively.  The  principal  original  works  put  out  by 
them  was  Enander 's  "Forenta  Staternas  historia,"  vols.  I-IV,  1,358 
pages,  begun  in  1873  and  completed  in  1880.  The  next  in  importance 
was  an  edition  of  D'Aubigne's  "Det  sextonde  arhundradets  Reforma- 
tionshistoria,"  vols.  I-III,  1,962  pages.  Other  publications,  original 
Avorks  and  reprints,  by  this  firm  are:  "Frithiofs  Saga,"  with  illustra- 
tions by  Malmstrom;  "Pa  Lifvets  Vadjobana"  (Matthews'  "Getting 
On  in  the  World")  ;  several  editions  of  "Den  svenska  psalmboken, " 
with  and  without  music;  "Zions  sangbok,"  both  text  and  music 
editions;  "Eterneller  och  Varblommor,"  a  collection  of  standard  poems 
of  Sweden;  "Linnea,"  a  collection  of  Swedish- American  verse. 

Several  of  the  above  named  works  were  used  to  increase  the 
circulation  of  the  paper.  In  more  recent  years  "Hemlandet"  has  pub- 
lished a  number  of  the  books  given  as  premiums  year  by  year,  including 


774  PRESS  AND  LITERATURE 

the  following:  "Bilder  fran  Gamla  Hemlandet;"  ' ' Hemlandets  Krigs- 
bilder;"  "Sveriges  Folk;"  "Panorama  6'fver  Amerika;"  and  Odhner's 
' '  Sveriges  Historia. ' ' 

When  in  1889  the  firm  of  Enander  and  Bohman  was  dissolved,  the 
paper  was  taken  over  by  a  stock  company,  The  Hemlandet  Publish- 
ing Co.,  comprising  Enander,  Bohman,  J.  N.  Soderholm,  A.  L.  Gyllen- 
haal  and  several  others.  This  company,  formed  in  1890,  was  dissolved 
the  following  year,  when  "Hemlandet"  wras  sold  to  A.  E.  Johnson  of 
New  York.  The  new  owner  entered  into  partnership  with  Soderholm. 
who  for  the  next  five  years  acted  in  the  double  capacity  of  editor-in- 
chief  and  business  manager.  Dr.  Enander  accepted  a  professor- 
ship at  Augustana  College  and  later  associated  himself  with  a  news- 
paper enterprise  in  Omaha,  Neb.  In  January,  1896,  Mr.  Johnson 
bought  out  his  partner  and  then  organized  the  present  Hemlandet 
Company,  with  himself  as  president,  Enander  vice  president,  A.  Schon 
secretary  and  C.  Th.  Strandberg  treasurer  and  business  manager. 
Enander  again  assumed  the  position  of  editor-in-chief  of  the  paper.  The 
principal  co-editors  engaged  from  time  to  time  have  been  the  following: 
Magnus  Elmblad  1871-1873;  Gottfried  Cronwall;  A.  L.  Gyllenhaal, 
1874-91;  C.  G.  Linderborg;  Alfred  Heyne,  1881-82;  Aron  Edstrom, 
since  1883;  Gustaf  Sjostrom,  1890-93,  and  Anders  Schon,  since  1891. 

Johan.  Alfred   Enander 

As  a  publisher,  editor  and  author,  Johan  Alfred  Enander  has 
rendered  eminent  service  to  the  Swedish  press  and  literature  in  this 
country,  as  shown  in  a  full  sketch  of  his  life  appearing  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  As  a  young  man  he  came  to  this  country  swelling  with  pride 
in  the  country  and  people  from  which  he  sprung,  and  in  his  career  of 
almost  forty  years  in  the  United  States  he  has  made  his  mark  as  the 
foremost  champion  of  Swedish  letters  and  culture  on  American  soil. 
While  a  splendid  type  of  the  ultra-patriotic  Swede,  he  has  shown  too 
little  receptiveness  to  American  influences  to  be  a  true  exemplar  of  the 
Swedish- American  citizen.  Coming  here  at  a  time  when  there  was 
among  his  countrymen  a  scarcity  of  able  wielders  of  the  pen,  Enander 
had  an  enviable  opportunity  to  assert  himself  and  he  did  so.  For  the 
work  of  educating  the  immigrants  and  their  children  up  to  a  love  and 
a  taste  for  the  language  and  literature  of  Sweden  he  unquestionably 
deserves  greater  credit  than  any  other  man.  As  his  paper  enlarged 
its  field  beyond  the  pale  of  the  church,  so  he  propagated  his  sentiments 
in  widened  circles.  In  this  mission,  his  eloquent  tongue  has  ably 
seconded  the  efforts  of  his  pen.  Countless  are  the  times  he  has  given 
to  Swedish  audiences  his  ringing  orations  on  festal  days  or  recounted 


JOHAN    A.    ENANDER 


775 


in  carefully  prepared  lectures  the  virtues  of  the  ancient  Northmen 
and  the  deeds  of  Swedish  heroes  in  modern  times. 

The  history  of  the  United  States  compiled  by  Enander  in  the 
seventies  was  a  laudable  attempt  on  his  part  to  acquaint  the  Swedes 
with  the  land  of  their  choice.  While  the  four- volume  work  was  a  credit- 
able performance  for  a  man  who  was  simultaneously  editing  a  weekly 
paper  and,  part  of  the  time,  a  monthly  magazine  in  addition,  it  has 
faults  which  are  not  condoned  by  the  acknowledged  lack  of  ability, 


Johan  Alfred  Enander 

sources  and  time.  The  author  gives  almost  the  whole  of  the  first 
volume  to  the  discoveries  of  the  Northmen  and  the  history  of  their 
civilization,  or  thrice  the  space  accorded  to  the  earliest  races  on  this 
continent.  This  can  be  attributed  only  to  a  faulty  sense  of  proportion 
and  a  false  historical  perspective,  caused  by  nationalistic  bias. 

Among  the  works  of  Enander,  elsewhere  mentioned,  the  second  in 
importance  is  a  volume  of  selections  from  his  writing  in  verse  and 
prose,  entitled  "Valda  Skrifter. "  As  a  verse  writer  he  is  not  volu- 
minous, and  he  has  been  charged  with  a  lack  of  originality,  but  we 


776  PRESS  AND    LITERATURE 

concede  to  his  verses  a  quality  and  finish  that  is  rare  in  Swedish- 
American  poets. 

Gustaf  A.   Bohman 

Gustaf  A.  Bohman  was  born  Dec.  24,  1838,  in  Skelleftea,  Vester- 
botten,  Sweden.  After  finishing  his  school  studies,  he  was  a  clerk  and 
thereafter  was  a  seaman  for  several  years.  In  1866  he  came  to  this 
country  and  roved  about  for  some  time.  After  two  years  he  obtained 
a  position  with  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Publication  Society  in  Chicago, 


Gustaf   A.  Bohman 

later  becoming  the  circulation  manager  of  its  paper.  While  Jonas 
Engberg  was  in  Sweden  in  1871,  Bohman  superintended  the  bookstore. 
After  December,  1872,  when  the  firm  of  Enander  and  Bohman  took 
over  "Hemlandet,"  Bohman  acted  as  the  business  manager,  remaining 
in  that  capacity  until  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  in  1889.  For  a  number 
of  years  thereafter  Bohman  was  a  clerk  in  the  county  recorder's  office 
and  subsequently  was  employed  in  the  office  of  "Svenska  Tribunen" 
until  the  death  of  Andrew  Chaiser.  Mr.  Bohman  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Augustana  Hospital  in  1884,  and  at  various  other 
times  was  honored  with  positions  of  trust  in  his  church  denomination 
and  elsewhere.  On  July  5,  1906,  Mr.  Bohman  died  from  heart  disease, 
leaving  a  widow,  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 

E,ric    Norelius 

In  1872 — 73  Eric  Norelius  published  "Luthersk  Kyrkotidning" 
and  during  the  year  1878  "Evangelisk  Luthersk  Tidskrift, "  which  he 
continued  in  1879 — 82  under  the  name  of  "Skaffaren." 


NORELIUS— HEYNE 


777 


Ever  since  he  came  to  this  country  Norelius  has  followed  with 
keen  interest  the  progress  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  and  has 
collected  material  for  Swedish-American  history.  Possessing  an  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  the  church  and  a  capable  pen,  Norelius  was  elected 
historian  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  and  the  result  of  his  work  as  such 
is  a  compendious  volume,  entitled,  "De  svenska  luterska  forsamlin- 
garnes  och  svenskarnes  historia  i  Amerika."  This  volume,  issued  in 


Rev.  Eric  Norelius 

1890,  gives  a  very  complete  account  of  Swedish  settlement  in  the 
West  up  to  1860  and  of  the  activities  of  the  Swedish- Americans,  espe- 
cially the  Lutherans,  during  this  formative  period.  One  or  more  ad- 
ditional volumes  of  this  valuable  work  are  awaited. 

From  the  pen  of  Norelius  have  issued  a  number  of  published 
works,  including  "Salems  Sanger"  (1859),  "Handbok  for  sondagssko- 
lan"  (1865),  "Evangelisk-Lutherska  Augustanasynoden  i  .Nord- Ame- 
rika och  dess  mission"  (1870). 

Alfred    Heyne 

Alfred  Heyne,  a  member  of  the  "Hemlandet"  staff  of  editors 
for  two  years,  up  to  August,  1883,  excelled  as  a  music  and  art 
critic.  He  was  connected  with  "Oresunds-Posten"  of  Helsingborg 
both  before  and  after  the  period  spent  in  Chicago.  His  pen  was  fluent 


778  PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 

in  prose  and  verse  alike.    Heyne  was  born  in  Skane,  Sweden,  in  1855 
and  died  there  in  1889. 

Aron   Edstrom 

Aron  Edstrom  has  held  a  position  as  associate  editor  of  "Hemlan- 
det"  since  May,  1883,  with  the  exception  of  eight  months  spent  in 
editing  "Nordens  Medborgare"  at  Manistee,  Mich.  Prior  to  his  en- 
gagement in  Chicago  he  was  editor  of  "Skaffaren"  of  St.  Paul  from 
1880.  Edstrom  is  an  interesting  narrator  of  personal  experiences,  but 
has  done  little  original  literary  work.  A  few  sketches  by  him  have 
appeared,  however,  in  "Hemlandet,"  "  Prarieblomman  "  and  else- 
where. 

Gustaf  Sjostrom 

Gustaf  Sjostrom  attained  wide  popularity  in  the  early  '90s 
through  a  series  of  humorous  articles  in  "Hemlandet, "  headed  "Bref 
fran  Jan  Olson"  and  subsequently  published  in  book  form  under  the 
title,  "Jan  Olsons  Afventyr. "  By  critics  Sjostrom  is  given  front 
rank  among  Swedish-American  writers.  He  wrote  in  a  characteristic 
style,  all  his  own,  and,  whether  in  humorous  or  sober  vein,  he  spoke 
in  simple  and  homely  fashion,  his  products  abounding  in  apt  com- 
ment and  wholesome  homespun  philosophy. 

Sjostrom  came  to  America  in  1890,  equipped  with  a  university  edu- 
cation obtained  at  Upsala,  Sweden.  In  an  editorial  capacity  he  was  in 
turn  connected  with  "Hemlandet, "  "Tribunen,"  "Vart  Land"  of 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  "Osterns  Harold"  of  Brooklyn.  Abandoning 
journalism,  he  took  up  the  study  of  theology  and  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  For  a  time  he  was  in  charge  of  a 
Swedish  Episcopal  church  in  Chicago,  .then  left  for  Sweden,  where 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  State  Church. 

Sjostrom  was  a  fluent  versifier  and  a  successful  humorous  lecturer, 
touring  the  country  in  1897  in  the  latter  capacity. 

Anders   Schion 

Anders  Schon  was  educated  for  the  teacher's  vocation  in  Sweden 
and  taught  public  school  for  four  years,  subsequently  serving  for  a  year 
and  a  half  on  the  police  force  of  Stockholm.  He  came  to  this  country 
in  1889.  In  the  fall  of  1891,  with  some  prior  experience  as  a  news- 
paper correspondent,  he  was  engaged  on  the  staff  of  "Hemlandet"  in 
the  editorial  position  he  still  holds.  Few  men  have  served  the  Swedish 
press  in  the  United  States  more  ably  and  with  greater  energy  than  has 
Mr.  Schon.  His  pen  is  capable  of  any  literary  task,  except  versifica- 
tion, and  alongside  of  practical  journalism  he  has  for  years  pursued 


SVENSKA   REPUBLIKANEN 


779 


literary  and  historical  studies,  the  latter  bearing  on  the  Swedish 
colonial  periods  in  America  in  the  seventeenth  and  nineteenth  cen- 
turies. He  has  edited  eight  editions  of  the  literary  annual  "Prarie- 
blomman,"  also  "Bilder  fran  Gamla  Hemlandet,"  and  was  the  trans- 
lator of  "Coin's  Financial  School"  and  "The  Cross  and  the  Crescent." 


Anders  Schon 

In  the  present  historical  work  Mr.  Schon  has  collaborated  on  the  first, 
eight  chapters. 

SvensKa   RepubliKanen 

In  the  year  1856  the  leaders  of  the  Bishop  Hill  colony  added  a 
newspaper  to  their  other  numerous  enterprises.  At  Galva  a  printing 
office  was  fitted  up,  from  which  was  issued  a  weekly  paper  called 
"Svenska  Republikanen, "  the  full  title  being  "Den  Svenska  Republi- 
kanen  i  Norra  Amerika,"  edited  by  S.  Cronsioe.  In  this  same  shop 
Andrew  Chaiser  and  Eric  Berglund  (Bergland),  two  well-known  Swed- 
ish-Americans, began  their  careers,  as  "printer's  devils."  "Svenska 
Republikanen"  was  the  first  competitor  of  "Gamla  och  Nya  Hemlan- 
det" in  the  Swedish  newspaper  field.  It  was,  as  the  name  indicates, 
Republican  in  politics,  and  in  church  matters  it  was,  at  least  at  the  out- 
set, as  non-partisan  as  could  be  expected  of  a  paper  dependent  upon  a 
religious  colony  for  its  chief  support.  The  first  issue  was  dated  July 
4th,  1856.  The  paper  proved  fairly  prosperous  for  a  time,  but  on  being 
turned  over  to  Cronsioe,  as  his  private  property,  it  lost  its  main  back- 
ing and,  after  a  short  struggle  for  existence,  ceased  publication.  Prior 
thereto,  in  1857,  it  was  removed  to  Chicago,  where  it  was  issued  until 


780  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

July,  1858.  According  to  C.  F.  Peterson,  it  was  the  first  Swedish 
newspaper  published  in  this  city.  Toward  the  last,  the  paper  seems 
to  have  deviated  from  its  course  as  a  non-partisan  in  church  matters, 
for  we  have  it  from  the  same  authority  that  it  ' '  succumbed  in  the  fight 
with  the  Lutheran  Church,"  while  Cronsioe,  the  editor  and  publisher, 
explained,  that  publication  ceased  because  the  enterprise  "did  not  yield 
and  income  proportionate  to  the  toil  and  labor  expended  on  it." 

Swedish   Baptist   Papers.-  Nya   WecKo-Posten 

"Frihetsvannen,"  published  in  Galesburg  from  January,  1859,  to 
March,  1861,  was  a  fortnightly  paper,  started  by  a  company  of  Swed- 


Rev.  Eric  Wingren 

ish  Baptists.  The  publishers  were  a  number  of  adherents  of  that  de- 
nomination, including  L.  Ahnberg,  Jonas  Peterson  and  Louis  Peterson. 
It  was  edited  in  turn  by  Peterson,  Wilborg  and  Arosenius.  During  the 
latter  part  of  its  existence  it  was  issued  weekly.  The  paper  suspended 
publication  for  lack  of  paying  subscribers.  "Frihetsvannen"  was  not 
classed  as  a  denominational  organ,  but  in  1860  a  paper  called  "Evan- 
gelisten"  was  started  in  the  same  city  as  the  recognized  mouthpiece  of 
the  Baptists.  Its  span  of  life  was  about  one  year.  This  was  an  almost 
exact  reproduction  of  a  paper  of  the  same  name,  published  in  Stock- 
holm, Sweden,  by  Rev.  Anders  Wiberg.  L.  Ahnberg  was  business 
manager,  but  the  name  of  the  editor  is  not  known.  "Evangelisten"  was 
the  first  Swedish  Baptist  paper  here,  followed  by  "Zions  Vakt,"  in 
1873,  and  "Evangelisk  Tidskrift,"  in  1877,  both  edited  by  Dr.  J.  A. 
Edgren.  The  former  was  shortlived;  the  latter  was  turned  over  in 


WECKO-POSTEN-SANDEBUDET  781 

1880  to  Rev.  E.  Wingren.  Before  the  appearance  of  Edgren's  first 
paper,  an  abortive  publication,  named  "Facklan,"  was  published  by 
K.  A.  Ostergren. 

After  a  year,  Wingren  enlarged  "Evangelisk  Tidskrift"  and 
changed  it  from  a  monthly  to  a  semi-monthly  paper.  The  church  had 
need  of  a  weekly  newspaper,  and  from  Jan.  1,  1885,  the  paper  has 
been  published  weekly  under  the  new  name,  "Nya  Wecko-Posten, " 
adopted  from  "Wecko-Posten,"  the  organ  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Sweden.  In  recent  years  several  minor  Baptist  papers  have  been  start- 
ed in  Chicago  in  the  interest  of  missions  and  the  Sunday  school.  Rev. 
Erik  Wingren  came  over  from  Sweden  in  1880  on  a  call  from  the  Sec- 
ond Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago.  He  preached  and  assisted  Dr. 
Edgren  in  teaching  and  editing  his  paper,  until  he  began  to  devote  all 
his  attention  to  the  publishing  business. 

The  books  published  by  Rev.  Wingren  in  connection  with  "Nya 
Wecko-Posten"  are:  "Femtio  ar  i  romerska  kyrkan;"  "Skapelsens 
under;"  "Broderna  Alvarez;"  "Birmas  apostel;"  "Elvira  eller  Evan- 
gelii  makt;"  "Spurgeons  lif  och  verksamhet;"  "Spurgeons  prediknin- 
gar,"  vols.  I-II;  "Klosterlifvet  afslojadt;"  "Det  heliga  kriget;"  "II- 
lustrerad  kalender,"  issued  yearly  from  1904  to  1909,  and  "Sanger  for 
Sondagsskolan  och  hemmet,"  text  and  music  editions. 

Sandebudet 

In  July,  1862,  Rev.  Victor  Witting,  of  Rockford,  commenced  to 
publish  a  small  church  newspaper,  named  "Sandebudet,"  which  be- 
came the  official  organ  of  the  Swedish  Methodists.    It  was  started  as  a 
6-col.  4-page  paper,  the  first  issue  being  dated  July  18th.    Rev.  Witting, 
as  chief  editor,  was  assisted  by  Revs.  N.  0.  Westergreen  and  A.  J.  An- 
derson.    Notwithstanding  the  loyal  support  of  the  laity  and  clergy, 
the  paper  did  not  prove  self-sustaining,  and  the  ministers  often  had  to 
go  down  into  their  own  pockets  to  meet  balances.    After  a  year  and  a 
half  Rev.  Albert  Ericson,  Witting 's  successor  as  pastor  at  Rockford, 
assumed  the  editorship,  filling  the  position  until  Nov.,  1864,  when  the 
M.  E.  Book  Concern  of  Cincinnati  was  induced  to  take  over  the  publi- 
cation.   The  paper  was  now  removed  to  Chicago  and  published  by  Poe 
and  Hitchcock,  66  Washington  street,  the  western  branch  of  the  publish- 
ing house,  the  first  issue  after  the  removal  appearing  Dec.  8th.     In 
August,  1863,  it  was  changed  from  a  fortnightly  to  a  weekly  paper.    In 
1865  Rev.  Witting  again  became  its  editor,  and  two  years  later  he  was 
succeeded  a  second  time  by  Rev.  Ericson,  who  edited  "Sandebudet"  up 
to  Oct.,  1871,  when  the  great  fire  put  an  end  to  publication.    One  year 
elapsed  before  the  paper  was  resurrected.     It  appeared  again  on  Oct. 
14,  1872,  in  a  new  dress,  with  Rev.  N.  0.  Westergreen  as  editor. 


782 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


Dr.  William  Henschen  assumed  editorial  charge  in  September, 
1875,  remaining  in  the  editorial  chair  until  1882,  when  Rev.  Witting 
for  the  third  time  took  the  position.  Dissatisfaction  with  the  manner 
in  which  the  American  concern  managed  the  paper  prompted  the  or- 
ganization in  September,  1888,  of  the  Swedish  M.  E.  Book  Concern  in 
Chicago,  with  a  view  to  put  the  publication  under  Swedish  control. 
Their  request  that  the  paper  be  turned  over  to  them  was  at  first  re- 
fused, but  when,  three  months  after,  the  new  concern  started  a  com- 
petitive paper,  named  "Vaktaren,"  the  Americans  yielded  the  control 
to  the  Swedes,  and  the  new  paper  was  merged  with  ' '  Sandebudet, " 
which  has  since  remained  the  official  organ  of  the  Swedish  Method- 
ists, under  the  control  of  the  General  Conference.  Since  1889  Dr. 


Dr.  William  Henschen 

Henschen  has  been  in  editorial  charge,  except  for  the  interval  from 
June,  1898,  to  October,  1902,  when  Rev.  H.  K.  Elmstrom  occupied  the 
editorial  chair. 

In  connection  with  the  office  of  "Sandebudet"  is  maintained  the 
Swedish  M.  E.  Book  Concern,  which  carries  on  a  general  publishing 
business  for  the  church.  Besides  "Sandebudet,"  two  periodicals  are 
published,  viz.,  "Epworth-Klockan,"  a  semi-monthly  paper  for  the 
Epworth  League,  and  "Sondagsskolbaneret, "  a  monthly  Sunday  school 
paper.  From  a  long  list  of  books  published  by  this  house  we  quote  the 
titles  of  some  of  the  more  noteworthy,  such  as:  "Svenska  Metodismen  i 
Amerika,"  a  history  by  Rev.  C.  G.  Wallenius  et  al. ;  "Vinterrosor, "  a 
Christmas  annual  published  every  year  from  1903  on;  "Biblisk  Histo- 
ria, "  by  Dr.  William  Henschen;  "Bilder  fran  Bibel-Lander, "  by  J.  E. 
Hillberg;  "Where  the  Mississippi  Flows,"  by  Mrs.  Emma  Shogren- 
Farman;  "Metodistkyrkans  Nya  Psalmbok"  and  "Herdestamman,"  a 


SVENSKA   AMERIKANAREN  783 


songbook,  each  of  which  is  published  in  both  text  and  music  editions. 
Their  other  publications  are  chiefly  Sunday  school  booklets. 

SvensKa  AmeriKanaren,   I. 

Up  to  1866  no  fruitful  attempt  had  been  made  to  start  a  Swedish- 
American  newspaper  that  was  not  the  organ  of  some  church  denomina- 
tion. "  Skandinaven, "  started  in  New  York  City  in  1851,  aimed  to  be  an 
independent  secular  journal,  but  lacking  both  vitality  and  a  definite 
tendency,  it  died  the  following  year.  For  a  long  time  after  this  ven- 
ture those  who  were  without  church  connections,  either  by  choice  or 
because  membership  in  secret  societies  disqualified  them,  waited  in  vain 
for  the  launching  of  an  independent  and  entirely  secular  newspaper  in 
the  Swedish  language.  Finally,  on  April  16,  1866,  a  number  of  men 
in  Chicago  and  elsewhere  in  Illinois  issued  a  circular,  inviting  their 
countrymen  to  join  in  forming  a  stock  company  for  the  purpose  of 
publishing  a  weekly  newspaper  that  would  champion  more  liberal  ideas 
in  opposition  to  the  intolerance  of  the  church  element  at  that  period. 
Those  who  issued  the  call  and  organized  the  stock  company  were: 
John  A.  Nelson,  president;  N.  E.  Nelson,  vice  president;  P.  J.  Hussan- 
der,  treasurer;  P.  L.  Hawkinson,  secretary;  Charles  J.  Stromberg,  P. 
L.  Eastman,  C.  F.  Billing,  F.  T.  Engstrom,  P.  M.  Almini,  all  of  Chica- 
go; John  Peterson,  Galesburg;  A.  A.  Schenlund,  Princeton,  and  Olof 
Johnson,  Galva.  Behind  the  enterprise  and  in  strong  sympathy  with  it 
stood  two  well-known  Chicago  Swedes,  Consul  Charles  J.  Sundell  and 
Captain  Oscar  G.  Lange.  The  business  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  The  Swedish- American  Publishing  Company. 

At  this  time  most  Swedish-Americans  possessed  of  more  than  a 
common  school  education  were  affiliated  with  the  churches  and  denomi- 
national schools  as  ministers  and  teachers,  making  it  difficult  to  se- 
cure, first,  a  suitable  editor,  and  second,  the  support  of  the  more  in- 
telligent class  of  readers.  Herman  Roos  af  Hjelmsater,  a  young  Swed- 
ish nobleman,  employed  in  the  Chicago  office  of  the  Inman  Line,  was 
slated  for  the  position  of  editor,  he  being  a  forceful,  sometimes  even  a 
virulent  and  vitriolic  writer,  who  had  had  prior  experience  as  a  con- 
tributor to  some  of  the  daily  papers  in  Stockholm.  Yet  his  irregular 
habits  counted  against  him  so  that  the  company  decided  on  another 
man  for  the  position.  This  was  Hans  Mattson,  then  a  young  lawyer 
in  Minnesota.  He  was  editor  of  the  new  paper,  styled  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren,"  from  its  first  day,  Sept.  8,  1866,  to  Feb.  6,  1867. 
Mattson  was  little  more  than  nominal  editor,  but  he  commanded  re- 
spect, as  did  also  his  associates.  Many  liberal-minded  Swedish-Amer- 
icans gladly  supported  the  new  weekly,  which  at  once  became  a  for- 
midable opponent  of  "Hemlandet,"  the  mouthpiece  of  the  Augustana 


784  PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 

Synod.  There  was  continual  warfare  between  the  two  papers,  the 
principal  casus  belli  being  the  secret  societies.  Roos,  who  was  the  vir- 
tual editor  from  the  start  and  also  nominal  head  of  the  editorial  staff 
from  February,  1867,  to  December,  1869,  conducted  an  aggressive  cam- 
paign in  defense  of  the  fraternities  until  his  return  to  Sweden.  His 
place  was  then  filled  by  Peter  A.  Sundelius,  who  from  July,  1868,  to 
December,  1869,  had  been  editor  of  the  rival  newspaper,  "Hemlandet." 
Sundelius,  however,  hewed  closely  to  the  line  marked  out  by  his  prede- 
cessor. His  was  a  caustic  style,  and  despite  his  impaired  health  he  was 
a  forceful  and  able  journalist  whose  greatest  delight  was  to  fight  his 
opponents,  mostly  politicians  holding  views  different  from  his  own. 
He  was  editor  during  the  year  1870  and  again  from  September,  1871, 
to  April,  1873,  when  the  company  sold  out  to  Charles  J.  Stenquist,  a 
jeweler,  who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  "Nya  Svenska  Ameri- 
kanaren."  In  the  interregnum  from  January  to  August,  1871,  the  pa- 
per was  edited  by  A.  W.  Schalin. 

In  the  Chicago  fire  the  office  and  composing  room  of  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren "  were  destroyed.  Ten  weeks  later  the  almost  ruined 
company  resumed  publication,  issuing  a  smaller  sheet,  which  led  a 
struggling  existence  and  was  sold  to  Mr.  Stenquist.  He  was  publisher 
and  sole  proprietor  until  September,  1877,  when  he  disposed  of  the 
paper  to  Hans  Mattson,  who  shortly  afterward  acquired  stock  in  the 
Swedish  Publishing  Company,  transferred  the  paper  to  that  company, 
and  on  the  ruins  of  "Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren"  and  "Nya  Verl- 
den,"  of  Chicago,  and  "Skandia,"  of  Moline,  a  new  weekly  by  the 
name  of  "  Svenska  Tribunen"  was  built  up. 

"Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren"  was  edited  first  by  Magnus  Elm- 
blad,  a  poet  and  fluent,  imaginative  writer,  who  had  formerly  been 
assistant  on  "Hemlandet"  and  co-editor  of  "Skandia"  of  Moline  and 
"Nya  Verlden"  of  Chicago.  Pie  was  succeeded  by  Gottfried  Cronwall 
and  he  in  turn  by  A.  L.  G}rllenhaal,  in  April,  1874.  The  following 
September  Herman  Roos  upon  his  return  from  Sweden  was  appointed 
co-editor  with  Gyllenhaal.  The  two,  assisted  by  Elmblad,  edited  the 
paper  up  to  the  time  of  its  sale  to  Hans  Mattson. 

Hans   Mattson 

Except  for  a  brief  residence  in  Moline  shortly  after  immigrating, 
and  his  aforesaid  connection  with  the  first  "Svenska  Amerikanaren" 
and  later  with  "Svenska  Tribunen,"  Col.  Hans  Mattson  was  a  Minne- 
sota man  and  attained  great  prominence  in  that  state.  He  was  born  in 
Onnestad,  Skane,  Dec.  23,  1832,  educated  at  Kristianstad  and  was  in  the 
Swedish  military  service  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Having  emigrated  from 
Sweden  in  1851,  he  came  West  the  year  following  and  worked  as  a 


HANS    MATTSON 


785 


common  laborer  in  and  about  Galesburg,  Moline  and  neighboring 
places.  In  August,  1853,  he  headed  a  party  of  newcomers  who  went 
to  Minnesota  to  pick  out  suitable  land  for  a  Swedish  settlement.  They 
chose  a  tract  in  Goodhue  county,  and  Mattson  with  two  others  built 
the  first  dwelling  in  the  Vasa  settlement,  of  which  he  became  the 
founder.  Mattson  tried  farming  and  business,  then  studied  law  and 


Hans  Mattson 

was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  abandoned  legal  practice  for  the  office 
of  auditor  of  Goodhue  county.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
Mattson  organized  a  Scandinavian  company  which  took  the  field  in 
November,  1861.  In  April,  1863,  Mattson  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  colonel.  He  was  editor,  of  "Amerikanaren"  1866-67;  the  latter 
year  he  became  secretary  of  the  Immigration  Bureau  of  Minnesota,  was 
elected  Secretary  of  State  in  1869,  removed  with  his  family  to  Sweden 
before  the  term  expired  and  remained  there  as  representative  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railway  until  1876.  From  January,  1877,  to  May, 
1881,  he  published  "Minnesota  Stats  Tidning, "  a  Swedish  weekly. 


786  PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 

and  aided  in  the  establishment  of  ''Svenska  Tribunen"  in  Chicago  in 
1877.  being  a  director  of  the  publishing  company  until  1879.  In  June, 
1881,  Mattson  was  appointed  United  States  Consul  General  for  India 
by  President  Garfield  and  served  in  that  capacity  at  Calcutta  for 
about  two  years,  afterwards  accepting  a  position  as  manager  of  a  land 
company  in  New  Mexico.  He  was  again  elected  Secretary  of  State  in 
Minnesota  in  1887  and  served  four  years.  The  same  year  he  started  a 
bank  in  Minneapolis  and  two  years  later  established  "The  North,"  a 
newspaper  in  the  English  language,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
Scandinavians.  Col.  Hans  Mattson  died  March  5,  1893.  Two  years 
prior  he  published  his  memoirs  in  two  languages,  the  English  edition 
bearing  the  title,  "The  Story  of  an  Emigrant,"  the  Swedish,  "Min- 
nen." 

Herman   Roos 

One  of  the  pioneers  in  Swedish- American  journalism  was  Herman 
Roos  (af  Hjelmsater.)  As  the  scion  of  a  noble  family  in  Sweden,  he 
obtained  a  university  education,  and  thus  prepared  he  ought  to  have 
made  a  successful  career  in  his  native  country,  but  for  the  fact  that  in 
some  way,  never  revealed  even  to  his  intimates,  he  had  closed  to  him- 
self the  door  of  opportunity.  He  turned  up  in  Chicago  shortly  after 
the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  in  which  he  fought.  He  was  one  of  the  un- 
assimilative  class  of  Swedish  immigrants  who  never  learn  the  language 
of  the  land  or  take  an y  real  interest  in  things  American,  but  are  con- 
tent to  flock  by  themselves  in  little  ultra  Swedish  circles,  hardly  mer- 
iting the  name  of  Swedish-Americans.  When  Col.  Hans  Mattson  re- 
tired from  the  editorship  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren,"  Roos  became 
his  successor.  Opinions  differ  as  to  whether  he  was  a  man  of  more  than 
average  talent.  He  was  not  a  studious  man  and  lacked  that  interest  in 
the  living  issues  of  the  day,  which,  coupled  with  his  undeniable  ability 
to  wield  the  pen,  might  have  made  him  a  journalist  of  the  highest  rank. 
The  popularity  he  attained  rested  mainly  on  the  attitude  the  paper 
assumed  versus  "Hemlandet."  Among  the  anti-church  element  this 
paper,  being  partly  of  a  religious  character,  was  held  to  be  the  organ 
of  ignorance  and  bigotry.  When  it  trained  its  guns  on  the  new  liberal 
organ,  Roos  got  a  splendid  opportunity  to  pose  as  the  defender  of  free 
thought  —  or,  as  he  put  it,  the  right  to  your  own  views,  whether  right 
or  wrong.  In  the  wordy  war  that  raged  between  the  representatives 
of  the  two  factions.  Roos  gained  a  number  of  polemical  triumphs  and 
came  to  be  looked  upon  'by  many  as  the  foremost  champion  of  liberalism 
among  the  Swedish  people  in  the  West.  But  the  part  he  played  was 
not  natural  to  him.  While  he  fought  for  liberalism  and  human  rights 
in  the  abstract,  he  always  remained  the  born  aristocrat.  In  his  lowly 


HERMAN   ROOS  787 

editorial  chair  he  had  the  same  high  regard  for  the  traditions  and  pre- 
rogatives of  the  nobility  as  if  he  had  held  a  seat  in  some  feudal  house 
of  lords.  His  aristocratic  sentiments  were  skillfully  concealed  under 
the  cloak  of  democracy,  and  it  was  less  from  choice  than  by  force  of 
circumstances  that  he  became  the  spokesman  for  popular  views. 

After  a  few  -years  Roos  tired  of  his  editorial  duties  and  returned 


Herman  Roos 

to  his  old  home  in  Goteborg.  His  fair  editorial  salary  appears  to  have 
been  inadequate  to  the  demand  made  by  his  habits  and  appetites.  In 
1873  he  returned.  HOAV  more  than  ever  enslaved  by  the  drink  habit. 
Securing  a  position  with  ''Nya  Verlden,"  he  did  editorial  work  at  in- 
tervals between  frequent  rampages,  in  which  all  sense  of  duty  and 
moral  responsibility  was  drowned  in  the  flowing  bowl. 

He  now  worked  on  "Xya  Verlden"  and  later  on  the  new  "Sven- 
ska  Amerikanaren"  for  upwards  of  seven  years.  To  a  biographer  who 
met  Roos  for  the  last  time  just  before  New  Year's,  1880,  his  last  words 


788  PRESvS   AND    LITERATURE 

were,  "Do  you  know,  I  am  tired  of  life."  A  few  days  afterward  it  was 
reported  that  Koos  had  disappeared.  On  Jan.  2nd  his  dead  body  was 
found  on  a  railway  track  within  the  city,  mangled  by  the  wheels  of  a 
passing  train.  Whether  his  death  was  accidental  or  self-inflicted,  no 
one  knows.  At  the  funeral  of  the  agnostic,  Captain  Lange,  a  brother 
agnostic,  officiated,  and  no  clergyman  was  present.  While  tabooing 
the  Christian  service,  Lange  nevertheless  felt  constrained  to  use 
the  formula  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  but  in  the  following 
corrupted  form :  "Of  earth  thou  art  come ;  to  earth  thou  returnest ; 
if  there  be  a  God,  He  shall  resurrect  thee  on  the  last  day. ' ' 

Herman  Roos,  although  a  champion  of  liberal  views,  was  intoler- 
ant with  respect  to  the  opinions  of  others,  and  was  himself  without 
any  pronounced  beliefs.  He  was  a  formidable  opponent,  whether  in  a 
polemical  skirmish  over  personal  matters,  or  a  sustained  campaign  in 
defense  of  some  general  cause.  While  overestimated  by  his  admirers 
and  underrated  by  his  antagonists,  Roos  cannot  justly  be  denied  a  place 
of  prominence  among  Swedish-American  journalists,  earned  by  him  as 
one  of  the  frontier  fighters  in  the  struggle  for  an  unbiased  press  and 
an  untrammeled  public  opinion. 

Peter    A.   Sundelius 

Peter  A.  Sundelius,  one  of  the  veteran  Swedish  newspaper  men  in 
the  United  States,  was  born  at  Uddevalla,  Sweden,  in  1839  or  1840; 
studied  in  Uddevalla  and  Goteborg;  spent  several  months  traveling 
in  Denmark,  Germany  and  Great  Britain ;  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1864, 
and  at  once  enlisted  in  the  Union  army.  The  following  spring,  in  the 
battle  of  Petersburg,  he  received  a  bullet  wound  from  which  he  did  not 
recover  for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  the  late  fall  of  1866  he  came  to 
Chicago  and  passed  the  winter  teaching.  The  next  fall  he  went  to 
Augustana  College,  at  Paxton,  where  he  taught  classes  for  two  years 
while  studying  theology  himself. 

In  July,  1868,  Sundelius  entered  upon  his  journalistic  career.  He 
was  editor  of  "Hemlandet"  from  July,  1868,  to  December,  1869;  of  the 
first  "Svenska  Amerikanaren, "  its  bitter  rival,  in  1870,  and  from 
September,  1871,  to  April,  1873,  and  of  "Nya  Verlden"  from  February 
to  April,  1871.  After  four  years  in  the  U.  S.  internal  revenue  office 
and  seven  in  the  recorder's  office,  Sundelius,  with  C.  F.  Peterson,  G. 
Hjertquist  and  N.  P.  Nelson  as  partners,  purchased  the  second  "Sven- 
ska  Amerikanaren"  and  was  one  of  its  editors  up  to  May,  1888,  when 
he  sold  his  interest  to  F.  A.  Lindstrand. 

In  1884  Sundelius  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  and  served 
for  three  terms.  His  most  noted  achievement  as  a  legislator  was  the 
framing  of  the  compulsory  education  bill.  During  his  last  years  Sunde 


SUNDELIUS— ELMBLAD 


789 


lius  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk.    He  died  in  Chicago, 
Feb.  18,  1896. 

The  bullet  which  Sundelius  received  in  battle  was  never  removed, 
but  caused  him  constant  discomfort  and  pain.  The  acerbity  that  char- 
acterized the  products  of  his  pen,  which  otherwise  were  models  of  style 
and  cogency,  doubtless  was  due  to  the  same  cause.  Sundelius  was  the 


Peter  A.  Sundelius 

first  Swedish  political  writer  to  master  the  subject  of  American  politics, 
local  and  national. 

Magnus   E-lmblad 

Magnus  Elmblad  was  recognized  while  in  the  United  States  as  the 
foremost  poet  among  the  Swedish-Americans,  others  having  at- 
tained to  the  same  high  rank  only  in  later  years.  Elmblad 's  author- 
ship, however,  was  not  characteristically  Swedish-American.  He  was 


790 


PRESS   AND     LITERATURE 


educated  in  Sweden  and  there  began  his  career  as  a  writer  and  poet. 
He  was  therefore  essentially  a  product  of  that  country.  His  writings 
bear  but  faint,  if  any,  evidence  that  the  author  was  impressed  with 
American  life  and  conditions.  His  poetry  touches  both  extremes  of 
idealism  and  realism. 

Although  remembered  chiefly  as  a  poet,  Elmblad's  thirteen  years 
in  the  United  States  were  devoted  mainly  to  journalism.  Coming  to 
Chicago  in  the  fall  of  1871,  while  the  fire-swept  city  was  still  a  charred 
ruin,  he  soon  obtained  employment  in  the  Swedish  weekly  press  and 
was  in  its  service  until  188-4.  His  genius  was  of  the  errant  type.  He 


Magnus     Elmblad 

wrote  mostly  according  to  his  own  whims  and  fancies,  and  the  poetical 
contributions  were  by  far  his  best. 

Elmblad  was  a  versatile  writer  and  his  pen  was  phenomenally 
productive  and  fluent.  In  six  hours  he  is  said  to  have  composed 
"Gunnar  och  Anna,"  a  lengthy  epic  poem  of  decided  merit.  His  verse 
is  characterized  by  ease  and  fluency  of  rhyme  and  rythm,  lucidity  and 
beauty  of  thought  and  elegance  of  diction.  He  was  master  of  the  art 
of  translation,  a  sharp  satirist  and  a  highly  entertaining  commentator 
of  passing  events. 

Besides  some  five  hundred  lyric  poems  and  bits  of  light  verse, 
Elmblad  wrote  a  number  of  stories  and  sketches,  a  play  which  was 
produced  on  a  Chicago  scene,  five  epic  poems,  "Allan  Roini,"  "Azil- 


ELMBLAD— TRIBl'N  KX 


791 


la,"  "Kristina  Nilsson,"  "Pehr  Thomasson"  and  the  aforementioned 
"Gunnar  and  Anna" — the  first-named  having  been  awarded  a  prize 
by  the  Swedish  Academy.  He  translated  "Brand,"  by  Ibsen,  and  a 
number  of  American  poems.  A  volume  of  patriotic  songs  by  Elmblad 
was  published  in  Sweden  in  1871;  Ibsen's  "Brand"  and  a  translation 
of  Kristofer  Janson's  "Han  och  Hon"  were  published  the  same  year. 
A  second  volume  of  verse  was  published  in  Sweden  in  1887.  In  this 
country  two  books  of  verse  by  Elmblad  have  been  published,  one  in 
1875,  reprinted  in  1890,, simultaneously  with  a  second  collection. 

Magnus  Henrik  Elmblad  was  born  Sept.  12,  1848,  at  Herrestad, 
Smaland,  the  son  of  a  country  parson  named  P.  M.  Elmblad,  who  after- 
ward became  lector,  or  professor,  at  the  Stockholm  Gymnasium.  He 
had  a  college  and  university  education  when  he  came  to  this  country 
in  1871.  Here  he  was  employed  first  on  "Hemlandet,"  then,  in  1873, 
became  associate  editor  of  "Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren;"  edited 
"Vart  Nya  Hem,"  published  at  Kearney,  Neb.,  during  the  early  months 
of  1877;  was  subsequently  editor  of  "Skandia"  in  Moline  up  to  April, 
1878,  and  soon  after  became  associate  editor  of  "Svenska  Amerikana- 
ren," a  position  retained  by  him  until  he  left  for  Sweden  in  1884. 
There  he  was  a  free  lance  contributor  to  various  journals  and  period- 
icals until  his  death,  April  9,  1888. 

SvensKa   Tribun.en 

On  January  4,  1869,  Eric  Johnson,  son  of  the  founder  of  the  Bishop 
Hill  colony,  started  a  newspaper  at  Galva,  entitled  "The  Illinois 
Swede."  It  was  printed  in  both  English  and  Swedish.  The  salutatory 
said  in  part :  "The  idea  of  a  weekly  journal  printed  in  both  languages, 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  50,000  Swedes  residing  in  Illinois,  has 
been  the  subject  of  our  thought  for  a  dumber  of  years,  and  now  we  re- 
joice that  it  is  to  be  a  reality.  The  establishment  of  an  organ  for  the 
Swedish  population  of  Illinois,  printed  mainly  in  the  English  language, 
is  the  forerunner  of  the  true  Americanization  of  this  class  of  our  citi- 
zens, and  to  that  end  will  our  efforts  be  directed.  We  shall  strive  to 
make  foreign  and  native  born  citizens  better  acquainted.  Our  adopted 
Country,  first  and  last,  is  our  motto." 

At  this  time  Eric  Johnson  was  publishing  two  other  papers,  the 
^ Galva  Republican"  and  the  "Altona  Mirror."  Finding  that  he  had 
undertaken  a  bigger  job  than  he  could  well  attend  to  alone,  he  in  July 
1869  took  in  Andrew  Chaiser  as  a  partner.  Chaiser  brought  no  capital 
into  the  business,  but  he  was  a  practical  printer.  In  August,  1870,  the 
firm  was  still  further  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  C.  F.  Peterson, 
whose  only  capital  was  his  ability  as  a  wrriter.  In  November  of  that 
year  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  "Nya  Verlden."  The  pa- 


792 


PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 


per  was  now  published  exclusively  in  the  Swedish  language,  the  two- 
language  hobby  of  Mr.  Johnson  having  been  overruled  by  his  two  part- 
ners. It  was  also  at  their  suggestion  that  the  paper  was  moved  to  Chi- 
cago in  January,  1871.  In  Chicago  "Nya  Verlden"  met  with  a  favor- 
able reception.  P.  A.  Sundelius,  a  journalist  of  experience  and  recog- 
nized ability,  became  associated  with  Mr.  Peterson  in  the  editorial 
management.  Sundelius,  by  his  sharp  and  caustic  pen,  got  the  paper 
involved  in  two  libel  suits  for  $25,000  each,  and  the  two  editors  were 
arrested  until  released  on  bonds.  Having  been  involved  in  expensive 
law  suits  through  no  fault  of  his  own,  Johnson  decided  to  sever  his  con- 
nection with  "Nya  Verlden"  and  transferred  his  interest  to  Andrew 
Chaiser. 

In  the  matter  of  policy  "Nya  Verlden"  steered  its  course  between 
two  extremes,  viz.,  "Gamla  och  Nya  Hemlandet, "  the  Lutheran  Church 
paper,  on  the  one  side,  and  "Svenska  Amerikanaren, "  which  was  any- 
thing but  friendly  to  the  church,  on  the  other.  With  the  exception  of 
' '  Sandebudet, "  the  organ  of  the  Methodists,  these  papers  were  its 
only  competitors. 

After  the  great  fire  of  1871,  when  all  the  Swedish  newspaper 
offices  were  destroyed,  "Nya  Verlden"  was  removed  to  Galesburg 
where  it  was  issued  within  the  week.  It  was  moved  back  to  Chicago 
in  March,  1872.  The  proprietors  remained  the  same,  Mr.  Chaiser  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  business  and  Mr.  Peterson  of  the  editorial  office.  In 
the  spring  of  1873  Frank  A.  Anderson,  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Chaiser, 
was  admitted  to  partnership,  and  Herman  Roos  (af  Hjelmsater), 
who  was  formerly  associated  with  Col.  Hans  Mattson  in  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren,"  became  associate  editor. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1876  "Nya  Verlden"  was  turned  over  to  a 
corporation  known  as  the  Swedish  Publishing  Company,  with  Frank 
Anderson  as  president  and  Chaiser  and  Peterson  as  the  other  main 
stockholders.  The  following  year  Col.  Mattson  became  a  member  of 
the  company.  He  was  the  first  editor  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren," 
and  the  company  now  purchased  this  paper  from  its  owner,  Mr.  Sten- 
quist,  and  consolidated  it  with  "Nya  Verlden"  under  the  new  name  of 
"Svenska  Tribunen."  In  1878  two  small  papers,  "Skandia"  of  Moline 
and  "Nya  Folkets  Tidning,"  were  absorbed.  The  fact  that  another 
newspaper  has  been  published  ever  since  under  the  name  of  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren"  is  explained  in  this  way,  that  the  company  neglected 
to  subjoin  the  old  names  to  the  new  one  by  way  of  protection  against 
infringement  of  their  proprietary  rights.  The  opportunity  was  quickly 
grasped  by  Nils  Anderson  and  Herman  Roos,  who  had  started  a  new 
paper  that  same  year,  and  they  forthwith  changed  the  name  of  their 
publication  from  "Svenska  Posten"  to  "Svenska  Amerikanaren." 


SVENSKA   TRIBUNEN 


793 


In  1880  Col.  Mattson  sold  his  stock  in  "Svenska  Tribunen"  to 
Carl  Gustaf  Linderborg,  who  thus  acquired  practically  a  half  interest 
in  the  paper,  Chaiser  retaining  the  other  half.  Without  breaking  with 
the  former  views  and  policies  of  the  paper,  Linderborg  made  dominant 
the  principles  of  liberalism,  religious  tolerance  and  political  indepen- 
dence with  Republican  tendencies.  Its  political  color  was  rather  vari- 
egated, for  while  Republican  candidates  were  generally  supported,  most 
of  the  editorials  were  written  by  C.  F.  Peterson,  who  was  a  Greeley 
man  in  1872,  continuing  independent  after  that ;  furthermore,  P.  P. 


Clark    and    Kinzie   streets,  where  "Tribunen,"   "Fosterlandet,"   "Hemlandet" 
"Kuriren"  once  centered,  the  last  two  still  retaining  the  location 


and 


Svenson,  a  good  writer  and  an  astute  Democrat,  defended  in  its  col- 
umns the  Democratic  doctrine  of  state  sovereignty. 

Linderborg  exercised  editorial  supervision  as  long  as  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  paper.  He  is  said  to  have  combined  diplomacy  and 
literary  judgment  with  good  business  sense,  with  the  result  that  the 
paper  gained  friends  and  prospered  in  a  higher  degree  than  ever  be- 
fore or  after.  Among  his  editorial  associates  from  time  to  time  were 
Magnus  Lunnow,  afterwards  for  many  years  editor  of  "Svenska  Fol- 
kets  Tidning,"  of  Minneapolis;  Ernst  Skarstedt,  now  well  known  as 
an  author,  poet  and  essayist ;  Carl  Anton  Mellander,  who  afterward  be- 
came editor-in-chief;  Herman  Lennmalm,  who  later  turned  to  dental 
surgery;  Valdemar  Torsell,  a  capable  local  news  writer,  and  Ernst 
Lindblom. 


794  PRESS    AND   LITERATURE 

Owing  to  ill  health,  Linderborg  sold  out  to  his  business  partner  in 
September,  1890,  and  retired  to  private  life,  having  accumulated  in 
ten  years  of  journalism  a  modest  fortune. 

In  January,  1891,  Anders  Leonard  Gyllenhaal,  for  seventeen  years 
a  member  of  the  editorial  staff  of  "Hemlandet,"  took  the  place  made 
vacant  by  Ernst  Lindblom's  departure  for  Sweden.  The  staff  now 
consisted  of  Mellander,  chief  editor,  Mannow,  Lennmalm  and  Gyllen- 
haal,  associate  editors,  besides  special  correspondents  and  contributors, 
such  as  Jenny  Braun,  the  novelist,  and  Anderson-Edenberg,  in  Sweden, 
and,  in  this  country,  Konni  Zilliacus,  Johan  Person  and  Harald  Beck- 
strom.  Shortly  after  the  World's  Fair,  Mellander  died  and  wras  suc- 
ceeded by  Gyllenhaal. 

At  the  end  of  the  century  Chaiser  passed  away  and  C.  F.  Peterson 
was  appointed  administrator  of  the  estate.  This  included  the  manage- 
ment of  the  newspaper  until  the  plant  was  sold  in  August,  1900,  to 
John  E.  Norling,  P.  0.  Norling  and  Samuel  E.  Carlsson.  The  chief 
editorship,  temporarily  assumed  by  Mr.  Peterson,  was  now  entrusted  to 
Ernst  W.  Olson,  former  stockholder  and  editor  of  "Fosterlandet," 
with  Messrs.  Gyllenhaal  and  P.  C.  Pearson  as  his  associates.  Later,  An- 
ders Tofft  was  added  to  the  staff.  Mr.  Pearson  had  been  connected  with 
"Fosterlandet"  from  its  inception,  most  of  the  time  as  editor-in-chief, 
and  Mr.  Tofft  had  previously  worked  on  Swedish  newspapers  in  Min- 
nesota. In  the  autumn  of  1901  Mr.  Norling  became  sole  proprietor  of 
"Svenska  Tribunen, "  and  continued  as  its  publisher  until  May,  1905, 
when  the  paper  was  sold  to  C.  F.  Erikson,  late  advertising  manager,  of 
"Svenska  Nyheter."  One  year  later  "Svenska  Tribunen"  was  consol- 
idated with  "Svenska  Nyheter,"  a  weekly  published  by  Gus  Broberg. 
The  combination  was  named  "Svenska  Tribunen-Nyheter. "  After  a 
few  months  Mr.  Broberg  withdrew  from  the  partnership,  having  sold 
his  half  interest  to  Mr.  Erikson. 

Mr.  Norling  had  kept  the  paper  Republican,  even  at  the  sacrifice 
of  his  personal  views,  which  for  a  number  of  years  had  been  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  democracy,  and  was  entirely  in  accord  with  the  editors 
in  this  matter.  His  successor,  who  held  radical  views,  attempted  to 
make  a  gradual  change  in  its  politics,  but  had  no  success,  so  long  as 
either  Mr.  Olson  or  Mr.  Gyllenhaal  remained  as  editorial  writers. 
Their  positions  on  the  staff  were  reversed  shortly  after  the  change  in 
ownership,  Mr.  Gyllenhaal  being  again  made  editor-in-chief.  His  phys- 
ical powers  had  been  undermined  by  an  illness  of  several  years'  dura- 
tion, and  on  October  17,  1905,  he  succumbed  to  heart  disease.  One 
month  later  Mr.  Olson  left  his  position.  With  temporary  assistants 
Mr.  Tofft  edited  the  paper  until  the  following  spring,  when  Carl  G. 
Norman,  editor  of  "Svea,"  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  was  engaged. 


ERIC   JOHNSON  795 

Among  the  premium  books  employed  to  swell  the  circulation  of 
"Svenska  Tribunen"  are  found  the  following  works,  of  which  the  pub- 
lishers put  out  their  own  editions:  "Bibliotek  for  allmanbildning;" 
"Fran  var  Konstverld;"  "Nittonde  Arhundradet, "  by  0.  H.  Dumrath, 
three  volumes  in  two;  " Kunskapernas  Skattkammare"  by  Trumbull 
White,  Swedish  edition  revised  and  augmented,  and  a  book  of  views 
of  Sweden. 

Eric   Johnson 

Of  Swedish- American  newspaper  men,  few,  if  any,  have  had  so 
varied  a  career  as  Captain  Eric  Johnson.  With  him  publishing  has 
been  a  sort  of  intermittent  fever,  he  having  been  sole  or  joint  proprietor 
of  no  less  than  half  a  score  of  newspapers  at  different  periods.  In  the 
intervals  he  has  been  engaged  in  various  private  pursuits  or  in  public 
life. 

The  son  of  the  founder  of  the  religious  community  of  Bishop  Hill. 
Eric  Johnson  was  born  in  Vestmanland,  Sweden,  July  15,  1838,  eight 
years  before  the  beginning  of  the  exodus  of  his  father's  adherents, 
the  Erik  Janssonists,  to  the  United  States.  The  family  left  Sweden  in 
January,  1846,  going  via  Christiania,  Copenhagen,  Kiel,  Hamburg. 
Hull  and  Liverpool,  to  New  York,  where  they  arrived  in  the  early 
spring  and  remained  several  months  before  proceeding  to  Victoria.  111. 
The  first  houses  in  Bishop  Hill  completed,  the  family  located  there  in 
September.  The  boy's  early  schooling  was  limited  to  the  instruction 
received  from  S.  B.  Randall,  wrho  taught  in  the  colony  in  1854. 

When  the  Bishop  Hill  colony  corporation  was  dissolved  in  1861, 
Eric  Johnson  began  to  cultivate  the  eleven  acres  of  land  allotted  to 
him,  together  with  some  rented  land.  On  Sept.  16th  of  the  same  year 
he  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  army,  and  was  chosen  lieutenant  at  the 
organization  of  Company  D,  57th  111.  Regiment.  After  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  was  promoted  captain  of  the  company,  which  was  composed 
entirely  of  Swedes.  During  the  siege  of  Corinth  in  the  summer  of 
1862  Captain  Johnson  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever  and  at  the 
advice  of  the  army  surgeon  he  resigned  and  returned  North.  In  1864 
he  was  induced  by  the  Republican  leaders  at  Galva  to  become  editor 
and  publisher  of  the  Galva  "Union."  The  venture  was  new  to  him  and 
a  year  of  that  work  was  enough,  but  in  1868  he  was  again  attracted  to 
the  newspaper  field,  assuming  the  editorship  of  the  Altona  "Mirror." 
After  the  election  he  became  owner  of  the  Galva  "Union,"  which  name 
was  changed  to  "Republican."  His  connection  with  the  "Illinois 
Swede"  and  "Nya  Verlden"  has  been  shown. 

In  January,  1871,  Johnson  was  made  journal  clerk  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  at  Springfield,  serving  during  the  regular  session  and 


796  PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 

also  the  called  session  just  following  the  Chicago  fire  and  the  adjourned 
session  early  in  1872.  The  year  after,  he  engaged  in  mercantile  and 
land  business  at  White  City,  Kans.,  but  failed  after  three  years,  owing 
to  drought  and  grasshoppers,  and  returned  to  Illinois,  starting  in  busi- 
ness anew  at  Nekoma,  as  a  hardware  and  lumber  dealer. 

In  1879  he  was  engaged  in  gathering  material  for  "Svenskarne  i 
Illinois" — a  book  published  by  him  and  C.  F.  Peterson.  The  same 
year,  in  partnership  with  Joseph  E.  Osborn,  Johnson  began  publishing 
"The  Citizen,"  a  weekly  paper  at  Galva  and  later  at  Moline,  but  sold 
his  interest  to  his  partner  in  1882,  following  a  disagreement  as  to  the 
political  policy  of  the  paper.  Next  Captain  Johnson  held  a  position  in 
the  war  department  at  Washington,  resigning  which  he  became 
editor  of  "The  Republican"  at  Stromsburg,  Neb.,  for  one  year,  and 
subsequently  was  in  the  newspaper  business  at  Holdrege,  Neb.,  until 
1891.  While  there  he  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly  in  1888,  be- 
ing the  only  Independent  in  that  legislature.  In  1891  he  was  made  chief 
clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  was  reelected  unanimously 
two  years  later. 

After  having  been  operating  in  Texas  lands  for  a  time.  Captain 
Johnson  in  1896  became  the  editor  of  the  "Saunders  County  New  Era," 
established  1890  at  Wahoo,  Neb.,  as  a  Populist  paper.  With  the  subsid- 
ence of  that  movement  the  paper  lost  prestige,  turned  Republican  and- 
was  continued  by  Capt.  Johnson  until  the  spring  of  1906,  when  he 
suspended  publication  of  the  paper  and  sold  the  plant.  His  next,  and 
last,  venture  in  journalism  was  "The  Viking,"  a  Swedish-American 
monthly  in  the  English  language,  published  at  Fremont,  Neb.,  from 
July,  1906,  to  August,  1907,  when  lack  of  support  prompted  its  dis- 
continuance. Capt.  Johnson  in  October,  1907,  removed  to  Clearwater, 
Cal.,  his  present  place  of  residence. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  Jan.  31,  1863,  to  Mary  Octavia  Troil,  who 
died  in  1890.  Of  their  eight  children  three  are  living,  viz.,  Axel  T., 
of  St.  Louis,  Julia  C.,  of  Omaha,  and  Ernest  G.,  publisher  of  the  "Lind- 
say (Neb.)  Opinion."  A  son,  Sixtus  Erik,  died  in  the  Spanish- Ameri- 
can War.  On  July  15,  1902,  Mr.  Johnson  married  his  second  wife, 
Georgia  A.  Tillinghast,  who  has  aided  him  in  his  recent  editorial  work. 

Andrew    Chaiser 

Andrew  Chaiser  had  a  pecuniary  interest  in  "The  Illinois  Swede 
— Nya  Verlden — Svenska  Tribunen"  from  1869  and  was  its  sole  owner 
from  1890  until  his  death  in  1899.  Chaiser  was  born  in  Balinge 
parish,  Upland,  Sweden,  Aug.  5,  1841.  His  father,  who  had  served  in 
the  Upland  Dragoons,  emigrated  in  1850  and  joined  the  Erik  Jansson 
colony  at  Bishop  Hill.  He  worked  for  three  years,  1855-58,  in  the 


CHAISER— PETERSON 


797 


colony's  newspaper  office  at  Galva,  and  in  1869  associated  himself  with 
Captain  Eric  Johnson  in  publishing  the  "Illinois  Swede"  at  that  place. 
After  the  paper  was  removed  to  Chicago  and  converted  into  the  all- 
Swedish  weekly  "Nya  Verlden,"  Chaiser  was  one  of  the  several  men 
who  took  the  paper  through  the  financial  crisis  in  the  seventies.  In 
the  eighties  he  and  Linderborg  as  joint  proprietors  of  the  paper,  now 
"Svenska  Tribunen,"  pushed  it  ahead  until  it  outdistanced  all  its  com- 
petitors. After  Chaiser  had  become  sole  owner  in  1890  he  soon  had 
to  pilot  the  enterprise  through  the  financial  straits  of  1893  and  follow- 


Andrew  Chaiser 

ing  years.  In  this  he  succeeded,  but  in  the  last  few  years  before  his 
death  the  enterprise  seems  to  have  suffered  through  lack  of  vigilance 
in  the  management.  Mr.  Chaiser  was  a  public-spirited  man  and  had  the 
interests  of  his  countrymen  at  heart.  The  credit  for  the  erection  of 
the  Linne  monument  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago,  is  due  in  a  large  meas- 
ure to  his  energetic  work  in  securing  the  needed  funds.  His  death 
occurred  March  31,  1899. 

Carl   FredriK   Peterson 

Carl  Fredrik  Peterson  was  born  at  Fittja,  Sodermanland,  Sweden, 
April  16,  1843.  His  parents  were  poor  and  could  afford  him  but  little 
schooling.  The  boy  was  sent  to  relatives  in  Falun  at  an  early  age,  and 
there  worked  as  a  dyer's  apprentice.  As  a  young  man  of  eighteen  he 
emigrated  to  the  United  States.  Intending  to  fight  for  the  liberation 
of  the  slaves,  the  newcomer  enlisted,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of 


798 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


nearsightedness  after  having  had  but  a  taste  of  camp  life.  He  then 
joined  the  crew  on  a  Mississippi  steamer  plying  between  St.  Louis  and 
New  Orleans.  After  that  he  worked  successively  as  section  hand  on  the 
railroad,  wood-cutter,  farm  laborer  and  factory  hand.  His  desire  for 
knowledge  caused  him  to  improve  every  opportunity  to  repair  the 
defects  in  his  education. 

In  January,  1870,  he  became  editor  of  ''Minnesota  Tidning"  at  St. 
Paul,  Minn.  With  that  he  entered  upon  the  journalistic  and  literary 
career  which  he  subsequently  followed  through  life.  He  left  this 
paper  in  May  of  the  same  year  and  in  August  assumed  the  editorship 
of  "The  Illinois  Swede,"  published  at  Galva,  111.  Peterson  remained 
with  the  paper  through  various  changes  until  1880,  as  editor-in-chief, 


Carl  Fredrik  Peterson 

and  continued  another  four  years  as  associate  editor.  Then  he  \vent 
over  to  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  and  was  until  1888  editor  and  part 
owner  of  that  paper.  After  that  he  edited  "Svea,"  a  newspaper 
which  ceased  publication  in  1889.  For  a  short  period  in  1890-91  a 
Swedish  daily  newspaper  was  published  in  Chicago,  with  Mr.  Peterson 
at  the  head  of  the  editorial  department.  When  this  venture  failed 
he  devoted  himself  for  a  number  of  years  to  independent  literary  work, 
producing  several  volumes  on  historical,  political  and  kindred  topics. 
As  administrator  of  the  estate  of  his  old  friend  and  partner,  Andrew 
Chaiser,  Peterson  was  in  1899  called  back  to  the  field  of  journalism  and 
for  a  time  directed  both  the  business  and  the  editorial  policy  of  the  pa- 
per. In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1901  he  edited  "National-Tidningen." 
Its  existence  was  cut  short  in  April,  when  Mr.  Peterson  was  stricken 
with  an  illness  that  ended  his  life  June  llth  following. 

Up  to  1885  Peterson  was  a  Republican,  with  independent  tenden- 
cies. That  year  he  embraced  the  tenets  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
later,  when  populism  was  at  its  flood-tide,  accepted  its  political  doc- 


CARL    FREDRIK    PETERSON  799 

trines,  and  he  in  turn  championed  these  various  views  with  a  vigor 
that  seemed  born  of  long  established  conviction.  Never  a  strong  par- 
tisan, he  could  do*  this  without  much  readjustment  of  his  own  posi- 
tion. It  is  admitted  that  his  political  articles  were  characterized  by  a 
depth  and  thoroughness  seldom  if  ever  found  in  the  work  of  other 
Swedish-American  journalists. 

Being  of  a  speculative  bend,  Peterson  gave  a  great  deal  of  thought 
to  the  higher  problems  of  this  and  the  future  life,  and  his  views  were 
freely  expressed  in  the  press  and  on  the  platform.  A  biographer  has 
said  of  him  that  he  was  "by  far  a  greater  poet  than  thinker,  and  a 
greater  orator  than  poet" — an  estimate  probably  based  on  the  fact 
that  his  mind  was  not  free  from  bias  and  the  trammels  of  various  -isms, 
including  spiritualism,  with  all  its  accessories  of  slate-writing,  mater- 
ialization, etc.  Astrology  was  a  real  science  to  his  mind  and  he  faith- 
fully believed  in  it.  As  a  public  speaker  and  a  poet,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
moved  in  a  freer  atmosphere,  bounded  only  by  the  limitations  of  his 
fertile  brain  and  a  vivid  imagination.  Peterson  handled  English 
with  almost  as  great  fluency  as  his  mother  tongue,  and  translated  a 
large  number  of  the  best  Swedish  poems  into  English. 

The  published  works  of  0.  F.  Peterson  are:  "Svenskarne  i  Illi- 
nois," edited  in  collaboration  with  Eric  Johnson;  "Forenta  Staternas 
Historia,"  which  has  been  translated  into  Norwegian  and  Finnish  and 
used  as  a  text-book  in  schools;  "Republiken  och  dess  Institutioner;" 
"Amerikanska  Valtalare;"  "Karlek  och  Pligt,"  a  novel;  "Larobok  i 
Geografi;"  "Ett  Hundra  Ar, "  a  recapitulation  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury; "Politisk  Handbok;"  "Sverige  i  Amerika,"  besides  contribu- 
tions to  Swedish  periodicals  and  magazines.  Among  his  unpublished 
works  may  be  mentioned  a  "History  of  Sweden"  in  the  English  lan- 
guage; about  one  hundred  Swedish  poems  translated  into  English;  a 
number  of  original  essays  and  translations  on  philosophical,  political 
and  economic  questions;  a  work  on  the  various  doctrines  and  views 
on  the  future  life ;  a  collection  of  Swedish- American  short  stories ; 
lectures  on  religio-philosophical  subjects;  a  work  on  the  occult  phase 
of  science,  and  the  first  chapters  of  a  novel  dealing  with  Swedish- 
American  labor  conditions. 

Self-taught  as  he  was,  Peterson  attained  a  remarkably  high  intel- 
lectual development  and  his  name  will  be  written  large  in  the  annals  of 
his  fellow  countrymen.  Yet,  with  a  better  start,  and  under  more  favor- 
able conditions,  his  unusual  talents  ought  to  have  made  him  still  more 
noted  and  influential. 


8oo 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


Carl  Gustaf  Linderborg' 

Carl  Gustaf  Linderborg,  who  directed  the  policy  of  "Tribunen" 
from  1880  to  1890,  when  he  sold  his  interest  and  retired,  was  a  news- 
paper man  of  extraordinary  ability.  True,  he  wrote  very  little,  if  any- 
thing, for  the  paper,  but  he  knew  so  well  wherewith  to  fill  its  columns, 
that  under  his  regime  "Tribunen"  attained  phenomenal  financial  suc- 
cess, purely  on  the  strength  of  its  high  standard.  He  chose  to  rely  on 
the  merit  of  the  paper  alone,  scorning  to  increase  its  revenues  by  means 
of  the  questionable  and  dishonest  advertisements  only  too  common  to 
the  press.  If  his  paper  was  open  to  criticism  it  was  for  over-cautious- 
ness. Far  from  fearless  and  outspoken,  it  was  extremely  guarded 
in  tone,  lest  any  reader  should  take  offense.  This  policy,  however, 


Carl  Gustaf  Linderborg 

proved  benevolent  in  the  main,  and  Linderborg  is  given  credit  for  great- 
er ability  than  any  other  Swedish-American  publisher  in  increasing 
the  circulation  and  profits  of  his  paper  without  sacrificing  its  repu- 
tation. 

Linderborg  was  born  March  26,  1844,  in  Skelleftea,  Sweden.  Hav- 
ing gone  through  college,  he  taught  in  Sweden  publicly  and  privately 
for  three  years  and  spent  one  year  at  the  University  of  Helsingfors, 
Finland.  He  came  over  to  this  country  in  1867,  and  taught  at  Augusta- 
na  College,  in  Paxton,  111.,  and  at  an  academy  in  Hillsboro.  After  two 
years  he  engaged  in  business  and  in  1871  became  advertising  solicitor 
and  assistant  editor  of  "Hemlandet."  He  was  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
legislature  in  1874,  and  in  1880  purchased  a  half  interest  in  "Svenska 
Tribunen."  After  1890  Linderborg  lived  in  retirement  in  Chicago,  un- 
til his  death  on  July  10,  1901.  While  with  "Hemlandet,"  he  translated 
William  Matthew's  "Getting  On  in  the  World,"  the  Swedish  version 
of  which  has  been  published  in  several  editions,  entitled  "Pa  lifvets 
vadjobana."  This  and  other  works  he  rendered  into  Swedish  showed 
him  to  be  an  excellent  translator. 


TORSELL— SWENSON  801 

Jacob  Valdemar  Torsell 

Jacob  Valdemar  Torsell  was  added  to  the  editorial  force  of  "Sven- 
ska  Tribunen"  shortly  after  his  removal  to  Chicago  from  the  East  in 
1882  and  served  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Jan.  2,  1900.  He  ranks 
with  the  foremost  journalists  employed  on  this  or  any  other  Swedish 
newspaper  in  this  country.  He  was  a  wit  and  satirist,  capable  of  deal- 
ing the  most  stinging  blows  with  his  rhetorical  lash.  As  a  critic  he  was 
keen,  unrelenting  and  sometimes  unjust.  A  skillful  translator,  he 


Jacob  Valdemar  Torsell 

turned  into  Swedish  a  number  of  English  novels,  published  serially  in 
his  paper. 

Torsell  was  born  in  Stockholm  Nov.  20,  1849.  In  addition  to  a 
general  education,  he  took  a  thorough  course  in  music,  but  engaged 
in  business  on  reaching  mature  years.  In  1870  he  emigrated  to  New 
England.  He  lived  principally  in  Boston  and  Worcester,  earning  his 
living  as  music  teacher,  bookkeeper  and  otherwise.  For  a  couple  of 
months  in  1875  he  edited  an  ephemeral  Swedish  newspaper  named 
4 '  Faderneslandet. ' ' 

Johan   Peter   Swenson 

Johan  Peter  Swenson  was  one  of  the  editors  of  "Svenska  Tribun- 
en" for  two  years,  1885-87.  For  several  years  prior  he  had  been  a 
regular  contributor  to  "Svenska-Amerikanaren"  while  living  in  Bos- 


802 


PRESS  AND   LITERATURE 


ton.  In  1876 — 77  he  lived  for  a  time  in  Chicago.  He  then  wrote  over 
the  name  of  Carl  Johan  Stenquist,  the  publisher,  several  polemical  ar- 
ticles, reputed  to  have  been  masterpieces  of  journalistic  insolence. 
Swenson  made  a  fair  translation  of  Longfellow's  "Evangeline"  and 
was  the  author  of  a  published  treatise  on  the  jury  system.  He  wrote 
verse  of  a  mediocre  sort.  Swenson  was  born  in  1818  and  was  king's 
bailiff  (lansman)  in  Redvag  county  before  emigrating  to  Boston  in 
1865. 

Carl  Anton.   Mellander 

Carl  Anton  Mellander  began  his  journalistic  career  in  Chicago  as 
editor  of  "Faderneslandet, "  published  here  in   1878-79.     He  joined 


Carl    Anton    Mellander 

the  editorial  force  of  "Tribunen"  in  1880,  remaining  with  the  paper 
until  his  death  Jan  9,  1899.  Mellander  was  principally  a  news  editor 
and  did  much  to  sustain  "Tribunen's"  enviable  reputation  as  the 
newsiest  of  the  Swedish-American  papers.  Mellander  was  born  in  G6- 
teborg  on  Dec.  5,  1849,  and  educated  at  a  college  in  Malmo  and  at  the 
Lund  University.  He  came  to  America  in  1873. 

Anders    Leonard   Gyllenhaad 

Anders  Leonard  Gyllenhaal  was  connected  with  the  Swedish- 
American  press  of  Chicago  for  about  thirty-one  years.  In  April,  1874, 
he  was  engaged  on  the  staff  of  "Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren."  The 


GYLLENHAAL— ZILUACUS 


803 


following  October,  when  that  paper  changed  from  Republican  to  Dem- 
ocratic, Gyllenhaal,  who  was  a  staunch  Republican,  resigned  and  at 
once  was  added  to  the  editorial  force  of  ' '  Hemlandet. "  On  Jan.  1, 
1891,  he  joined  the  staff  of  ''Svenska  Tribunen"  and  remained  with 
that  paper  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Oct.  17,  1905.  Gyllen- 
haal pursued  no  independent  authorship,  limiting  himself  entirely  to 
the  routine  of  the  newspaper  office,  editing  the  news,  writing  editorials 
and  compiling  and  assorting  the  miscellaneous  contents  of  the  paper. 
He  was  a  model  in  his  way.  prompt,  methodical  and  faithful  in  his  work 


Anders  Leonard  Gyllenhaal 

to  the  highest  degree.     Since  his  entry  into  journalism,  his  life  was 
rather  uneventful. 

He  was  born  July  1,  1842,  in  Vestmanland,  Sweden.  After  pre- 
liminary studies  at  the  elementary  school  in  Ostersund  he  entered  Up- 
sala  University,  taking  the  bachelor's  degree  in  1860.  He  went  to  sea 
for  two  years,  then  returned  to  the  university  for  post-graduate  work, 
but  was  prevented  by  lack  of  funds  from  completing  the  course.  In 
1866  he  came  to  this  country  and  for  several  years  engaged  in  a  variety 
of  occupations.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Western  News  Company 
in  Chicago  for  five  years  just  prior  to  going  into  journalism.  Gyllen- 
haal came  of  noble  Swedish  stock.  He  was  married  in  1880  and  with 
his  family  lived  in  a  New  Church  settlement  at  Glen  View,  he  himself 
being  a  firm  believer  in  the  teachings  of  Swedenborg. 


of 


Konni    Zilliacus 

Konni  Zilliacus,  associate  editor  of  ^Tribunen"  in  1889 — 90  and 
'Kuriren"  in  1892.  while  in  Chicago  and  afterward,  wrote  a  good 


804  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

deal  of  fiction  and  several  historical  and  descriptive  works.  In  1891 
he  published  a  book  of  general  information  for  immigrants,  entitled 
"Amerika,"  the  following  year  a  collection  of  emigrant  stories,  "Ut- 
vandrarehistorier, "  which  was  published  in  Helsingfors,  while  an  illus- 
trated book,  descriptive  of  Chicago,  was  put  out  in  this  city.  His  most 
important  work,  however,  was  a  book  of  a  thousand  pages  on  the 
United  States,  historical,  descriptive  and  pictorial,  entitled  "Ameri- 
kas  Forenta  Stater."  This  was  published  in  New  York  City.  Zillia- 
cus,  who  was  a  native  of  Finland,  had  traveled  extensively  and  gave 
interesting  accounts  of  his  journeys  in  many  lands.  He  returned  to 
Finland,  where  in  recent  years  several  books  by  him  have  been  pub- 
lished, including  "Nya  utvandrarehistorier"  and  "Det  revolutionara 
Ryssland." 

SvensKa    AmeriKanaren,   II. 

When  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  was  purchased  by  Hans  Mattson 
and  absorbed  by  "Svenska  Tribunen,"  the  old  name  was  adopted  in 
October,  1877,  by  Nels  Anderson  and  Herman  Roos  for  a  new  weekly 
started  by  them  under  the  name  of  "Svenska  Posten."  Anderson  was 
at  the  time  Scandinavian  clerk  in  the  Inman  Line  office.  It  may  be 
mentioned  in  passing  that  a  single  issue  of  a  Swedish  newspaper  named 
in  English  "The  Swedish-American,"  is  said  to  have  been  published 
Aug.  21,  1875,  but  who  the  editors  and  publishers  \vere  has  not  been 
ascertained.  Herman  Roos  was  at  first  sole  editor  of  Nels  Anderson's 
paper.  He  and  Elmblad  were  joint  editors  from  June,  1878,  to  Jan.  2, 
1880,  when  Roos  met  his  death  under  the  wheels  of  a  railway  train. 
Elmblad  continued  as  editor  until  June,  1884,  when  he  left  for  his 
native  country.  His  associates  were :  Ernst  Skarstedt,  1880-84.  Gustaf 
Wicklund,  1882-4,  Jakob  Bonggren,  from  1882,  and  O.  A.  Linder,  1883-4. 
On  Sept.  1,  1884,  Anderson  sold  out  to  P.  A.  Sundelius,  N.  P.  Nelson 
of  Salina,  Kansas,  and  Gabriel  Hjertquist,  foreman  of  the  composing 
room  of  "Svenska  Tribunen."  The  firm  was  styled  the  Swedish- 
American  Printing  Company.  In  October,  1884,  C.  F.  Peterson,  one 
of  the  editors  of  "Svenska  Tribunen,"  joined  the  company.  From  that 
time  till  1888  the  editors  were  Sundelius,  Peterson  and  Bonggren.  In 
April,  1886,  Hjertquist  sold  his  stock  to  A.  E.  G.  Wingard,  then 
advertising  agent  of  the  paper,  and  on  May  3,  1888,  Mr.  Sundelius, 
impelled  by  ill  health,  sold  out  to  Frans  A.  Lindstrand,  a  watchmaker 
and  jeweler,  and  well  known  in  fraternal  society  circles,  who  soon  after 
took  over  the  stock  owned  by  C.  F.  Peterson  and  N.  P.  Nelson  and  thus 
became  three-fourths  owner  of  the  paper. 


FRANS    ALBIN    UNDSTRAND  805 

Frans  Albin   Lindstrand 

In  assuming  control  Mr.  Lindstrand  determined  to  make  "Svenska 
Amerikanaren"  a  popular  paper,  non-partisan,  liberal,  tolerant.  It  then 
had  about  3,000  paying  subscribers  and  a  debt  of  $16,500.  It  was 
apparent  that  it  required  strong  pushing  to  put  the  enterprise  on  its 
legs,  financially,  but  this  the  new  proprietor  did,  and  soon  made  good 
his  determination  to  make  the  paper  a  financial  success. 

He  retained  Mr.  Bonggren  as  editor,  and  soon  after  added  to  the 
staff  Ninian  Waerner,  formerly  associate  editor  of  "Kurre, "  a  comic 
paper,  which  was  the  forerunner  of  "Svenska  Kuriren."  Waerner, 
who  was  a  poet  and  humorist,  rather  than  a  journalist,  remained  until 


Frans   A.  Lindstrand 

Oct.  1,  1889,  when  he  assumed  the  editorship  of  "Svenska  Korrespon- 
denten"  in  Denver,  Colo.  Mr.  Linder  was  re-engaged  on  the  paper  in 
1892.  Another  man  engaged  was  Edwin  Bjorkman,  a  capable  writer, 
who  subsequently  became  editor  of  "Minnesota-Posten,"  at  Saint 
Paul,  and  then  in  turn  reporter  and  writer  on  daily  newspapers  in 
that  city  and  in  New  York. 

Mr.  Lindstrand  himself,  although  unschooled,  took  up  the  pen 
and  began  to  contribute  profusely  to  the  columns  of  his  paper.  Possess- 
ing a  goodly  fund  of  personal  experience,  an  inexhaustible  vein  of 
popular  humor  and  a  firm  determination  to  ''make  good,"  his  writings 
struck  a  responsive  chord.  His  series  of  articles  under  the  caption, 
"Bref  fran  Onkel  Ola,"  was  continued  for  almost  twenty  years, 
making  him  extremely  popular  with  the  readers  of  the  paper.  In  wide 
circles,  in  fact,  Mr.  Lindstrand  is  hardly  known  by  any  other  than  his 


8o6  PRESS  AND    LITERATURE 

pen  name.  "Onkel  Ola."  After  twenty  years  Lindstrand  withdrew 
from  journalism,  his  paper  being  purchased  in  February,  1908,  by  F.  A. 
Larson,  a  young  business  man. 

The  first  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  was  founded  as  a  non-sectarian 
paper  intended  as  the  mouthpiece  of  those  Swedish- Americans  who  did 
not  belong  to  the  churches  or,  if  they  did,  were  liberal-minded  and 
favored  free  discussion  of  all  questions,  including  religious  ones.  Not 
only  because  its  policy  was  condemned  by  the  clergy,  but  owing  still 
more  to  the  fact  that  its  earliest  editors.  Roos  and  Elmblad,  had  been 
too  abusive  in  their  antagonism,  while  personally  they  were  not  as 
strict  and  sober  as  might  be  expected  of  men  intent  on  improving  the 
teachings  and  morals  of  the  church,  a  certain  odium  theologicum  had 
clung  to  the  name  from  the  first.  Those  who  purchased  the  second 
paper  of  that  name  in  1884  did  what  they  could  to  eradicate  this 
antipathy  by  moderating  the  tone  of  the  paper  and  adopting  a  policy 
of  fairness  and  tolerance  toward  all.  This  policy  was  strictly  adhered 
to  by  Mr.  Lindstrand  and  his  staff  of  editors,  so  that  now  the  old 
prejudice  from  the  side  of  the  church  people  toward  "Svenska  Ameri- 
kanaren" is  practically  a  thing  of  the  past. 

"Svenska  Amerikanaren"  has  been  most  prolific  in  the  production 
of  books  for  premium  purposes.  While  Mr.  Lindstrand  was  at  the 
head  of  the  paper,  he  published  reprints  and  original  wrorks,  as  follows : 
"Verldshistoria,"  by  Ernst  Wallis.  vols.  I-III;  Rosander's  "Den  Kun- 
skapsrike  Skolmastaren ; "  "Faltskarns  Berattelser, "  by  Z.  Topelius, 
vols.  I-II;  "I  oster-  och  vesterland, "  by  F.  A.  Lindstrand;  "Pennteck- 
ningar  och  reseskildringar  af  Onkel  Ola;"  "Kunskap  for  alia,"  vols.  I- 
IV;  O.  Sjogren's  "Karl  XII  och  hans  man;"  "Kriget  med  Spanien. 
Frithiofs  Saga.  Fanrik  Stals  Sagner,"  and  "  Ur  det  fordoldas  verld." 

In  1896  Mr.  Lindstrand  started  a  comic  weekly  paper  named 
"Broder  Lustig. "  In  November  of  that  year,  it  was  replaced  by  an 
illustrated  literary  weekly,  "Iduna,"  which  ran  until  February,  1899. 

Ernst    SKarstedt 

Ernst  Skarstedt,  in  June,  1880,  became  the  associate  of  Magnus 
Elmblad  as  editor  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren."  In  1884  he  was  em- 
ployed by  Engberg  and  Holrnberg  as  editor  and  proof-reader;  shortly 
thereafter  he  took  a  position  with  "Svenska  Tribunen"  and  early  in 
1885  left  for  the  Pacific  coast,  where  he  has  since  resided  in  various 
localities.  From  1891  to  1896  he  was  editor  and  part  owner  of  "Vest- 
kusten"  of  San  Francisco.  He  then  went  to  farming,  but  did  not 
abandon  literary  work  on  that  account.  Numberless  newspaper  articles 
by  him  have  appeared  all  along,  and  he  has  published  a  number  of 
larger  or  smaller  books  on  a  variety  of  subjects,  namely:  "Oregon  and 


ERNST    SKARSTEDT 


807 


Washington,"  historical  and  descriptive  of  the  two  states;  "Svensk- 
Amerikanska  poeter;"  a  collection  of  poems  by  Magnus  Elmblad; 
"Enskilda  skrifter  of  A.  A.  Sward;"  "Rosor  och  tornen,"  a  collection 
of  short  stories,  translated  and  revised;  "Fran  vilda  vestern,"  and 
"Den  gamle  smeden, "  stories;  "Vara  pennfiiktare,"  a  biographical 
work  on  Swedish-American  writers,  and  most  recently  an  illustrated 
volume  entitled  "Washington  och  dess  svenska  befolkning. "  Skarstedt 
is  a  poet  of  recognized  merit,  and  a  collection  of  verse  by  him  appeared 
in  book  form  in  1907.  He  is  held  to  be  an  eminent  critic,  but  disclaims 
that  title.  Be  this  as  it  may,  he  has  played  an  important  part  in  the 


Ernst  Skarstedt 

matter  of  calling  attention  to  and  encouraging  writers,  thereby  render- 
ing great  service  to  the  young  Swedish-American  literature. 

Ernst  Teofil  Skarstedt  was  born  in  Solberga,  Bohuslan,  Sweden, 
April  14,  1857;  obtained  a  college  education  in  Lund  where  his  father 
became  professor  of  theology  in  1865;  was  a  sailor  in  1875,  visiting 
England  and  the  arctic  regions,  and  studied  for  a  short  time  at  the 
Technical  High  School  of  Stockholm  before  emigrating  in  December, 
1878.  During  his  first  year  in  the  United  States  he  worked  at  farming, 
carpentry,  etc.,  and  then,  in  partnership  with  one  E.  Lundquist,  pub- 
lished "Kansas  Stats-Tidning"  at  Lindsborg  for  three  months,  in  1879- 
80.  From  his  childhood  Skarstedt  had  a  penchant  for  writing,  having 
composed  little  sermons  at  seven  and  essays  and  sketches  on  nature 
at  nine. 

Skarstedt  is  a  man  of  peculiar  views  and  habits.  He  scorns  con- 
ventionality, etiquette  and  luxury  as  the  curses  of  civilization.  An 


8o8 


PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 


apostle  of  the  simple  life,  he  lived  for  years  the  life  of  a  hermit  in  a 
small  clearing  in  the  primeval  forests  of  the  far  Northwest.  In  his 
voluntary  exile  he  kept  in  close  touch  with  events,  particularly  those 
among  his  own  countrymen.  An  enthusiastic  literary  collector,  he  has 
amassed  an  enormous  amount  of  material,  the  bulk  of  which  unfor- 
tunately was  lost  in  the  great  San  Francisco  fire. 

JaKob  Bong'g'ren 

Jakob  Bonggren  has  made  himself  well  known  as  a  journalist  in 
the  quarter  century  he  has  been  connected  with  "Svenska  Amerikana- 


Jakob  Bonggren 

ren,"  but  as  a  poet  he  is  still  more  familiar  to  Swedish- American 
readers.  By  many  he  is  accorded  first  place  among  Swedish  poets  in 
this  country,  and  there  is  no  one  to  dispute  the  fact  that  he  ranks 
abreast  with  our  best  imaginative  writers.  His  fertile  mind  and  facile 


BONGGREN— LINDER  809 

pen  have  produced  a  great  amount  of  verse  on  a  limitless  range  of 
themes,  his  poems  being  uniformly  readable,  ofttimes  the  brilliant 
crystallization  of  some  fine  thought  or  sentiment,  and  not  infrequently 
precious  gems  from  the  diamond  fields  of  fancy.  Whether  from  neces- 
sity or  not,  Bonggren  has  stuck  to  the  prosaic  routine  of  journalism 
these  many  years,  despite  his  marked  predilection  for  belles  lettres  and 
research  and  for  speculation  in  the  field  of  the  occult.  Bonggren  has 
written  numerous  literary  reviews  and  critical  estimates,  in  which,  it 
has  been  charged,  his  opinion  is  unduly  influenced  by  his  likes  and  dis- 
likes. He  is  a  profound  student,  who  in  his  reading  has  invaded  almost 
every  field  of  human  culture.  The  services  rendered  by  him  to  the 
Swedish-American  literature  as  a  critic  and  compiler  are  of  permanent 
value,  even  aside  from  the  opinions  expressed  to  which  others  have 
taken  exception.  The  following  series  of  literary  critiques  and  notices 
in  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  are  from  Bonggren 's  pen:  "Litteratur- 
historiska  antecknjngar,"  I — XXXVI;  the  same,  series  I — LIT; 
"  Svensk-amerikansk  litteratur,  I — XXXVIII;  "Svenska  litterara 
karaktarsdrag, "  and  "Var  litterara  varld,"  two  series,  1898  and  1899. 
If  it  be  true  that  he  has  bitterly  denounced  certain  writers  whose  style 
and  subject  matter  have  been  odious  to  him,  it  is  also  true  that  he  is 
almost  the  patron  saint  of  the  lesser  knights  of  the  quill,  whose  efforts 
he  has  freely  and  charitably  encouraged.  Besides  his  others  works, 
elsewhere  mentioned,  Bonggren  has  translated  "Caesar's  Column,"  by 
Ignatius  Donnelly,  and  contributed  a  number  of  articles  to  a  biograph- 
ical volume  entitled  "Framstaende  man  och  qvinnor  i  var  tid. "  His 
published  collections  of  verse,  "Forstlingar"  and  "Sanger  och  Sagor," 
contain  but  a  part  of  the  profusion  of  verse  that  has  flowed  from 
his  pen. 

Oliver    A.   Linder 

Oliver  A.  Linder  is  one  of  the  most  distinctive  of  Swedish- American 
writers.  Until  recent  years  these  were,  almost  without  exception, 
educated  in  Sweden,  and  their  products  varied  little  in  character,  style 
and  subject  matter  from  the  literary  products  of  the  old  country. 
Linder  early  began  to  depart  from  the  well-trodden  paths  and  has  been 
growing  more  thoroughly  American  in  sentiment  with  the  passing  years. 
This  fact  is  reflected  in  his  verse,  which  is  American  in  tone  and 
atmosphere,  in  fact,  in  all  its  essentials,  except  the  vehicle  of  expression. 
He  is  one  of  a  handful  of  poets  of  force  and  originality  among  a  motley 
mass  of  vapid  versifiers  or  mere  rhymesters.  Linder  is  a  keen  critic 
and  an  able  reviewer,  intimately  familiar  with  the  field  of  Swedish- 
American  literature  and  its  cultivators.  In  an  essay  on  pseudonyms 
he  has  given  apt  and  terse  characterizations  of  many  of  their  bearers. 


8io 


PREvSS    AND    LITERATURE 


In  the  eighties  several  series  of  humorous  letters  and  sketches  by 
Linder  subjected  their  author  to  the  charge  of  imitation  or  plagiarism 
of  certain  noted  American  humorists,  the  accusation  being  preferred  by 
persons  ignorant  of,  or  unwilling  to  admit,  the  fact  that  Linder  was 
himself  a  humorist.  He  himself  owned  to  an  affinity  in  style  with  Bill 
Nye,  but  that  was  the  whole  extent  of  it.  In  taking  up  historic  research 
pertaining  to  the  Swedish  Delaware  colony,  Linder  again  displayed  his 
keenness  by  discovering  and  correcting  several  grave  errors  in  the 


Oliver   A.  Linder 

biography  of  John  Morton,  prevalent  in  works  of  reference.  Mr.  Linder 
has  been  entrusted  with  the  responsible  task  of  writing  the  biographies 
of  those  Swedish-Americans  deemed  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  new 
revised  edition  of  "Nordisk  Familjebok, "  the  Swedish  encyclopedia, 
a  new  edition  of  which  is  now  in  course  of  publication. 

Other    Staff   Members    and    Contributors 

Edwin  Bjorkman  had  had  sketches  published  in  "Dageiis 
Nyheter"  and  had  been  a  member  of  the  staff  of  ' '  Aftonbladet "  in  his 
native  city  of  Stockholm  before  coming  to  America  in  1891.  He 
obtained  a  situation  on  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  as  local  news  editor 
and  wrote  for  the  paper  a  series  of  original  sketches  under  the  common 
head,  "Teckningar  i  sanden. "  In  ease  and  elegance  of  style  Bjorkman 
had  few  equals.  The  failure  of  "Minnesota-Posten,"  of  St.  Paul,  which 
he  was  called  to  edit  in  1892,  transferred  Bjorkman  to  the  American 
press.  He  began  by  writing  Scandinavian  news  for  the  Minneapolis 
"Times,"  and  later  became  its  music  critic,  besides  writing  feature 
articles  and  other  "stories"  for  that  paper.  Before  engaging  in 


MISSIONS- VANNEN  8 1 1 

journalism    Edwin    Bjdrkman    spent    three    years    on    the    Swedish 
theatrical  stage. 

For  a  time  Bengt  Akerlund  was  a  member  of  ' '  Amerikanaren  's ' ' 
staff.  He  died  as  editor  in  chief  of  "Skandinavia,"  published  at  Wor- 
cester, Mass.  More  recently  Emil  Amelin  was  attached  to  the  paper 
for  a  number  of  years.  The  latest  acquisition  was  Frithiof  Malmquist, 
for  five  years  editor  in  chief  of  "Svenska  Nyheter,"  a  writer  of  strong, 
trenchant  prose  and  similar  verse,  and  an  all-round  practical  newspaper 
man. 

Frithiof  Malmquist,  conjointly  with  Edward  Fjellander,  founded 
"  Forskaren, "  an  organ  of  socialism  and  free  thought,  and  a  rabid 
antagonist  of  church  and  clergy,  in  1893,  at  Rockford,  and  remained 
writh  that  publication  for  several  years  after  its  removal  to  Minneapolis 
in  1894.  In  1900  he  was  connected  with  "Svenska  Tribunen,"  which 
he  left  to  take  the  position  of  editor  of  "Svenska  Nyheter"  in  1901. 
For  the  next  few  years  he  gave  this  paper  wide  reputation  as  an  out- 
spoken and  radical  labor  organ.  When  "Nyheter"  was  consolidated 
with  "Svenska  Tribunen"  in  1906,  Malmquist  resigned  and  soon  after 
joined  the  staff  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren."  Malmquist  is  a  writer  of 
bristling  and  unkempt  verse  as  shown  in  a  volume  appropriately  en- 
titled "Torn en  och  Tistlar. "  The  author's  literary  ability  is  self- 
acquired,  he  having  left  the  public  school  in  Sweden  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  to  become  a  joiner's  apprentice  and  never  after  had  an 
opportunity  for  systematic  study. 

Missions- Vannen 

In  July,  1874,  the  Mission  Synod  founded  in  Chicago  a  church 
paper,  called  "Missions-Vannen,"  which  was  at  first  published  once 
a  month.  The  first  editors  were  A.  W.  Hedenschoug  and  L.  J.  Peter- 
son. In  1880  Rev.  Andrew  Hallner  assumed  the  editorship  of  the  pa- 
per, which  was  then  made  a  weekly.  A  stock  company,  consisting  of 
members  of  the  North  Side  Mission  Church  of  Chicago,  and  known  as 
the  Mission  Friends  Publishing  Co.,  purchased  the  paper  in  1882, 
doubled  its  size  and  added  political  and  general  news  departments. 
Prior  to  this  change,  Hallner  had  been  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  E.  Wen- 
strand,  and  now  Gustaf  Theden  was  made  news  and  political  editor. 
Some  time  after,  Hallner  again  edited  "Missions-Vannen,"  assisted  by 
Gustaf  Sjostrom.  In  1888  Rev.  O.  Hogfeldt  took  charge  of  the  church 
department,  and  prior  thereto  A.  F.  Boring  had  been  engaged.  Hall- 
ner continued  as  political  editor,  and  for  several  years  made  the  paper 
a  champion  of  prohibition,  until  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Hagstrom. 
Hogfeldt  and  Boring  remain  with  the  paper  in  an  editorial  capacity, 


812  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

while  the  business  management  is  entrusted  to  C.  G.  Petterson.  Al- 
though private  property,  "Missions-Vanneii"  is  the  recognized  organ  of 
the  Mission  Covenant.  Much  of  its  prestige  is  due  to  the  contributions 
of  P.  P.  Waldenstrom,  the  leader  of  the  Mission  Covenant  of  Sweden, 
who  has  written  for  its  columns  for  many  years  past. 

The  Mission  Friends  Publishing  Company  conducts  a  bookstore, 
and  has  published  the  following  books:  "Sionsharpan,"  text  and  music 
editions;  "Dagligt  Manna,"  by  F.  Risberg;  "Lifvet,  doden  och  evighe- 
ten,"  by  A.  Mellander;  "Bibelbilder,"  by  F.  Risberg,  and  "Vinterros," 
an  annual  for  children. 


Rev.  Otto  Hogfeldt 

In  1891  Otto  Hogfeldt  began  publishing  an  annual,  entitled 
"Hemat, "  which  is  still  being  issued.  A.  F.  Boring  is  the  editor  of 
two  juvenile  annuals,  "Barnens  Kalender"  and  "Vinterros." 

At  North  Park  College  the  Mission  Covenant  conducts  a  book 
and  publishing  business,  from  which  is  issued  "Missioniiren,"  a  semi- 
monthly mission  paper.  Several  books  have  been  published  by  the 
same  concern,  chief  of  which  is  a  500-page  book  on  Palestine,  by  Prof. 
Axel  Mellander.  "Aurora,"  a  Christmas  annual,  edited  by  him.  also 
has  been  issued  from  this  office. 

Johan    Alfred    AlmKvist 

Johan  Alfred  Almkvist,  who  was  associate  editor  of  "Missions- 
Vannen"  for  three  months  and  of  "Kuriren"  for  eight  months,  devel- 
oped an  extensive  literary  activity  as  a  translator  while  in  Chicago. 
He  rendered  into  Swedish  several  religious  works  by  J.  R.  McDuff, 


AUGUSTANA  BOOK  CONCERN  813 

published  under  the  following  titles  :''Eskolsdrufvor,""Eldsprofeten," 
"Klarare  an  solen";  also  "Trenne  Familjer"  and  the  following  books 
by  Dwight  L.  Moody:  "Forborgad  Kraft,"  "Segervinnande  bon," 
"Vagen  till  Gud"  and  "Till  verksamhet,  till  verksamhet ! "  His  poetic 
ability  stood  him  in  good  stead  in  rendering  into  Swedish  the  many 
religious  songs  quoted  in  these  works.  Almkvist  has  given  several 
proofs  of  his  talent  as  a  writer  of  very  readable  prose  fiction.  In 
Sweden  he  published  in  serial  form  a  number  of  stories,  including  "Vid 
kusten,"  "En  syn dares  vag"  and  "Svindlaren  i  Stollnas,"  the  latter 
attracting  considerable  attention  at  the  time. 

Almkvist  was  born  at  Tanum,  Sweden,  in  1847.  He  studied  in 
Uddevalla  and,  after  his  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1872,  took 
theological  courses  at  Decorah  College,  Decorah,  Iowa,  and  Concordia 
College  in  St.  Louis.  He  returned  to  Sweden  in  1874,  continued  divinity 
studies  at  the  Ahlberg  school  and  served  as  a  pastor  for  one  year.  In 
1878  he  became  editor  of  "  Gestrikland, "  a  paper  published  in  Gefle, 
and  later  published  "Folkets  Van"  and  "Norrlands  Annonsblad," 
two  radical  organs.  After  having  been  imprisoned  for  infringing  the 
libel  law  he  abandoned  journalism  in  Sweden  and  returned  to  this 
country. 

The  Augustana    BooK    Concern 

The  beginning  of  this  publishing  house  may  be  traced  back  to 
December,  1877,  when  a  society  called  "Ungdomens  Vanner"  was 
founded  by  President  Hasselquist,  Professors  O.  Olsson,  C.  0.  Granere, 
C.  P.  Rydholm  and  the  five  members  of  the  first  senior  class  of  Augus- 
tana  College.  Their  aim  was  to  foster  the  young  people's  societies 
which  began  to  form  at  that  time  in  many  of  the  churches.  Besides 
printing  several  tracts  and  pamphlets,  the  society  began  publishing  the 
monthly  "Ungdoms-Vannen"  in  January,  1879.  Two  years  later, 
' '  Korsbaneret, "  a  Christmas  annual,  was  turned  over  to  the  society 
by  its  publishers,  0.  Olsson  and  C.  A.  Swensson,  who  had  started  it  in 
1880.  The  name  of  the  society  was  changed  in  February,  1883,  to  the 
Augustana  Tract  Society.  The  membership  fees  not  sufficing  to  meet 
expenses,  the  business  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Augustana 
Book  Concern  the  same  year  and  capitalized  at  $15,000,  divided  in 
300  shares.  One  of  the  provisions  was  that  two-thirds  of  any  net  profits 
should  go  to  Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary.  The  follow- 
ing year  the  new  firm  purchased  Thulin  and  Anderson's  printing  shop 
in  Moline,  and  also  secured  possession  of  the  old  society's  publications 
and  other  property.  The  firm  started  a  bookstore  at  7th  avenue  and 
38th  street,  Rock  Island.  Prof.  C.  P.  Rydholm,  the  first  manager,  was 
succeeded  in  September  of  the  same  year  by  Jonas  Westling.  He  re- 


814 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


mained  until  1886,  when  Rev.  P.  J.  Kallstrom  took  charge.  The  fol- 
lowing July  the  monthly  "Ungdomsvannen,"  was  changed  to  a  weekly 
and  named  "Hemvannen."  In  the  fall  of  1887  C.  G.  Thulin  sold  his 
bookstore  to  the  Augustana  Book  Concern  and  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs.  The  following  year  one  of  the  publications  of  the  Con- 
cordia  Pub.  Co.,  Chicago,  was  bought  by  the  Augustana  Book  Con- 
cern and  united  with  its  own  periodical,  "Hemvannen." 

In  1889  the  board  of  directors  offered  to  turn  its  property  over 


The  Augustana  Book  Concern  Building 

to  the  Augustana  Synod,  provided  the  latter  would  establish  a  board 
of  publication  and  reimburse  those  stockholders  who  might  be  un- 
willing to  donate  their  capital  stock  to  the  synod.  A  few  days  later 
the  synod  appointed  a  board  of  publication  and  instructed  it,  if  pos- 
sible, to  buy  out  the  Augustana  Book  Concern  in  the  interest  of  the 
synod.  The  synod  recognized  that  its  duty  was  to  compensate  Engberg 
and  Holmberg,  who  had  bought  out  the  synod's  book  business  and 
had  assumed  its  liabilities,  with  the  understanding  that  it  was  to  con- 
tinue as  the  official  supply  house,  and  therefore  resolved  that  a  satis- 
factory agreement  should  be  made  with  Engberg  and  Holmberg.  It  may 


AUGUSTANA    BOOK   CONCERN 

be  observed,  in  passing,  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  on  the  part  of 
the  synod  to  carry  out  its  resolution. 

The  board  of  publication  incorporated  in  August,  1889,  under  the 
name  of  the  Lutheran  Augustana  Book  Concern,  and  took  possession 
of  the  property  of  its  predecessor,  promising  to  pay  to  the  stockhold- 
ers in  five  years  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  value  of  the  paid  up  stock, 
with  interest.  This  was  accomplished  within  the  stated  time. 

Dr.  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl  became  president  of  the  publishing  house, 
and  remained  in  this  capacity  until  his  death  in  1908.  A.  G.  Anderson 
has  been  manager  from  the  first.  In  1895  the  Globe  Bindery  was  pur- 
chased and  united  with  the  plant.  Two  years  later  a  commodious 


Carl  G.  Thulin 

brick  building  was  erected,  sufficient  to  house  all  the  departments. 
Branches  have  been  established,  in  St.  Paul,  1891,  New  York,  1904, 
and  Chicago,  1907.  In  1906  the  corporate  name  was  changed  back 
to  Augustana  Book  Concern. 

The  periodicals  published  by  the  institution  are:  "Augustana,"  the 
weekly  church  organ,  "Tidskrift  for  teologi  och  kyrkliga  fragor," 
"Ungdomsvannen,"  "Barnens  tidning. "  "Textblad  for  sondagssko- 
lan,"  "Solstralen,"  "Solglimten,"  "The  Olive  Leaf,"  and  "The 
Young  Lutheran's  Companion."  Of  their  book  publications,  approx- 
imately two  hundred  and  fifty-three  in  number,  about  fifteen  are 
school  books,  seven  are  historical  and  biographical  works,  fifty-two 
are  devotional  and  other  religious  works,  ninety  are  Sunday  school 
storybooks,  four  are  hymnals,  eight  are  collections  of  poetry,  ten 
are  music  books,  while  sixty-eight  are  of  a  miscellaneous  character. 
Their  most  notable  original  publications  are  Norelius'  "De  svenska 


8i6 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


luterska  forsamlingarnas  och  svenskarnes  historia  i  Amerika"  and  the 
annuals  "Korsbaneret"  and  "Prarieblomman." 

Augustana. 

"Augustana,"  the  official  paper  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  was 
founded  in  1856  as  a  small  monthly  devotional  paper  bearing  the  name 
of  "Det  Ratta  Hemlandet."  In  1873  it  was  made  a  weekly  and  the 
name  changed  to  "Augustana  och  Missionaren."  In  1876  the  weekly 
was  divided  into  two  fortnightly  papers,  named,  respectively,  "Augus- 
tana" and  "Missionaren."  This  experiment  was  abandoned  the  follow- 
ing year  and  the  paper  was  issued  weekly  as  before.  The  paper  was 
enlarged  in  1885,  and  named  simply  "Augustana."  Another  enlarge- 


Rev.  Sven  P.  A.  Lindahl 

ment  took  place  in  1890,  since  which  time  the  paper  has  been  issued  in 
4-column,  16-page  form.  Dr.  Hasselquist,  the  founder  and  first  editor, 
was  succeeded  in  1858  by  Eric  Norelius,  who  was  followed  shortly  by 
Erland  Carlsson,  nominal  editor  until  1864,  with  the  material  assistance 
of  Jonas  Engberg.  From  the  last-named  year  A.  R.  Cervin  was  in 
charge  until  the  end  of  1868,  when  his  assistant,  J.  Gr.  Princell,  did  all 
the  editorial  work  for  six  months,  or  until  July,  1869,  when  Hassel- 
quist again  took  up  the  work.  During  subsequent  years  the  editorial 
work  was  divided  among  Hasselquist,  Norelius,  0.  Olsson,  Cervin,  C.  P. 
Rydholm,  C.  M.  Esbjorn  and  L.  G.  Abrahamson.  From  1890  until  his 
death  in  1908,  Dr.  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl  was  editor-in-chief,  assisted  by 
Abrahamson,  C.  0.  Lindell,  A.  Rodell,  0.  V.  Holmgrain,  C.  J.  Bengston 
and  others.  To  succeed  Lindahl,  the  synod  in  1908  chose  Dr.  Abraham- 
son,  who  at  present  directs  the  editorial  policy  of  the  synodical  organ. 


CHICAGO-BLADET 


8I7 


Life  sketches  of  almost  every  one  of  these  men  appear  in  various  parts 
of  this  work. 

Besides  "Augustan a,"  the  most  consequential  periodicals  issued 
from  the  synodical  publishing  house  are  "Ungdomsvannen,"  an  illus- 
trated monthly,  much  of  the  contents  of  which  is  of  general  interest 
and  has  more  than  transient  value,  and  "Augustana  Theological  Quar- 
terly: Tidskrift  for  teologi  och  kyrkliga  fragor, "  a  dignified  two- 
language  publication. 

Chicag'o-Bladet 

As  a  result  of  a  division  of  opinion  among  the  Mission  Friends  in 
the  middle  seventies  on  church  government,  John  Martenson  in 


John  Martenson 

February,  1877,  started  a  fortnightly  religious  paper  in  Chicago,  which 
was  named  "Chicago-Bladet. "  In  1879  it  combined  with  it  "Zions 
Baner, "  and  was  thenceforth  issued  weekly.  Rev.  K.  Erixon,  the  pub- 
lisher of  the  latter  paper,  became  a  partner  in  the  business,  and  later 
Victor  Rylander  joined  the  firm.  About  1882,  Martenson  bought  out 
both  his  partners,  and  since  then  has  been  sole  proprietor  of  the  news- 
paper. Himself  managing  editor,  he  has  from  time  to  time  had  the 
assistance  of  Hjalmar  Anderson,  Rev.  J.  G.  Princell,  Gustaf  Sjostrom, 
K.  Newquist,  Andrew  Anderson  and  C.  G.  Nilsson.  After  having 
worked  in  the  printing  office  for  nine  years,  Andrew  Anderson  was  en- 
gaged on  the  editorial  staff,  a  position  he  still  retains.  By  a  sort  of 
tacit  consent,  "Chicago-Bladet"  holds  an  official  position  in  the  de- 
nomination of  Free  Mission  Friends. 


8i8  PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 

A  book  and  publishing  concern  is  maintained  in  connection  with 
the  newspaper.  A  monthly  Sunday  school  paper,  named  ' '  Columba, ' r 
is  published,  and  among  the  books  issued  from  this  office  may  be  men- 
tioned: "Blad  ur  Naturens  Historia;"  "Markvardigheter  ur  Natu- 
ren,  Historien  och  Lifvet;"  "Himla-Uret;"  ''The  Reconciliation," 
and  "The  Blood  of  Jesus."  The  book  "Himla-Uret"  (Heaven's 
Clock)  is  remarkable  as  an  effort  by  its  author.  Rev.  F.  Franson,  to 
establish  the  time  of  the  Last  Judgment. 

Fosterlandet 

For  more  than  fifteen  years  a  paper  called  "Fosterlandet"  was 
published  in  Chicago  by  private  enterprise,  in  the  interest  of  the 
Swedish  Lutherans.  It  was  founded  by  Dr.  Carl  Swensson  at  Linds- 
borg,  Kansas,  under  the  name  of  "Framat,"  and  removed  to  Chicago 
prior  to  1890.  Petrus  C.  Pearson  was  the  editor  and  Dr.  Swensson  the 
chief  contributor.  In  October,  1890,  Ernst  W.  Olson  was  added  to  the 
staff,  the  paper  was  doubled  in  size  to  eight  pages  of  seven  columns 
each,  and  the  name  changed  to  "Fosterlandet."  In  1896  "Nya  Pres- 
sen"  was  consolidated  with  "Fosterlandet,"  and  Mr.  Olson  again 
joined  Mr.  Pearson  in  the  editorial  work,  after  an  absence  of  four 
years.  The  stock  company  owning  the  newspaper  transferred  the  prop- 
erty to  the  new  publishers  of  "Svenska  Tribunen"  in  1900,  who  pub- 
lished both  papers  with  the  aid  of  the  same  editorial  staff  for  several 
years,  afterwards  putting  Rev.  J.  W.  Nyvall  in  editorial  charge  of 
"Fosterlandet."  After  a  second  change  of  ownership,  which  removed 
the  paper  entirely  from  churchly  influence,  it  died  by  slow  stages,  its 
nominal  successor  being  a  story  paper,  named  "Fylgia. "  Until  his 
death,  in  1904,  Dr.  Carl  Swensson  was  a  constant  contributor  to  the 
paper,  which  acquired  strength  and  influence  largely  through 
his  popular  weekly  letters.  Dr.  Carl  A.  Evald's  able  pen  was  also  en- 
listed in  the  service  of  "Fosterlandet"  for  a  number  of  years.  Two 
different  editions  of  "Fosterlandskt  Album,"  edited  by  E.  W.  Olson, 
were  published  in  1897  and  1898,  as  premiums. 

Carl    Aaron    Swensson 

In  Swedish-American  literature  Carl  Swensson  holds  a  prominent 
place.  While  a  student  at  Augustana  College,  Swensson  began  to  con- 
tribute to  "Hemlandet"  and  one  or  two  periodicals,  and  he  wrote  for 
the  current  press  continually  almost  up  to  the  day  of  his  death.  He 
started  "Framat"  at  Lindsborg,  in  1884,  edited  the  paper  for  a  time 
and  made  weekly  contributions  to  it  for  twenty  years.  His  articles 
under  the  caption  "Yid  Skrifbordet"  in  "Framat,"  later  "Fosterlan- 
det," were  probably  more  generally  read  than  anything  written  for 


CARL   A.    SWENSSON 


819 


Swedish-American  newspapers,  religions  or  secular,  before  or  after. 
For  long  periods  he  also  contributed  weekly  letters  and  articles 
to  "Hemlandet,"  "Svenska  Tribunen"  and  from  three  to  six 
other  papers,  besides  furnishing  articles  for  the  American  press  from 
time  to  time.  In  Lindsborg  he  was  the  principal  stockholder  in  a  book- 
store and  the  proprietor  of  two  weeklies,  ' '  Lindsborgs-Posten "  and 
the  "Kecord,"  and  did  more  or  less  editorial  work  on  both. 

It  is  readily  understood  that  in  such  a  mass  of  copy  furnished, 
some  would  be  inferior  and  trivial.  To  judge  his  literary  ability  by 
what  he  wrote  on  board  trains  in  his  extensive  travels,  or  in  moments 


Rev.  Carl  A.  Swensson 

when  a  hundred  cares  stood  waiting  at  his  elbow,  or  in  the  weary 
hours  after  a  strenuous  day's  work,  would  not  be  fair.  But  take  him 
at  his  best,  in  his  books  "I  Sverige"  and  "Ater  i  Sverige,"  both  giv- 
ing his  impressions  of  Sweden,  and  he  will  be  found  an  alert  observer, 
a  skillful  word-painter,  a  brilliant  narrator,  and  altogether  a  charming 
writer.  The  last-named  book  by  him  was  published  also  in  an  English 
edition,  and  the  first  was  published  both  in  Chicago  and  in  Stockholm. 
Other  works  by  Swensson  are:  "Vid  hemmets  hard,"  an  illustrated 
volume  of  miscellany;  "I  Morgonstund,"  brief  discourses  on 
Bible  texts;  "Forgat-mig-ej,"  with  contributions  by  others,  and  "Ju- 
bel-Album,"  an  illustrated  historical  account  of  the  Augustana  Synod, 
compiled  in  collaboration  with  Dr.  L.  G.  Abrahamson  and  published 
by  the  National  Publishing  Company  of  Chicago.  Together  with 
others,  he  edited  "Korsbaneret,"  a  church  annual,  for  five  years,  and 
"Ungdomsvannen"  from  1880  to  1887. 


820  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

Carl  Aaron  Swensson  was  born  at  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  June  25. 
1857,  and  reared  at  Andover,  111.,  where  his  father,  Jonas  Swensson, 
was  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church.  He  was  educated  at  Au- 
gustana  College,  graduating  from  its  college  department  in  1877  and 
from  the  theological  seminary  two  years  later.  Having  been  ordained 
minister  of  the  Augustana  Synod,  he  was  called  to  the  church  in  Linds- 
borg.  In  1881  he  founded  Bethany  Academy,  the  modest  forerunner 
of  Bethany  College,  an  institution  which  grew  large  and  influential  un- 
der his  charge  and  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  remarkable  energy.  At 
the  time  of  Swensson 's  death  the  institution  had  twelve  departments  of 
instruction,  half  a  hundred  professors  and  instructors,  950  students 
and  property  valued  at  $200,000. 

In  addition  to  his  work  as  a  preacher,  educator  and  writer,  Swens- 
son accomplished  much  work  in  other  fields.  When  the  temperance 
agitation  stirred  Kansas,  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  did 
as  much  as  any  man  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the  prohibition  law  in 
that  state.  He  served  in  the  state  legislature  in  1889-90.  In  politics  a 
progressive  Republican,  Swensson  was  a  successful  campaign  speaker 
and  did  yeoman  service  in  behalf  of  presidential  and  gubernatorial  can- 
didates. 

In  the  pulpit,  on  the  lecture  platform,  or  on  the  political  "stump," 
Swensson  had  few  equals  in  his  ability  to  sway  an  audience.  Whether 
in  English  or  Swedish,  he  spoke  with  the  same  spontaneous  eloquence. 
His  great  public  activity  is  reflected  in  the  large  number  of  offices  and 
appointments  filled  by  him  in  the  church  and  the  state.  Augustana 
and  Thiel  Colleges  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  D.  D.,  Upsala  Uni- 
versity that  of  Ph.  D.,  and  by  King  Oscar  II.  he  was  created  a  Knight 
of  the  Order  of  the  Polar  Star.  Swensson  passed  away  at  Los  Angeles, 
Cal.,  Feb.  16,  1904. 

Svei\sKa    Kuriren. 

A  weekly  comic  paper  named  "Kurre"  was  started  in  Chicago  in 
May,  1884,  by  F.  W.  Ankarfelt.  In  December,  1887,  it  was  changed 
to  a  news  sheet.  About  this  time  Bredtschneider,  the  illustrator  of 
"  Kurre, "  and  one  Turk  acquired  an  interest  in  the  plant.  By  intrigue, 
it  is  claimed,  the  two  soon  after  mortgaged  the  property  to  John 
Harder,  of  Harder,  Luse  and  Co.,  in  settlement  for  printers'  supplies 
furnished  by  him  on  account,  and  he  took  over  and  ran  the  paper  in  a 
fashion  for  a  number  of  months. 

Having  learnt  that  the  paper  was  for  sale,  Alex  J.  Johnson,  then 
an  employee  of  a  crockery  firm,  made  inquiries  looking  toward  a 
purchase.  The  price  asked  was  far  above  his  own  means,  but  on  Aug. 
8,  1888,  a  contract  was  entered  into  by  which  Johnson  assumed  the 


ALEX   J.   JOHNSON  821 

management  of  the  paper,  the  owner  agreeing  to  advance  the  money 
needed  for  the  balance  of  the  year.  The  paper  ran  at  a  loss,  and  by 
Jan.  1,  1889,  it  stood  Mr.  Johnson  at  about  $7,000.  By  giving  notes  for 
almost  the  whole  of  that  amount,  Johnson  secured  possession  and  soon 
put  the  business  on  a  paying  basis.  During  his  twenty  years  as  pub- 
lisher of  "Svenska  Kuriren,"  Mr.  Johnson  has  had  personal  charge  of 
the  editorial  work 'as  well  as  the  business  management  of  his  paper. 

Alex  J.  Johnson. 

In  point  of  ready  wit,  clearness  of  style  and  all-round  knowledge, 
Mr.  Johnson  has  no  superior  and  few  equals  in  the  field  of  Swedish- 
American  journalism.  His  conception  of  editing  a  newspaper  is  to 


Alex  J.  Johnson 

talk  to  the  public  as  a  friend  to  another,  discussing  any  topic  of  the 
day,  but  leaving  every  one  to  follow  his  own  opinion.  He  has  little 
respect  for  popular  opinion,  and,  as  a  sort  of  temperamental  opposi- 
tionist, seemingly  likes  to  go  against  it,  thereby  often  stirring  up  a 
hornet's  nest.  He  can  give  and  take  with  the  same  evenness  of  temper, 
and  has  the  rare  faculty  of  retaining  as  readers  even  those  whose 
views  differ  radically  from  his  own.  His  criticisms  would  be  more 
feared,  if  less  certain,  but  as  it  is,  an  approval  from  him  is  never  ex- 
pected. His  bristling  editorials  are  very  generally  read  and  enjoyed, 
and  have  aided  greatly  in  the  making  of  Mr.  Johnson's  paper. 

For  a  number  of  years  a  book  of  fiction  and  humor,  named 
"  Kurre-Kalender, "  was  published  by  Mr.  Johnson  and  given  free  ta 
the  subscribers  of  "Svenska  Kuriren. " 


822 


PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 


Gustaf  WicKlund 

Gustaf  Wicklund,  born  in  Gefle,  Sweden,  Dec.  8,  1852,  enriched 
our  poetical  and  humorous  literature  measurably  during  the  twenty 
odd  years  he  was  engaged  in  newspaper  work.  He  came  over  in  1878 
and  tried  diverse  occupations  for  four  years,  including  that  of  tailor, 
then  secured  employment  on  "Svenska  Amerikanaren. "  He  was 
associated  with  Ninian  Waerner  in  editing  the  comic  weekly  "Kurre" 
from  May,  1884,  to  December,  1887,  when  that  publication  was  meta- 
morphosed into  "Svenska  Kuriren. "  After  working  on  papers  in 
Minneapolis  for  five  years,  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  edited  "Humor 


Gustaf   Wicklund 

isten"  for  a  number  of  years.  Having  been  connected  with  "Tribunen" 
for   some   time,    he   lost   his   position   when   the    paper   was   sold    in 
1900.     He  then  went  back  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  was  connected 
with  "Svenska  Amerikanska  Posten"  until  his  death,  Oct.  10,  1905. 

Wicklund  was  a  facile  writer  of  witty  verse  and  humorous  prose 
sketches.  He  wrote  clever  topical  songs  and  improvised  verses  for 
numberless  occasions  with  the  same  ease  that  characterizes  the  now 
of  language  from  a  fluent  public  speaker.  Wicklund  was  a  playwright 
of  no  mean  order.  Five  comedies  were  written  by  him  in  Chicago  and 
produced  in  this  and  other  cities.  One  of  these,  entitled  "En  afton 
pa  Tre  Byttor,"  was  played  at  the  People's  Theatre  of  Stockholm, 
where  it  enjoyed  a  month's  run.  It  was  published  by  Albert  Bonnier, 
of  Stockholm.  Wicklund 's  Swedish  rendition  of  "Pinafore"  has  been 
given  publicly  both  in  Chicago  and  in  Sweden.  After  his  death,  Wick- 
lund's  verses  were  published  in  a  collection  entitled  "Gnistor  fran  rim- 
smedjan." 


PALUN— AKERBERG 

Otto   Pallin 


823 


Otto  Pallin  for  a  few  months  in  1884  was  editor  and  publisher 
of  "Rockfords  Allehanda"  and  subsequently  was  assistant  editor  of 
"Kurre,"  "Svenska  Kuriren"  and  "Svenska  Tribunen. "  Pallin  pos- 
sessed rare  versatility.  He  was  a  good  singer,  a  talented  actor  in  the 
comedy  class  and  a  good  writer  of  short  stories  and  witty  verse.  He 
was  a  college  man  and  had  begun  studying  medicine  when  in  1880 
he  suddenly  abandoned  his  studies  to  emigrate.  In  this  country  he 
tried  his  hand  at  many  things — he  was  druggist,  doctor,  concert  singer, 
grocery  salesman,  bartender,  actor  and  cook,  before  engaging  in 


Otto  Pallin 


journalism.     Pallin  passed  away  on  the  21st  of  May,  1904,  soon  after 
having  been  reengaged  on  the  staff  of  "Svenska  Kuriren. " 


Wilhelm   AKerberg' 

Wilhelm  Akerberg,  a  Stockholmian  by  birth,  on  his  third  visit 
to  Chicago  about  1888  was  engaged  as  associate  editor  of  "Kuriren" 
and  in  1890  went  over  to  "Humoristen"  as  its  editor.  The  next  year 
he  left  for  Sweden  and  started  a  paper  in  Stockholm,  which  was 
shortlived;  came  back  to  Chicago  in  1892,  was  reengaged  on  "Humor- 
isten"  for  a  few  months,  then,  with  Iliggins,  the  artist,  started  a 
comic  paper  called  "Skamt,"  in  August,  1893,  and  when  its  short 
•course  was  run,  another  called  "Den  svensk-amerikanska  Sondags- 


824 


PRESS    AND   LITERATURE 


Nisse, "  whose  career  was  likewise  brief,  being  cut  short  after  five 
months  by  the  death  of  Akerberg  in  June,  1894. 

Akerberg  was  a  talented  but  unprincipled  and  erratic  young  man. 
Drink  was  the  bane  of  his  life,  and  in  a  spirit  of  bravado  he  owned 
to  having  "soaked"  a  large  part  of  his  inheritance  at  certain  Stock- 
holm inns.  He  wrote  a  mass  of  well-turned  rhymes,  mostly  of  the 
anacreontic  variety.  He  was  fond  of  stage  life,  often  took  part  in 
the  production  of  Swedish  theatricals  here,  and  himself  wrote  a  play, 
"En  folktalare,"  produced  in  Chicago  in  1888. 

Otto   Craelius 

Otto  Craelius,  associate  editor  of  "Svenska  Kuriren"  for  some 
twelve  years,  took  rank  as  a  very  capable  journalist  and  a  clever 


Otto   Crselius 

writer  of  verse  and  short  stories  of  Swedish-American  life,  mostly  in 
a  humorous  vein.  Craelius  was  born  in  Fliseryd  parish,  Smaland. 
Sept.  10,  1863.  He  studied  at  the  collegiate  school  in  Oskarshamnr 
being  always  at  the  head  of  his  class  and  making  splendid  progress. 
He  aimed  to  graduate  ahead  of  the  class,  but,  failing  in  that,  abandoned 
his  studies  and  accepted  a  proffered  position  on  "  Oskarshamris- 
Tidningen"  in  January,  1885.  In  1887  he  leased  "Hvad  nytt?"— a 
liberal  newspaper  about  to  fail — and  published  it  for  three  years  in 
the  conservative  province  of  Smaland,  not  without  success.  After 
having  been  made  defendant  in  a  libel  suit,  he  gave  up  the  business, 
although  acquitted  of  the  charge,  and  emigrated.  He  died  in  Chicago 
March  4,  1903. 


PERSON— HUMORISTEN— SVENSKA  NYHETER  825 

Joharx   Person. 

Johan  Person's  pen  is  one  of  the  most  capable  enlisted  in  the 
service  of  the  Swedish  press  in  this  country.  He  began  as  a  casual 
contributor  to  "Svenska  Tribunen,"  writing  humorous  comments, 
verses,  and  translating  serial  stories.  Afterwards  he  was  added  to 
the  regular  staff.  He  has  taken  turns  at  editing  "Svea,"  of  Wor- 
cester, and  "Svenska  Folkets  Tidning, "  of  Minneapolis,  and  is  at 
present  second  to  Mr.  Johnson  as  editor  of  "Svenska  Kuriren."  While 
in  Worcester,  Mr.  Person  had  published  a  volume  of  short  stories 
entitled  ' '  I  Svensk-Amerika, ' '  dealing  with  Swedish- American  life,  and 
this  has  been  followed  by  many  well-written  stories,  sketches  and  essays 
on  kindred  topics.  His  style  is  forceful,  inclined  to  be  caustic,  but 
tempered  by  more  than  the  usual  modicum  of  wit  and  humor.  His 
depiction  of  the  Swedish  immigrant's  life  in  this  country  is  tinged 
with  a  sort  of  sentimental  pessimism  common  to  most  Swedish  writers 
on  American  conditions,  conveying  the  impression  that,  despite  pros- 
perity and  success,  the  Swedish-American  lacks  contentment  and 
real  happiness  in  the  land  of  his  choice. 

Humoristen — SvensKa    Nyheter 

The  first  issue  of  a  comic  weekly,  known  as  "Humoristen,"  was 
published  Jan.  13,  1890,  from  the  office  of  Gus  Broberg,  steamship 
and  immigration  agent.  Two  other  comic  papers,  "Friskytten,"  of 
Minneapolis,  and  "Frisk  Luft, "  of  New  York,  were  absorbed  by  "Hu- 
moristen," which  ran  as  a  comic  sheet  for  half  a  score  of  years,  where- 
upon a  general  newspaper,  named  "Svenska  Nyheter,"  took  its  place. 
The  new  and  enlarged  paper  was  published  by  Mr.  Broberg  under 
the  editorial  management  of  Frithiof  Malmquist  and  others,  until  con- 
solidated with  "Svenska  Tribunen"  in  July,  1906.  The  following 
year  Mr.  Broberg  sold  his  interest  in  the  combination  and  retired  from 
the  newspaper  field. 

As  editor  of  "Humoristen"  in  1890-92,  Ernst  Lindblom  added 
much  to  our  humorous  literature.  A  published  collection  of  his  verse 
bears  the  title  "Pa  forsok."  A  comedy  in  three  acts  by  him,  entitled 
"Pelle  Pihlqvists  Amerika-resa, "  was  produced  in  Chicago.  His  humor 
is  often  grotesque  and  not  always  clean.  As  a  versifier  he  is  at  his 
best  in  the  serious  strain.  In  an  editorial  capacity  Lindblom  was 
connected  with  "Svenska  Folkets  Tidning"  of  Minneapolis,  "Tribun- 
en," "Amerikanaren"  and  "Humoristen"  for  eleven  years  in  all. 
He  is  now  a  newspaper  writer  in  Stockholm,  his  native  city. 

Gus  Higgins  is  known  as  a  humorist,  a  writer  of  bacchanalian 
verse,  a  la  Bellman,  and  an  artist  and  illustrator,  excelling  in  por- 
traiture. Being  a  cynic  and  a  sot.  he  produced  little  else  than  coarse, 


826  PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 

though  witty,  comic  stuff  in  verse  and  prose,  mostly  published  in 
"Humorist en"  and  sung  or  recited  at  low  class  entertainments.  The 
products  of  his  pen  are  so  uniformly  repulsive  to  good  taste  that  a 
biographer  of  Higgins.  wishing  to  quote  him,  had  difficulty  in  finding 
an  inoffensive  specimen. 

Aftonbladet 

Scores  of  Swedish  periodical  publications,  in  this  state,  varying 
from  annuals  to  dailies,  which  it  were  tedious  to  make  note  of  in  these 
pages,  have  each  had  their  day.  The  greatest  number  Avere  born  and 
died  in  Chicago,  while  the  cities  of  Rockford,  Galesburg,  Moline  and 
Rock  Island  have  had  a  goodly  share.  One  of  the  most  pretentious 
enterprises  in  Swedish  newspaperdom  was  the  launching  of  a  daily, 
named  "Aftonbladet,"  in  1892,  by  Pehr  ~VV.  Nilsson.  Having  thrown 
out  a  feeler  in  the  shape  of  a  weekly,  called  "Skandia. "  started  a 
month  prior,  Nilsson  and  his  associates,  C.  F.  Peterson  and  Axel  Bur- 
man,  turned  out  their  first  daily  on  Sept.  2nd.  It  was  a  7-column, 
4-page  sheet.  Peterson  and  Burman  were  the  editors  and  Carl  Anred 
and  C.  F.  Erikson  the  advertising  solicitors.  "Aftonbladet"  is  said  to 
have  reached  a  circulation  of  6,000.  The  weekly  "Skandia,"  feeding 
on  the  same  material  used  in  the  daily,  attained  great  size,  ranging  from 
16  to  32  pages.  Like  the  men  in  charge,  the  papers  were  Democratic, 
and  it  is  not  denied  that  the  new  enterprise  was  nurtured  partly  with 
campaign  funds.  Nilsson  ran  the  papers  for  eight  months,  after  which 
time  the  business  is  said  to  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  Burman. 
Publication  ceased  some  time  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1893,  to  the 
best  recollection  of  Mr.  Nilsson. 

Other   Journalists   and   Authors — Theodore    Hessel 

Theodore  Hessel  is  a  unique  character  in  the  Swedish  press  of  the 
United  States.  Being  a  man  of  uncommon  versatility,  he  has  been 
active  as  a  teacher,  preacher,  playwright,  poet,  critic,  political  speak- 
er, editor  and  publisher.  He  was  born  in  Skonberga,  Ostergotland, 
Sweden,  in  the  forties,  graduated  from  the  technical  school  of  Norr- 
koping,  studied  for  three  years  at  the  dramatic  school  of  the  Royal 
Theater  in  Stockholm,  taught  privately  in  Gotland,  then  emigrated 
and  became  a  Baptist  preacher  in  the  United  States.  In  1870  he 
edited  "Skandinavisk  Harold,"  a  religio-political  paper,  at  Omaha, 
Neb.,  and  in  1879-80  "Evangeliskt  Magasin"  at  Council  Bluffs.  la. 
After  twelve  years  in  the  ministry  he  abandoned  that  profession,  de- 
claring it  a  "religious  humbug,"  and  from  that  time  on  he  has  been 
a  violent  persecutor  of  the  clergy.  In  1883  he  started  "Svenska 
Vecko-Bladet"  in  Omaha,  removed  with  the  paper  to  Kansas  City 


HESSEL— KJELLBERG  827 

after  four  years,  and  in  1892  to  Chicago,  having  changed  the  name  to 
"Facklan"— The  Torch.  Its  light  went  out  in  1894  and  shortly  there- 
after Hessel  started  an  English  publication,  named  ''The  Swedish- 
American  Review."  It  was  a  9x19,  16-page  paper,  quoting  freely 
from  Swedish-American  newspapers  and  containing  articles  and  com- 
ments from  Hessel 's  caustic  pen.  Its  first  issue,  published  in  Nov., 
1894,  was  soon  followed  by  the  last.  The  "Review"  was  published 
from  Svea  Music-  Hall,  456  31st  street,  Chicago. 

The  features  of  Hessel's  paper  were  for  many  years  a  series  of 
''Epistles"  signed  with  his  pen  name,  "Farbror  Slokum,"  and  "Let- 
ters from  Washington,"  supposedly  written  by  himself  over  the 
signature  "Swedish  Department  Clerk'." 

Hessel  is  a  wit  and  a  satirist,  but,  lacking  in  heart  qualities,  falls 
short  of  being  a  genuine  humorist.  While  in  Sweden,  Hessel  contributed 
to  "Svenska  Familje-Journalen"  and  wrote  several  plays. 

Isidor    Kjellberg' 

Isidor  Kjellberg  in  1871  published  in  Chicago  a  newspaper  named 
"Justitia. "  Its  span  of  life  was  from  March  to  October.  Talent 


Isidor  Kjellberg 

was  not  lacking,  for  Kjellberg,  as  the  publisher  and  editor  of  "Ost- 
goten,"  a  newspaper  founded  by  him  in  1872,  at  Linkoping,  Sweden, 
proved  himself  an  excellent  newspaper  man.  He  was  born  in  Stock- 


28  PRESS   AND    LITERATURE 

holm,  where  he  obtained  a  technical  education.  He  came  over  in  1869, 
worked  as  draughtsman  in  Philadelphia,  traversed  the  Northwest  as 
correspondent  for  "Goteborgs-Posten,"  and  for  a  few  months  in  1870 
edited  "Svenska  Monitoren"  at  St.  Paul.  In  Sweden  he  published 
books  of  verse  in  1878  and  1892,  the  latter  year  also  a  book  descriptive 
of  his  American  tour  in  1890.  A  posthumous  collection  of  verse  was 
published  shortly  after  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1895. 

Kjellberg  is  described  as  a  wide  awake,  fearless  journalist.  He 
was  a  republican  at  heart,  an  outspoken  anti-royalist,  a  reformer  and 
humanitarian,  who  voiced  his  views  both  on  the  platform  and  in  the 
press. 

Axel  August  Sward 

Axel  August  Sward,  while  a  student  of  theology  at  Rock  Island, 
produced  a  volume  of  verse  entitled  "Vilda  Blommor  fran  Prarien, " 
which,  when  published  in  1887,  was  hailed  as  a  significant  contribution 
to  Swedish-American  literature.  It  was,  in  fact,  one  of  the  first  col- 
lections of  Swedish  verse  brought  out  in  this  country,  the  very  earliest 
poetical  volume  of  any  consequence  having  been  a  book  of  poems  by 
Magnus  Elmblad,  published  in  1878.  A  second  volume  of  poems  by 
Sward  was  published  two  years  later,  named  "Fran  Vestanskog, " 
with  reference  to  the  poet's  residence  in  Oregon,  where,  after  his  or- 
dination to  the  ministry,  he  obtained  his  first  charge  at  Marshfield. 
Among  his  most  noteworthy  productions  are  the  epics  "Moses  begraf- 
ning  eller  En  natt  pa  Nebo,"  and*  "  G-uldormen, "  and  such  lyric 
poems  as  "Vattnet,"  "Gatpojken,"  "Det  forlorade  paradiset"  and 
"Poesien."  Wirsen,  poet  and  critic,  and  secretary  of  the  Swedish 
Academy,  found  Sward's  shorter  poems  especially  characterized  by 
much  poetic  sincerity,  and  held  that  the  author  of  the  "Wild  Flowers 
of  the  Prairies"  was  at  his  best  in  his  religious  songs.  Another  literary 
connoisseur  of  Sweden,  Montgomery-Cederhjelm,  gives  him  his  full 
meed  of  praise  by  speaking  of  him  as  "a  noble,  poetic  genius,  a  singer 
worthy  of  an  exalted  place  on  Sweden's  Parnassus." 

Following  are  the  outlines  of  the  poet's  life:  born  at  Snaflunda, 
Nerike,  Sweden,  March  27,  1854,  the  son  of  an  old  soldier  in  limited 
circumstances;  enjoyed  ordinary  schooling  in  his  boyhood;  hired  out 
at  eighteen  as  a  farmhand;  entered  Ahlberg's  mission  school  at  Orebro 
in  1881 ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1883 ;  studied  at  Augustana 
College  and  Theological  Seminary  until  1887,  when  he  was  ordained 
a  Lutheran  minister;  as  such  he  served  at  Marshfield,  Ore.,  and  Tem- 
pleton,  Cal.,  four  years  in  all;  in  the  latter  place  he  succumbed'to  a 
pulmonary  disease  of  long  standing  on  July  20,  1891,  in  his  thirty- 
eighth  year. 


SWARD— WARNER 


829 


Although  imbued  with  the  Christian  spirit,  Sward's  authorship  is 
by  no  means  limited  to  the  religious  sphere.  But  his  secular  verses, 
whether  sentimental,  humorous,  or  satirical,  never  fall  below  the  moral 
standard,  never  offend  the  sense  of  beauty  and  propriety,  and  are  al- 
ways in  good  taste — which  cannot  truthfully  be  said  of  all  poets  in 
clerical  robe.  Sward  was  also  somewhat  of  a  philosopher  and  philol- 
ogist. Certain  of  his  speculative  views  have  been  published  by  Ernst 
Skarstedt  in  a  small  pamphlet,  under  the  title,  "Enskilda  skrifter." 
From  his  youth  and  for  a  score  of  years  Sward  was  engaged  in  the  task 
of  perfecting  a  universal  language.  The  manuscripts  of  his  grammar, 


Rev.  Axel  August  Sward 

comprising  1,130  pages,  and  of  an  extensive  glossary,  he  left  to  one  E. 
Shiffelin,  of  New  York,  who  had  interested  himself  in  the  work,  even 
to  the  extent  of  lending  pecuniary  aid  in  a  small  way.  But  for  his 
untimely  death,  Sward  undoubtedly  would  have  added  much  to  the 
literary  heritage  left  by  him  to  posterity. 

Ninian  Waerner 

Ninian  Waerner,  humorist  and  poet,  was  connected  with  Swedish 
newspapers  in  the  United  States  from  1884,  the  year  he  came  over,  up 
to  1895,  when  he  returned  to  Sweden.  There  he  edited  newspapers  in 
Motala  and  Stockholm  for  ten  years  and  died  Oct.  10,  1905,  as  editor 
of  "Faderneslandet. "  As  second  man  to  Gustaf  Wicklund,  he  worked 


83o 


PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 


on  "Kurre"  for  three  years  from  1884,  then  on  "Svenska  Kuriren"  in 
1888,  until  joining  the  staff  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren"  the  same  year. 
In  1889  he  accepted  an  editorial  position  with  "  Korrespondenten "  of 
Denver.  Two  years  later  he  and  Wicklund  started  "Friskytten,"  a 
comic  paper,  in  Minneapolis.  When  it  was  absorbed  by  "Humoristen" 
in  1894,  Waerner  worked  for  short  periods  on  "Svenska  Folkets  Tid- 
ning"  and  "Svenska  Amerikanska  Posten,"  both  of  Minneapolis,  until 
his  return  to  Sweden,  in  November,  1895. 

Waerner 's  original  contributions  to  the  newspapers  on  which  he 
was  employed  were  numberless.    A  small  part  of  them  is  included  in  his 


Ninian    Waerner 

published  books:  "I  host-  och  vinterkvall, "  verses  and  sketches; 
"Pennstreck,"  stories,  and  "C.  A.  Tolleens  jul-  och  nyarskalender, " 
a  collection  of  humor  in  prose  and  verse.  A  poem  by  him  received 
mention  honorable  by  the  Swedish  Academy. 

As  a  poet  Waerner  oscillated  between  the  two  extremes  of  bur- 
lesque humor  and  lachrymose  pathos.  As  a  humorist  he  is  best 
known  through  the  ludicrous  and  highly  grotesque  sketches  purporting 
to  be  "letters  from  C.  A.  Tolleen."  In  these  the  author  affects  illiteracy 
and  arouses  one's  risibilities  by  the  old  trick  of  bad  spelling,  employed 
by  Artemus  Ward  and  Josh  Billings,  only  to  a  more  preposterous 
degree  than  any  of  these  writers.  Except  for  his  poems,  Waerner 
seemed  incapable  of  serious  writing.  He  was  reckless  with  truth  at 
all  times  and  never  hesitated  to  distort  facts  to  serve  his  purpose,  as 
witness  his  sketches  of  American  life  and  conditions,  given  with  a 
pretense  of  truth,  to  the  reading  public  of  Sweden.  Waerner 's  humor- 
ous writings  abound  in  equivocations  and  phraseology  suggestive  of 


LEONARD   STROMBERG  831 

an  impure  mind,  and  his  personal  morals  were  not  the  best,  but  to  deny 
his  exceptional  literary  talent  on  grounds  of  morality  would  be  like 
denying  the  genius  of  a  Byron,  a  Bellman  or  a  Poe.  Swedish- American 
critics  differ  widely  in  their  estimate  of  Waerner,  Skarstedt  touching 
one  extreme  in  unreserved  laudation,  Bonggren  the  other  by  begrudg- 
ing him  even  the  scantest  credit. 

His  serious  verses,  albeit  smooth-flowing  and  pleasing  in  style,  lack 
the  originality  of  his  humorous  sketches,  and  those  who  knew  him  per- 
sonally say  his  poems  of  feeling  were  affectation  pure  and  simple, 
the  grossness  of  his  nature  precluding  all  the  finer  sensibilities. 

Ninian  Waerner  was  born  in  Norrkopmg  Dec.  12,  1856,  and 
educated  at  a  collegiate  school  in  Nykoping  and  at  Upsala  University. 
He  had  a  musical  training  and  was  an  accomplished  cellist. 

Leonard  Strombergf 

Leonard  Stromberg,  who  was  for  three  years  associate  editor  of 
"  Sandebudet, "  the  organ  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Church,  besides 
editing  "  Sondagsskolbaneret, "  is  the  most  prolific  Swedish- American 
writer  of  prose  fiction.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  sending  modest 
contributions  of  prose  and  verse  to  the  papers,  and  soon  found  a  demand 
for  the  products  of  his  pen.  Short  stories  and  verses  by  him  were 
published  in  half  a  score  of  newspapers  in  Sweden,  and  since  his 
coming  to  this  country  in  1895  Stromberg  has  been  a  frequent  con- 
tributor to  the  Swedish-American  press. 

The  list  of  published  works  by  Leonard  Stromberg  comprises  a 
dozen  novels  and  novelettes,  several  collections  of  short  stories,  two 
books  of  juvenile  stories,  one  of  juvenile  verse,  two  collections  of  poems 
and  two  of  verses  and  prose  sketches.  Several  of  the  novels  are  rather 
voluminous,  one  running  through  1,450  pages,  while  others  reach  700  to 
900  pages.  Mr.  Stromberg  has  found  publishers  for  his  books  in  Skofde 
and  Ostersund,  Sweden,  and  iji  Chicago  and  Minneapolis. 

The  titles  of  Stromberg 's  principal  works  are:  novels  and  novel- 
ettes— "Olycksbarnet,"  "Ett  dystert  arf,"  "I  tunga  fjattrar,"  "En- 
kans  son,"  I  brytningstid, "  "Ljus  och  skuggor, "  "Pa,  tornestig, " 
"Viktor  Boring,"  "Tiggardrottningen,"  "Hederns  vagar,"  "Genom 
strider,"  "Dygd  och  brott, "  "Forsamlingen  i  Grand  View, "  "I  Masta- 
rens  tjanst, "  "Erik  Vedhuggare,"  "Efter  striderna, "  "Satans  spel," 
"Feg;"  collections  of  verse— "Ett  klofverblad"  and  "Unga  Roster;" 
collections  of  prose  and  verse — "Sma  blommor"  and  "Pesttalaren." 
He  has  compiled  several  other  books,  including  "Sangbok  for  sondags- 
skolor. "  The  book  entitled.  "Erik  Vedhuggare,"  has  been  published 
in  three  editions  in  Sweden  and  two  in  this  country,  and  has  been 
translated  into  English. 


PRESS    AND   LITERATURE 


Stromberg  has  a  light  and  flowing  style.  His  stories  are  generally 
founded  on  actual  experiences  and  events,  make  entertaining  read- 
ing, are  serious  in  tone  and  have  an  ennobling  tendency.  From  his 
poetic  vein  have  flowed  many  poems  to  warm  the  soul  and  awaken 
the  reader  to  sober  thought. 

Stromberg  was  born  in  Arboga,  Sweden,  July  11,  1871.  He 
studied  theology  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Seminary  at  Upsala  and 


Leonard    Stromberg 

entered  the  service  of  the  church  as  minister.  In  this  country  he  has 
served  Swedish  M.  E.  churches  in  Chicago  and  at  points  in  Iowa  and 
Nebraska. 


David    Nyvall 

David  Nyvall  ranks  well  to  the  front  among  Swedish  writers  in 
the  United  States.  Identified  with  the  denomination  of  Mission  Friends, 
he  is  prominent  as  a  champion  of  higher  education,  and  his  main  work 
has  been  and  is  to  promote  schools  and  disseminate  knowledge  among 
that  church  element.  This  cause  he  has  sought  to  further  partly  by 
his  writings  and  popular  lectures.  Nyvall  is  a  deep  thinker,  an  excel- 
lent stylist  and  a  man  of  practical  views.  The  following  works  by  him 
have  been  published:  "Vers  och  saga"  (1890);  "Minnesblad,  sex 
ungdomstal"  (1892)  ;  ''Reformationen  i  Sverige.  Reformationens  bak- 
grund.  Svenskhet  i  Amerika.  Tre  uppsatser"  (1893)  ;  "Medsols. 


DAVID   NYVALL 


833 


Tre  fosterlandska  tal  for  ungdom"  (1898) ;  "Soken  Guds  rike.  Tjugu- 
fyra  tal  for  ungdom"  (1901) ;  " Skogsdrillar.  Lyriska  dikter"  (1901) ; 
"My  Business.  Talks  to  Young  People"  (1906);  "Roosevelt  och  ko- 
nung  Oscar  sasom  fredsvanner  och  deras  relativa  ansprak  pa  Nobel- 
priset"  (1906). 

David  Nyvall  is  the  son  of  the  late  Carl  Johan  Nyvall,  a  noted 
lay  preacher  who  lived  at  Vail,  Karlskoga  parish,  Vermland,  Sweden, 


Dr.  David  Nyvall 

where  the  son  was  born  Jan.  19,  1863.  He  studied  at  Vesteras  and 
Oefle,  graduating  from  college  in  the  latter  city  in  1882,  with  the 
highest  mark  for  scholarship,  and  subsequently  pursued  medical  studies 
for  four  years  at  Upsala  University  and  the  Carolinian  Institute  of 
Stockholm.  His  professional  studies  were  interrupted  in  1886,  when, 
discouraged  by  failing  health,  he  emigrated.  In  this  country  he  be- 
gan by  teaching  at  a  mission  school  in  Minneapolis,  but  detecting  in 
this  position  no  promise  for  the  future,  entered  the  ministry.  Shortly 
thereafter  he  was  elected  bv  the  Mission  Covenant  as  associate  teacher 


834 


PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 


of  its  department  of  the  Congregationalist  theological  seminary  in  Chi- 
cago. After  two  years  he  joined  in  a  movement  to  found  a  school  ex- 
clusively for  the  Covenant,  and,  with  Rev.  E.  A.  Skogsbergh,  estab- 
lished a  school  on  these  lines  at  Minneapolis.  When  this  was  turned 
over  to  the  Covenant,  in  1891,  Nyvall  was  made  president  and  con- 
tinued in  that  position  after  the  school  was  removed  to  Chicago  and 
named  North  Park  College,  until  1905,  whereupon  he  served  several 
years  at  the  head  of  Walden  College,  at  McPherson,  Kansas.  Prof. 
Nyvall  has  edited  church  and  educational  papers  from  time  to  time, 
including  " Mission ar en"  and  "The  "Walden  Volunteer,"  and  is  the 
author  of  a  number  of  articles  scattered  through  annuals  and  other 
Swedish  publications.  For  nine  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Mission 
Covenant,  and  has  been  active  in  other  capacities  as  a  churchman. 


Anna   Olsson. 

Miss  Anna  Olsson  of  Rock  Island  is  the  author  of  a  goodly  number 
of  short  stories  and  sketches  that  are  as  pleasant  reading  as  anything 


Miss  Anna  Olsson 

that  has  flowed  from  a  Swedish-American  pen.  A  volume  published 
in  1903,  containing  some  of  her  best  work,  was  well  named  "Fran  Sol- 
sidan, ' '  for  there  is  a  wealth  of  sunshine  in  everything  she  writes.  Her 
serious  sketches  are  toothsome  mental  dishes  daintily  served,  while  her 
Swedish- American  dialect  stories,  the  most  genuine  of  their  kind,  dis- 
prove the  old  tradition  that  there  are  no  feminine  humorists.  Unlike 
many  who  have  put  to  literary  use  the  mixed  and  grotesque  lingo  of 


OLSSON— HOLMES 


835 


the  immigrant,  Miss  Olsson  tells  a  story  that  has  a  value  aside  from  the 
dialect.  Contributions  by  her  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  Swedish 
periodicals  ' '  Ungdomsvannen  "  and  "Prarieblomman."  Sketches  by 
her  in  English  are  no  less  enjoyable  than  those  in  her  mother  tongue. 

Ludvig'    Holmes 

By  some,  Ludvig  Holmes  has  been  ranked  superior  to  all  other 
Swedish-American  poets,  while  the  average  critic  is  satisfied  to  raise 


Dr.  Ludvig    Holmes 

him  to  the  peerage,  without  making  him  king  in  this  particular  realm 
of  the  Muses.  As  a  singer  he  is  melodious,  dignified,  solemn,  pure. 
His  Pegasus  is  carefully  groomed  and  seldom  cuts  capers  in  the  way  of 
wit,  satire  or  epigram,  but  paces  in  measured  tread  as  if  hitched  to  a 
carriage  of  state.  Many  of  his  poems  on  festive  occasions  are  fine 
examples  of  poetic  oratory  and  almost  all  of  his  verse  is  characterized 
by  nobility  of  thought  and  tenderness  of  sentiment.  He  has  had  two 
collections  of  verse  published  by  the  Augustana  Book  Concern,  one  in 
1896,  entitled  "Dikter  af  Ludvig,"  another  in  1905,  entitled  "Nya 


836  PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 

Dikter  af  Ludvig."  A  poetic  tribute  to  King  Oscar  II.  on  the  occasion 
of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  reign  was  issued  privately. 
Holmes  has  contributed  generously  to  various  publications,  including 
"Augustana,"  "Ungdomsvannen,"  "Korsbaneret"  and  "Valkyrian." 
In  recognition  of  his  work  as  an  author  and  a  churchman,  Bethany 
College  has  awarded  him  the  degrees  of  A.  M.  and  L.  H.  D.,  Wittenberg 
College  that  of  D.  D.,  and  "Augustana  College  that  of  L.  H.  D.  By 
the  King  of  Sweden  he  has  been  repeatedly  honored,  having  received  the 
following  marks  of  distinction :  the  silver  jubilee  medal,  the  gold  medal 
"Litteris  et  Artibus"  and  the  insignia  of  the  Order  of  Vasa. 

Dr.  Holmes  is  a  native  of  Strofvelstorp,  Skane,  Sweden,  where  he 
was  born  Sept.  7,  1858.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1879  and  pursued 
studies  at  Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary  for  five  years, 
until  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1886.  After  having  had  pastoral 
charges  at  Burlington,  la.,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  North  Grosvenordale 
and  Portland,  Conn.,  he  is  now  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church 
of  Evanston,  111. 

Miscellaneous    Writers 

P.  E.  Melin,  while  professor  at  Augustana  College,  in  January,  1877, 
started  the  weekly  "Skandia"  in  Moline,  which  he  himself  edited  for 
the  first  few  months,  then  entrusted  that  task  to  Magnus  Elmblad  and 
Herman  Stockenstrom.  His  partner  in  the  enterprise  was  G-ustaf 
Swenson,  to  whom  Melin  sold  his  interest  the  following  July,  making 
him  sole  proprietor.  Melin  was  an  excellent  teacher,  particularly  suc- 
cessful in  inspiring  the  students  with  a  love  for  the  Swedish  language 
and  patriotic  enthusiasm  for  Sweden's  history  and  literature.  While 
a  student  at  Upsala,  Melin  had  a  book  of  poems  published  and  while 
assistant  dean  of  Hernosand  College  made  a  translation  of  the  Book 
of  Proverbs  from  the  original  text.  He  left  Sweden  in  1875  on  a  call 
to  Augustana  College  and  returned  in  1878,  entering  the  ministry  of 
the  state  church. 

Carl  Ebbesen,  born  in  Stockholm  in  1855,  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1880,  and  worked  as  typographer  in  a  number  of  newspaper 
offices.  In  Chicago  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Herman  Lindskog, 
then  pastor  of  the  Swedish  M.  E.  Church  in  Rockford,  and  accompanied 
him  to  that  city,  where  Lindskog  started  ' '  Rockf  ords  Allehanda. ' '  When 
this  venture  failed,  Ebbesen  for  a  time  was  a  reporter  on  the  city  dailies, 
"Gazette"  and  "Star,"  then  established  " Rockf ords-Posten,"  which 
he  conducted  for  more  than  ten  years.  Afterwards  he  sold  his  interest 
and  went  east,  engaging  in  a  similar  enterprise  in  New  England. 

Bruno  E.  Hockert  has  been  a  constant  contributor  to  "Frihets- 
klockan"  and  has  developed  great  activity  as  a  correspondent  and 


MISCELLANEOU&  WRITERS  837 

general  contributor  to  newspapers  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  He 
came  to  this  country  in  1889  as  a  delegate  from  the  grand  lodge  of 
Sweden  to  the  world's  grand  lodge  of  Good  Templars,  and  has  since 
been  a  very  prominent  temperance  worker  here.  He  is  the  author  of 
a  score  of  short  theatrical  sketches  written  for  production  at  society 
and  lodge  entertainments,  but  the  principal  work  of  his  pen  consists 
of  newspaper  articles  on  political,  sociological  and  temperance  topics. 
Hockert  is  a  graduate  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Institute  in  Stockholm. 
He  has  lectured  on  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  such  as  hypnotism,  faith 
cure,  cremation,  suffrage,  and  on  various  phases  of  religion,  hygiene, 
temperance  and  sociology.  He  spoke  at  the  peace  congress,  the  parlia- 
ment of  religions  and  the  agricultural  congress  of  the  "World's  Colum- 
bian Exposition. 

A  most  promising  poet  and  writer  was  Oscar  M.  Benzon.  He  was 
born  in  Moline,  111.,  Dec.  10,  1870,  the  son  of  a  Swedish  Lutheran  clergy- 
man; was  graduated  from  Augustana  College  in  1891;  continued  his 
studies  at  Leland  Stanford  University,  where  he  received  the  master's 
degree  two  years  later.  His  extreme  ambition  led  to  overwork  at  college, 
causing  a  physical  and  mental  collapse  in  the  spring  of  1891.  He.  rallied 
sufficiently  to  pursue  the  university  course,  but  had  a  relapse  and  in 
a  moment  of  mental  aberration  put  a  tragic  end  to  his  young  life  on 
Oct.  13,  1893,  by  leaping  from  a  rowboat  into  the  waters  of  San 
Francisco  Bay. 

As  an  upper  classman  at  Augustana  he  began  literary  pursuits, 
one  of  his  first  published  efforts  being  a  translation  from  ' '  Martyrerna ' ' 
by  the  Swedish  poet  Stagnelius,  appearing  in  " Balder,"  the  students' 
literary  annual.  While  in  California  he  indited  a  number  of  poems 
of  exquisite  diction  and  profound  depth  of  thought  and  feeling.  One 
of  these,  entitled  "Illusions,"  is  pronounced  by  Ernst  Skarstedt,  "the 
finest  English  poem  ever  written  by  a  Swede."  Other  highly  meritori- 
ous poems  by  Benzon  are  entitled  "Karlek"  and  "Till  den  f ortviflade. " 
While  at  Leland  Stanford  University,  where  he  made  a  specialty  of 
German,  Benzon  wrote  verse  in  that  language  too,  evincing  skill  in 
the  art  of  versification  in  three  different  languages.  As  a  student  Benzon 
showed  remarkable  brilliancy,  and  had  he  lived  to  fulfill  his  promise, 
great  gain  would  doubtless  have  accrued  to  Swedish-American 
literature. 

Charles  Edward  Thornmark  did  splendid  service  to  the  press  for 
some  five  years,  1889-1894.  After  working  in  the  lumber  camps  and 
sawmills  of  Michigan  and  writing  some  excellent  sketches  of  life  in  the 
frontier  settlements,  he  became  editor  of  "Nordens  Medborgare,"  pub- 
lished at  Manistee,  Mich.,  and  three  months  later  founded  a  newspaper 
of  his  own,  named  "Arbetaren,"  at  Cadillac,  Mich.  It  was  one  of  the 


838  PRESS   AND   LITERATURE 

very  few  minor  Swedish-American  papers  edited  with  talent.  The 
enterprise,  however,  did  not  prove  a  financial  success.  In  1894  Thorn- 
mark  threw  down  his  pen,  discontinued  the  paper  and  became  sub- 
scription agent  for  "Svenska  Amerikanareh"  of  Chicago.  Since  then 
he  has  occasionally  resumed  the  discarded  implement  to  write  an 
article,  story  or  poem  for  that  paper.  Recently  he  has  contributed 
articles  to  "The  Public,"  a  weekly  political  journal  of  Chicago. 

Though  self-taught,  Thornmark  handles  the  language  with  admir- 
able mastery,  whether  he  writes  prose  or  verse.  Among  his  poems, 
which  are  not  many,  one  entitled  "Ar  du  med?"  must  be  classed  with 
the  gems  of  the  Swedish-American  Muse.  Thornmark  is  a  humorist 
whose  sweet  good-nature  is  spiced  with  a  dash  of  satire. 

William  Larson  is  a  combination  of  author  and  artist.  Poems  and 
short  stories  by  him  which  have  appeared  in  different  publications  are 
characterized  by  objective  truth,  trenchant  diction  and  a  vivid  sense 
of  humor.  A  notable  poem  by  him  is  entitled  "Svarta  Ridan."  Un- 
der the  caption  "Fran  torngluggen"  he  has  written  current  comment 
in  the  lighter  vein  for  "Frihetsklockan,"  a  temperance  paper.  Holi- 
day numbers  of  "Svenska  Amerikanaren,"  in  whose  business  office  he 
has  been  employed,  have  contained  a  number  of  drawings  and  sketches 
by  him. 

Carl  Gustaf  Norman  while  studying  at  Augustana  College  began 
to  court  the  Muse.  As  early  as  1883,  while  teaching  at  Bethany  College, 
he  contributed  verses  to  Swedish  periodicals,  and  for  the  next  few  years 
"Ungdomsvannen,"  "Augustana"  and  "  Korsbaneret "  published 
poems  by  him.  These  are  uniformly  well  modeled  and  often  sentimental 
in  tone.  Norman  edited  "Framat"  at  Lindsborg,  Kans.,  in  1886-8,  and 
another  paper  of  the  same  name  at  Providence,  R.  L,  1892-5.  After 
editing  "Svea,"  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  for  a  number  of  years,  he  took 
an  editorial  position  on  "Svenska  Tribunen"  in  1906  and  remains  with 
"Tribunen-Nyheter"  as  its  chief  writer. 

Literary  WorK  in    English 

In  concluding  this  chapter,  some  of  the  evidences  of  English 
literary  activity  among  the  Swedish-Americans  of  the  state  may  be 
pointed  out.  Reference  has  been  made  to  newspapers  in  English  with 
Swedish- Americans  at  the  head.  A  noteworthy  enterprise  of  this  kind 
was  the  daily  "Press"  of  Chicago,  the  chief,  if  not  the  sole,  backer  of 
which  was  Robert  Lindblom.  It  was  published  for  a  brief  period  in 
the  early  nineties.  In  the  eighties  there  was  published  in  Chicago  the 
monthly  "Scandinavia,"  directed  principally  by  Norwegians,  and 
devoted  to  the  publishing  in  English  of  the  current  events  and  chief 
features  of  Scandinavian  literature,  history,  religion,  science  and  art. 


LITERARY   WORK   IN   ENGLISH  839 

It  had  Swedish  contributors  and  published  not  a  few  articles  specifically 
Swedish-American. 

The  translation  of  selections  from  Swedish  standard  poets  and 
prose  writers  has  been  pursued  here  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  both 
by  Swedes  and  others.  Among  translations  published  in  Chicago  in 
book  form  are:  Tegner's  "Axel,"  translated  by  Major  J.  Swainson, 
published  together  with  the  original  text  of  the  poem,  by  the  Lakeside 
Pub.  Co.  in  1870;  Tegner's  "Frithiofs  Saga"  by  Thomas  and  Martha 
Holcomb,  in  1876;  "The  Surgeon's  Stories,"  vols.  I- VI,  by  Zacharias 
Topelius,  translated  by  Marie  A.  Brown  and  Selma  Borg,  and  published 
by  Jansen  &  McClurg  in  1882;  "The  Father,"  a  tragedy  by  August 
Strindberg,  translated  by  N.  Ericksen  and  published  in  London  and 
Chicago,  1899;  "Swedish  Fairy  Tales,"  by  Hofberg,  translated  by 
Willard  H.  Myers,-second  edition  published  here  in  1890;  "The  Play  of 
Fate,"  a  novel  by  Herman  Bjursten,  by  the  same  translator,  1892; 
"Swedish  Fairy  Tales,"  by  Anna  Wahlenberg,  translated  by  Axel 
Wahlenberg,  published  in  1901 ;  a  prose  translation  of  Tegner's 
"Frithiofs  Saga,"  done  by  John  B.  Miller  and  printed  privately  in 
1905 ;  a  metrical  translation  of  the  same,  about  to  be  published  in  a  pro- 
fusely illustrated  edition  by  Clement  B.  Shaw,  the  translator.  Albert 
Alberg  during  his  fifteen  years  in  Chicago  translated  a  number  of 
Swedish,  Norwegian  and  Danish  works  into  English,  besides  writing 
several  books  in  English  published  here.  His  original  writings,  while 
here,  were:  "Imaginary  Travels,"  "Vacation  Days,"  "Sophos,  or,  Kid- 
napping the  Kings,"  "How  I  Twice  Eloped"  and  "The  Future  Emperor 
of  the  United  States, ' '  a  satirical  romance.  His  translations  are :  ' '  The 
Pilgrimage  of  Truth,"  from  the  Danish  of  Erik  Bogh,  "High  Aims  and 
Other  Tales,"  and  "Marriage,"  by  August  Strindberg,  "Antichrist,"  a 
drama  by  Victor  Hugo  Wickstrom,  "George  Stephenson, "  a  drama, 
from  the  Norwegian  of  L.  Dietrichson,  and  Holberg's  comedy,  "Jeppe 
paa  Bjerget,"  from  the  Danish.  Altogether  Alberg  has  translated 
thirty  or  more  books  from  Scandinavian  languages  into  English,  most 
of  them  published  in  London  during  the  fourteen  years  he  spent  in 
England.  His  original  writings,  published  in  book  form,  are  twelve  in 
number. 

'  Hundreds  of  Swedish  poems  in  English  garb  have  appeared  in  the 
Swedish  papers,  as  well  as  numberless  translations  from  the  English. 
The  translators  of  this  class  of  literature  are  very  many,  and  out  of  the 
whole  number  not  a  few  have  evinced  ability  to  produce  well-turned 
and  musical  lyrics  in  English.  A  volume  of  "Poems  and  Swedish 
Translations"  by  Frederick  Peterson,  M.  D.,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  was 
published  in  1883  by  S.  A.  Maxwell  &  Co.,  of  Chicago.  It  contains  a 
number  of  original  poems  of  merit. 


840 


PRESS    AND    LITERATURE 


"The  Ward  of  King  Canute,"  "The  Thrall  of  Leif  the  Lucky" 
and  "Kandvar,  the  Songsmith,"  well-known  romances  of  old  Norse  life, 
are  the  work  of  a  young  Chicago  woman,  Ottilie  Liljencrantz,  whose 
Swedish  father  furnished  her  with  the  subject  matter,  while  her  Amer- 
ican mother  supplied  the  vehicle  of  expression,  for  her  charming  stories. 

Turning  from  belles  lettres  to  other  fields  of  literary  endeavor,  we 
find  several  notable  examples  of  works  in  English  by  Illinois  Swedes. 
Dr.  Oscar  Oldberg  of  Northwestern  University  is  the  author  of  several 
textbooks  on  chemistry,  pharmacy,  metrology  and  related  subjects  and 


Ottilie  A.  Liljencrantz 

has  served  for  almost  thirty  years  on  the  committee  of  revision  and 
publication  of  the  "Pharmacopcea  of  the  United  States."  Dr.  Carl 
S.  N.  Hallberg  of  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy,  another  authority 
on  pharmaceutical  science,  was  for  eight  years  editor  of  the  "Western 
Druggist, ' '  and  has  done  a  great  deal  of  work  in  various  sections  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  contributed  numerous  papers  to 
scientific  journals.  Dr.  Josua  Lindahl  and  Dr.  John  A.  Udden  are  two 
other  Swedish- American  scientists  whose  names  are  familiar  to  readers 
of  scientific  journals.  The  latter  has  written  quite  extensively  on 
geological  subjects  and  also  dipped  into  the  archaeology  of  America, 
as  witness  a  publication  by  him  entitled  "An  Old  Indian  Village."  In 
the  field  of  geology  he  has  had  a  number  of  treatises  published,  four 
of  which  are  the  results  of  his  investigations  bearing  on  the  wind  as  a 


LITERARY   WORK   IN    ENGLISH  841 

geological  agent,  namely,  "Dust  and  Sandstorms  in  the  West,"  "Loess 
as  a  Land  Deposit,"  "Erosion,  Transportation  and  Sedimentation  Per- 
formed by  the  Atmosphere"  and  "The  Mechanical  Composition  of 
Wind  Deposits."  Among  other  scientific  papers  by  Dr.  Udden  pub- 
lished separately  is  one  entitled,  "On  the  Cyclonic  Distribution  of 
Rainfall."  A  history  of  Sweden,  in  two  volumes,  published 
some  years  ago  in  English,  is  by  N.  N.  Cronholm,  a  Chicago  lawyer 
of  Swedish  birth,  and  the  laborious  task  of  compiling  the  genealogy  of 
all  the  ruling  houses  of  Europe  has  been  performed  in  this  same  city  by 
Carl  Magnus  Allstrom,  who  has  had  his  compendious  "Dictionary  of 
Genealogy"  published  in  two  volumes.  Herman  Lennmalm,  who 
abandoned  journalism  for  dental  surgery,  in  the  early  nineties  compiled 
a  work  on  dentistry  which  was  published  at  Chicago  under  the  title 
of  "World's  History  and  Review  of  Dentistry,"  in  1894.  Dr.  Olof 
Toffteen,  of  Western  Theological  Seminary,  is  the  author  of  a  book 
on  "Myths  of  the  Bible."  The  results  of  his  researches  in  the  past  few 
years  are  found  in  three  recent  volumes  from  the  University  of  Chicago 
Press,  namely,  "Ancient  Chronology"  and  vol.  V.  of  "Ancient  Records 
of  Egypt."  The  first  volume  of  a  third  orientalist  work  by  him,  entitled 
"Researches  in  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  Geography,"  appeared  in 
1908.  To  bibliographical  literature  Aksel  G.  S.  Josephson  has  made 
several  contributions,  including  "List  of  Bibliographies  of  Bibliog- 
raphies," published  by  the  Bibliographical  Society  of  Chicago,  and 
"Bibliography  of  Union  Lists  of  Serials,"  published  by  the  John  Crerar 
Library.  Josephson  has  edited  four  volumes  of  the  yearbook  of  the 
Bibliographical  Society  of  America  and  to  the  "Nation"  he  has  con- 
tributed notes  and  reviews  of  bibliographical  works  and  of  notable 
books  from  Sweden. 

Recent  years  have  shown  an  increased  demand  for  English  reading 
matter  that  is  no  less  characteristically  Swedish-American  for  being  in 
the  language  of  the  land.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  church  field, 
and  the  various  publishing  houses  are  meeting  these  requirements.  The 
Augustana  Book  Concern  has  published  for  years  an  English  Sunday 
School  paper,  "The  Olive  Leaf,"  to  which  was  added  a  few  years  back 
a  second  English  paper,  "The  Augustana  Journal,"  now  named  "The 
Young  Lutheran's  Companion."  A  collection  of  Swedish  songs  and 
hymns  in  English,  entitled  "Hymnal,"  is  from  the  same  house,  also  a 
collection  of  "Masterpieces  from  Swedish  Literature,"  six  small 
volumes  of  "Stories  for  Children,"  being  translations  made  by  C.  W. 
Foss,  from  "Lasning  for  barn,"  by  Z.  Topelius,  an  English  edition  of 
Nils  Lovgren's  "  Kyrkohistoria  till  skolornas  tjenst,"  translated  by 
M.  Wahlstrom  and  C.  W.  Foss,  and  "The  Law  of  the  Westgoths,"  done 
into  English  by  Alfred  Bergin.  The  Engberg-Holmberg  Publishing 


842 


PRESS   AND    LITERATI-RE 


Company  has  been  going  gradually  into  English  work  by  adding 
English  text  to  its  later  editions  of  Swedish  sheet  music  and  song  collec- 
tions, and  in  publishing  Woods-Baker's  "Stories  of  Swedish  Life,"  an 
edition  of  "Frithiofs  saga"  for  colleges  and  universities,  annotated  by 
George  T.  Flom,  and  several  juvenile  books,  while  its  largest  under- 
taking in  the  English  language  is  represented  by  the  work  in  hand, 
"History  of  the  Swedes  of  Illinois." 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Art  and  Artists 

The    First    American   Artist   a   Swede 

S  early  as  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century 
Swedish  artists  have  lived  and  flourished  in  the  United 
States.  According  to  researches  in  the  history  of  Amer- 
ican art,  there  lived  at  that  early  period  one  Gustaf  Hes- 
selius,  a  Swedish  painter,  whose  works  are  admitted  to 
be  the  first  artistically  executed  paintings  produced  in  America.  The 
father  of  American  art,  therefore,  was  a  Swedish-American. 

A  sketch  of  this  pioneer  artist  may  serve  as  a  fitting  preface  to 
the  following  account  of  Swedish-American  artists  and  their  works  in 
more  recent  times,  the  greater  number  of  whom  have  centered  about 
the  city  of  Chicago. 

Gustaf  Hesselius  was  a  native  of  the  province  of  Dalarne,  where 
he  was  born  in  1682.  His  father,  who  was  a  clergyman,  gave  his  five 
sons  a  thorough  education.  The  other  four  all  entered  the  ministry, 
while  Gustaf  pursued  art  studies  under  the  direction  of  masters  both 
in  Sweden  and  other  countries  of  Europe.  In  May,  1711,  he  came  over 
to  America  together  with  his  eldest  brother,  Andreas  Hesselius,  whom 
King  Charles  the  Twelfth  had  appointed  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Holy 
Trinity  Church  in  present  Wilmington,  Delaware.  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  Gustaf  Hesselius  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  established 
himself  as  an  artist  and  was  married  a  few  years  later.  About  1723  he 
removed  to  Maryland.  Among  the  works  executed  there  was  an  altar- 
piece  representing  the  Lord's  Supper,  painted  for  the  Queen  Ann 
Episcopal  Church,  which  was  torn  down  in  1773.  In  1735  we  find 
Hesselius  back  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  now  remained  for  a  score 
of  years.  The  demand  for  portraits  and  other  works  of  art  being 
limited,  he  was  compelled  to  wield  his  brush  as  a  common  artisan,  doing 
house  and  sign  painting,  decorating,  gilding,  and  occasionally  repairing 
and  illuminating  an  old  painting.  He  was  in  partnership  with  an 


844  ART  AND    ARTISTS 

Englishman,  John  Minter,  from  London,  the  firm's  advertisements 
appearing  in  the  primitive  newspapers  of  the  time. 

Hesselius  was  a  man  of  many-sided  talent.  He  possessed  musical 
ability  and  was  probably  the  first  organ  builder  in  the  colonies.  It  is 
known  that  an  instrument  was  built  by  him  for  the  church  of  the 
Brethren  in  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

From  paintings  by  Hesselius,  still  extant,  it  appears  that  he  was 
the  equal,  if  not  the  superior,  of  contemporary  artists  in  Europe. 
Among  the  collections  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  are  found 
two  of  his  paintings,  one  a  portrait  of  himself,  the  other  one  of  his  wife, 
Lydia  Hesselius.  "The  works  of  Hesselius  are  characterized  by  clear 
colors  and  strong  light  effects,"  says  Charles  Henry  Hart,  to  whom 
we  are  indebted  for  researches  that  have  saved  the  name  of  Hesselius 
from  oblivion.  A  few  other  portraits  from  his  hand  are  still  in  existence. 
This  pioneer  artist  died  in  Philadelphia  May  25,  1755,  and  lies  buried 
in  the  churchyard  of  the  old  Gloria  Dei  Church,  of  which  he  was  a 
member.  His  son,  John  Hesselius,  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father  and  was,  according  to  Hart,  the  first  native  American  artist. 

John  Hesselius  doubtless  obtained  his  artistic  education  from  his 
father,  and  did  not  go  to  Europe  until  late  in  life.  He  was  engaged  at 
Philadelphia  and  Annapolis  as  a  portrait  and  miniature  painter,  and 
his  name  occurs  frequently  in  the  history  of  the  colonial  period.  In  1763 
he  was  married  to  one  Mrs.  Woodward,  a  lady  of  beauty  and  refine- 
ment. 

The  two  Hesselii  were  the  only  Swedish  artists  in  America  in 
colonial  times,  of  whom  there  is  any  record. 

Another  early  American  painter  of  Swedish  birth  was  Adolf  Ulrik 
Wertmuller,  who  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  was  born  in  Stockholm 
in  1751,  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1794  and  died  in  1811. 

ILarly   Swedish   Artists   in   Illinois 

From  this  time  down  to  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  we 
find  no  Swedish  names  in  the  annals  of  American  art.  When  in  the 
'50s  and  '60s  Swedes  in  large  numbers  settled  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
they  were  mostly  sons  of  toil,  yet  there  was  a  sprinkling  of  professional 
men,  among  whom  were  a  few  artists.  For  these  the  field  was  far  from 
promising.  In  the  sodhouse  and  the  log  cabin  there  was  no  demand 
for  art  works,  not  even  in  the  little  frame  churches  with  which  these 
godfearing  people  soon  studded  the  prairies.  Daily  bread,  for  body 
and  spirit,  that  was  their  first  need.  It  was  not  until  the  second  period 
of  development  had  set  in,  when  the  primitive  huts  gave  way  to  more 
comfortable  homes,  and  houses  of  worship  assumed  a  more  churchly 


PETER    M.  ALMINI 


845 


aspect,  that  a  craving  for  the  beautiful  awoke  in  the  minds  of  the 
settlers.  About  this  time  the  first  frescoes  and  altar-pieces  appeared 
in  their  churches  and  the  decoration  of  the  private  homes  began  to 
betray  the  artistic  instinct. 

The  artists  of  this  period  were  Peter  M.  Almini,  Henry  E.  C.  Peter- 
son, Axel  William  Torgerson  and  Fredrik  B.  Blombergson,  all  of  Chi- 
cago, and  Lars  Axel  Blombergson,  of  Moline. 

Peter    M.  Almini 

Almini  was  born  in  Linderas,  Smaland,  Sweden,  March  21,  1825, 
and  learned  the  painter's  trade  in  Eksjo.  He  worked  at  his  trade 
in  Russia  and  Finland,  in  the  meantime  acquiring  great  skill  with  the 


Peter  M.  Almini 

brush.  For  six  years  he  lived  in  Stockholm,  during  two  of  which  he 
was  assistant  superintendent  in  the  decorating  of  the  royal  palace. 
In  1852  he  came  over  to  the  United  States,  settled  in  Chicago  and 
there  opened  in  business  the  following  year.  He  soon  made  him- 
self known  as  a  skillful  fresco  painter,  and  was  engaged  to  do  the  in- 
terior decorating  and  mural  painting  of  numerous  church  edifices, 
assembly  halls  and  public  buildings  in  this  and  other  American  cities. 
A  work  in  twenty-four  small  parts,  entitled  "Chicago  Illustrated", 


846 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


was  published  in  the  years  1868-71  by  Almiui  and  Jevne.  This  series 
was  almost  completed,  when  the  Chicago  fire  put  an  end  to  the 
publication.  Each  part  of  the  series  contained  four  illustrations  litho- 
graphed in  colors,  and  descriptive  text.  The  grandfather  of  Almini 
was  an  Italian  artist,  who  was  called  to  Stockholm  by  King  Carl 
XIV.  Johan  to  decorate  the  interior  of  the  royal  palace  and  who  liked 
the  country  so  well  that  he  remained  in  Sweden. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Swedes  in  Chicago,  Almini  was  a  prom- 
inent figure  among  them.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Academy  of  De- 
sign and  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Svea  Society,  organized 
in  1857,  and  in  1866  aided  in  founding  the  liberal  Swedish  weekly 
"Svenska  Amerikanaren."  The  business  established  by  him  in  1853 
is  still  continued  in  Chicago  under  the  name  of  the  Almini  Company. 
Almini  was  chiefly  a  commercial  artist,  who  painted  pictures  and 
sketches  merely  for  study  or  pastime.  He  had  made  a  profound  study 
of  both  ancient  and  modern  art,  and  stood  at  the  head  of  his  profession 
in  Chicago.  He  was  the  vice-president  of  the  Master  Painters  and 
Decorators'  Association  of  Chicago  and  the  treasurer  of  the  National 
Association  of  Painters  and  Decorators  when  they  were  founded. 
Peter  M.  Almini  died  in  October,  1890. 

Henry   E.   C.    Peterson 

The  Academy  of  Design  was  made  up  of  members  of  several 
nationalities.  Another  Swedish  member,  besides  Almini,  was  Henry 
E.  C.  Peterson,  the  portrait  painter,  who  for  a  time  taught  the  life 
class  of  the  academy,  resigning  afterwards  to  go  abroad  for  further 
study.  The  Academy  of  Design  flourished  remarkably  and  was  in  the 
sixties  a  noted  social  organization  of  Chicago.  It  held  its  meetings  in 
Crosby's  Opera  House  before  the  great  fire,  and  later  in  the  Academy 
of  Design  building  on  Michigan  avenue.  The  artists'  ball  was  the 
great  society  event  of  the  season  in  those  days,  tickets  selling  as  high 
as  twenty  dollars.  After  the  fire,  many  of  the  artists  left  Chicago, 
some  locating  in  New  York,  others  going  to  Europe. 

Henry  E.  C.  Peterson  was  born  May  20,  1841,  on  Skeppsholmen 
in  Stockholm.  His  father  was  a  ship  builder.  The  son  was  educated 
at  the  Sloyd  School  at  Brunkebergstorg  and  the  Royal  Academy  of 
Arts.  After  having  lost  both  parents  in  a  cholera  epidemic,  he  went 
for  a  tour  around  the  world  with  his  brother,  who  was  a  sea  captain. 
He  came  to  New  York  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  and  at  once  en- 
listed in  the  Union  navy.  He  served  on  the  frigate  Roanoke  ano  was 
present  at  the  great  naval  duel  between  the  Monitor  and  the  Merrirnac. 
After  serving  the  Union  for  three  years  and  one  month,  Peterson  lo- 
cated in  Chicago  and  took  up  painting  as  a  profession.  He  made  two 


PETERSON— BLOMBERGSON 


847 


trips  to  Paris  and  there  studied  at  the  Julien  school,  with  artists  of 
fame.  In  the  pursuit  of  his  specialty  of  portraiture,  Mr.  Peterson 
has  painted  many  people  prominent  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere.  Among 
those  in  Chicago  were  the  McCormicks,  the  Farwells,  and  John  and 
Moses  Wentworth.  Among  other  Americans,  who  have  sat  for  him, 
are  Brigham  Young,  president  of  the  Mormons,  and  many  bishops  and 
leading  men  of  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches.  For  libraries, 
universities,  colleges  and  banks  he  has  executed  a  large  number  of 
portraits  of  men  of  fame.  In  recent  years  Mr.  Peterson  has  had  the 
bulk  of  his  work  in  New  York,  where,  with  his  family,  he  spends  the 


Henry  E.  C.  Peterson 

greater  part  of  his  time.     His  wife  Emma,  nee  Larson,  made  a  name 
for  herself  as  a  singer  in  the  seventies  and  early  eighties. 

FredriK   B.   Blomberg'son 

About  the  years  1868-73  there  lived  in  Chicago  a  landscape  painter 
named  Fredrik  B.  Blombergson.  Finding  here  little  demand  for  his 
work,  he  returned  to  Sweden.  In  the  possession  of  his  old  friends 
are  found  a  small  number  of  canvases  from  which  we  are  enabled  to 
judge  of  his  skill  as  an  artist.  He  was  painstaking  to  a  high  degree 


BLOMBERGSON— TORGERSON 


849 


and  there  is  about  his  landscapes  an  almost  photographic  exactness. 
His  tints  are  modest  and  natural,  and  he  left  nothing  to  be  guessed 
at  in  his  pictures.  The  canvas  here  reproduced  is  a  view  of  Bergsjo, 
Helsingland,  the  artist's  home  parish.  Another  painting,  also  executed 
by  Blombergson  for  Jonas  Engberg,  is  "A  Norwegian  Fiord,"  a 
splendid  reproduction  of  a  most  majestic  scene.  In  the  possession  of 
John  G.  Malmgren  of  Chicago  is  a  view  of  Upsala,  also  a  replica  of  the 
scene  from  Bergsjo,  while  another  copy  of  the  latter  is  owned  by  John 
J.  Engberg  and  a  different  scene  from  the  same  locality  by  Eos  Heg- 
strb'm.  Blombergson  was  born  in  the  city  of  Soderhamn  and  located 
there  after  his  return  from  this  country. 

Axel  William   Torgerson 

Still  another  of  the  early  Swedish  artists  of  Chicago  was  Axel 
William  Torgerson,  who  was  born  in  Stockholm  in  the  year  1833.     He 


Axel  William  Torgerson 

was  educated  at  Upsala  University,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Chicago.  At  first  he  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  but,  possessing  talent  and  ambi- 
tion, he  took  up  painting  in  1870,  and  soon  developed  into  a  marine 


CO 

a 

a 

60 


BLOMBERGSON— ROOS 


851 


artist  of  recognized  ability.    He  executed  a  great  many  commissions  and 
his  work  was  greatly  admired.    Torgerson  died  in  January,  1890. 

Lars   Axel   Blomberg'son 

Blombergson  was  born  Aug.  17,  1841,  in  the  Swedish  city  of  S6- 
derhamn,  where  he  learned  the  painter's  trade  from  his  father.  He 
emigrated  in  1868,  coming  to  Moline,  111.,  where  he  lived  for  eleven 
years.  During  that  time  he  worked  at  interior  decorating,  and  spec- 
imens of  his  skill  could  be  seen  in  a  number  of  the  Swedish  churches  in 
that  section.  He  died  in  Moline  Nov.  18,  1879.  According  to  our  best 
information,  the  two  Blombergsons  were  cousins. 

Artists   of  a    Later    Period 

In  the  '80s  and  '90s  Swedish  artists  of  repute  came  to  this  country 
in  considerable  number,  many  of  whom  made  their  homes  here  and 
successfully  engaged  each  in  his  special  line  of  work,  some  as  illustra- 
tors, others  as  plastic  artists  and  sculptors,  still  others  as  painters. 
Besides,  quite  a  number  of  native  Swedish- Americans  have  entered  the 
field  of  art  in  late  years,  and  almost  every  art  exhibition  catalogue 
will  show  a  goodly  number  of  Swedish  names.  As  a  rule,  their  con- 
tributions to  art  possess  that  merit  and  dignity  which  characterizes 
modern  art  productions  in  Sweden. 

Swedish- American  artists,  however,  in  many  cases  are  unknown  to 
their  own  countrymen,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Sweden.  Most  of 
them  left  the  old  country  in  early  life;  and  here  they  have  met  with 
greater  appreciation  and  found  readier  sale  for  their  works  among 
the  general  American  public,  few  Swedish-Americans  heretofore  hav- 
ing attained  that  point  of  financial  independence  and  love  of  art,  at 
which  people  usually  begin  to  patronize  the  studios  and  exhibitions. 
Progress  in  this  direction  has  been  made  in  the  last  few  years,  and  the 
art  schools  established  at  various  institutions  of  learning  supported 
by  the  Swedish  people  bespeak  a  growing  appreciation  as  well  as  a 
more  general  cultivation  of  art  among  them.  Such  art  schools  were 
opened  in  1890  and  1895,  respectively,  at  Bethany  College,  Lindsborg, 
Kansas,  and  Augustana  College,  Rock  Island,  Illinois. 

Peter    Roos 

The  chair  of  industrial  art  and  design  at  the  University  of  Illinois 
during  the  decade  of  1880-90  was  occupied  by  a  Swedish  artist,  Peter 
Roos,  who  prior  to  his  election  to  the  professorship  was  instructor  at 
the  university  in  1876-77  and  in  the  winter  and  spring  terms  of  1880. 

Peter  Roos  is  a  native  of  Skane,  Sweden,  born  at  Lyngby,  Feb. 
22,  3850.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  place  and  at  Kristianstad,  and 
came  to  America  in  1872,  establishing  himself  in  Boston  as  fresco- 


852 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


painter  and  designer.  The  following  year  he  was  instructor  in  the 
evening  drawing  schools  of  the  city,  and  in  1874  he  established  an  art 
school,  the  Boston  Art  Academy. 

After  leaving  the  University  of  Illinois  Roos  studied  and  prac- 
ticed landscape  art  for  the  next  six  years,  or  until  1896,  when  he  took 
the  position  of  director  of  art  study  in  the  public  schools  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  the  position  he  now  holds.  Roos  became  a  member  of 
the  Boston  Art  Club  in  1874;  N.  E.  A.,  1903;  the  Cambridge  Municipal 
Art  Society  and  the  Illinois  University  Club,  1903. 

C.   F.  von  Saltza 

C.  F.  von  Saltza,  deceased,  was  a  noted  portrait  painter.  His  work 
is  characterized  by  that  touch  of  genius  which  makes  his  pictures  not 


C.  F.  von    Saltza 

merely  likenesses  of  persons,  but  works  of  art.  Von  Saltza  took  great 
pride  in  numbering  himself  among  "the  rank  and  file  of  those  that 
champion  the  cause  of  Sweden  and  strive  to  bring  honor  and  respect 
to  her  name  in  all  parts  of  the  world."  And  in  his  position  as  in- 


SALTZA— GRAFSTROM  853 

structor  in  three  different  art  schools  in  the  United  States  at  various 
periods,  he  doubtless  had  a  greater  opportunity  than  most  of  his  Swed- 
ish-American colleagues  to  make  his  influence  felt. 

C.  F.  von  Saltza  was  born  at  Sorby,  Ostergotland,  Sweden,  in  1858, 
the  son  of  Count  K.  A.  F.  von  Saltza  and  his  wife,  nee  De  la  Gardie. 
After  pursuing  general  studies  at  Upsala  and  Stockholm,  he  entered 
the  Royal  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  studying  for  six  years  under  the 
instruction  of  Boklund,  von  Rosen,  Wallander,  Kjellberg  and  Winge. 
Among  his  contemporaries  at  the  academy  were  Zorn,  Liljefors,  Nord- 
strom and  Eriksson,  names  later  known  to  fame.  The  years  1880  and 
1881  von  Saltza  spent  at  the  art  academy  of  Brussels,  going  from  there 
to  Paris,  where  during  the  next  three  years  he  developed  his  talent 
as  a  portrait  painter.  Returning  to  Sweden,  he  was  engaged  in  his 
chosen  line  for  a  few  years  before  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1891. 
After  a  short  stay  in  New  York,  he  came  west  to  Chicago  and  soon 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  Halsey  C.  Ives.  commissioner  of  art  at  the 
World's  Columbian  Exposition,  who  induced  von  Saltza  to  assume 
charge  of  the  department  of  painting  at  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  in 
St.  Louis.  For  six  years  he  held  that  position,  in  the  meantime  paint- 
ing portraits  of  a  number  of  persons  of  prominence  in  that  city. 

In  the  Swedish  department  of  the  Chicago  exposition  in  1893  von 
Saltza  had  on  view  an  excellent  portrait  of  his  wife.  He  took  part 
also  in  the  successive  art  exhibitions  at  Berlin  in  1896  and  at  Stockholm 
the  following  year. 

In  1898  von  Saltza  accepted  a  call  to  become  the  head  of  the 
department  of  painting  at  the  Art  Institute  of  Chicago.  After  one 
year,  however,  he  left  to  accept  a  like  position  with  the  Columbia  Uni- 
versity and  Teachers'  College  of  New  York.  This  he  retained  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  Dec.  10,  1905. 

Olof  Grafstrom 

Olof  Grafstrom  was  a  contemporary  of  Anders  Zorn,  Bruno  Lilje- 
fors and  Richard  Bergh  at  the  Academy  of  Arts  in  Stockholm.  At 
an  early  stage  of  his  career  he  made  himself  known  as  a  deft  wielder 
of  the  brush,  and  his  fine  landscapes  from  northern  Sweden  exhibited 
at  the  Artists'  Club  found  a  ready  sale.  One  of  these  found  its  way  to 
the  private  art  collection  of  king  Oscar  himself.  Grafstrom  is  keenly 
sensible  of  the  beauty  of  nature  in  the  far  North,  which  he  reproduces 
with  painstaking  accuracy,  down  to  the  smallest  fleck  of  cloud  in  its 
glorious  sky  and  the  minutest  detail  of  the  sunlit  crags  in  the  magnif- 
icent distance.  The  weird  twilight  of  the  northern  summer  night  has 
had  few  better  interpreters  than  he. 

During  the  score  of  years  spent  in  this  country.  Grafstrom  has  been 


854 


ART  AND    ARTISTS 


an  ardent  student  of  all  that  is  grand  in  our  western  forests,  moun- 
tains, lakes  and  prairies.  He  spent  a  number  of  years  in  the  Pacific 
states,  and  many  of  his  pictures  grace  the  homes  of  wealthy  westerners. 
In  Portland,  Oregon,  where  he  first  located,  Grafstrom  soon  became 
noted  for  his  splendid  depiction  of  the  sceneries  in  that  section,  and 
his  pictures  were  much  sought  after  both  for  private  homes  and  public 
buildings.  Three  years  later  he  removed  to  Spokane,  where  he  dupli- 


Olof  Grafstrom 

cated  his  success.  He  was  well  represented  at  the  expositions  in  both 
cities  the  next  few  years,  and  a  landscape  of  his,  a  scene  from  Lapland, 
won  the  grand  silver  medal  in  Portland. 

In  1893  Grafstrom  accepted  a  call  to  become  the  head  of  the  art 
school  in  connection  with  Bethany  College,  at  Lindsborg,  Kans.,  and 
after  four  years  took  a  similar  position  at  Augustana  College.  In 
these  two  positions  he  has  exerted  a  marked  influence  in  behalf  of  art 
among  the  Swedish- Americans.  This  has  not  been  limited  to  the  class- 
room and  the  studio,  for  as  a  skillful  painter  of  altar-pieces  he  has 


856 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


been  instrumental  in  disseminating  art  far  and  wide  among  the  Swed- 
ish people  in  this  country. 

Grafstrom  is  a  most  versatile  artist,  capable  of  making  a  pastelle, 
water  color,  pencil  or  pen  and  ink  sketch,  as  well  as  producing  a  fine 


portrait  or  landscape  in  oil.  The  last,  however,  is  his  forte.  He  de- 
lights particularly  in  reproducing  the  majesty  of  nature,  as  exemplified 
in  mountains  with  caps  of  snow  or  bathing  in  opalescent  sunlight, 
placid  expanses  of  water,  the  gloom  of  the  primeval  forest,  skies  of 


AXEL   ELIAS    OLSSON 


857 


delicate  tints  and  atmosphere  of  remarkable  translucence.  Many  of 
his  canvases  are  very  large,  and  justly  so,  in  conformity  to  the  magni- 
tude of  the  artist 's  motifs. 

Axel    Elias   Olsson 

Axel  Elias  Olsson  is  one  of  the  very  few  Swedish- American  artists 
who  have  adopted  the  chisel  in  preference  to  the  brush.  A  farmer 
boy,  born  in  Blekinge,  Sweden,  in  1857,  he  went  to  Stockholm  in  1870 


Axel  E.  Olsson 

and  soon  found  employment  in  the  studio  of  a  sculptor.  Not  satisfied 
with  what  he  was  able  to  learn  from  his  employer,  he  entered  the  sloyd 
school  and  from  there  went  to  the  Academy  of  Arts.  His  education 
finished  as  to  theoretical  schooling,  he  went  to  work  as  a  modeler  and 
architectural  sculptor,  and  in  1881  decided  to  go  to  France  for  further 
study.  Changing  his  plan,  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  re- 


858 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


mained  here.  During  the  quarter  century  Olsson  has  spent  in  this 
country  he  has  developed  from  artisan  to  artist. 

We  give  here  a  partial  list  of  his  productions,  all  of  which  possess 
merit,  some  taking  high  rank  as  works  of  art : 

Two  reliefs,  representing  Spring  and  Autumn;  the  plastic  groups 
that  adorned  the  Hall  of  Animal  Industry  and  Machinery  Hall  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago ;  models  for  ornamental  sculptures 
and  wood  carvings  for  the  new  building  of  the  Chicago  Athletic  Club, 
including  a  large  group  in  relief,  representing  a  Football  Scrimmage; 
two  decorative  groups  for  a  circus  building  in  Chicago ;  the  model  for 


Art  and  Music.     Relief  by  Axel  E.  Olsson 

an  art  fountain  in  bronze  for  the  Chicago  Public  Library ;  exterior  and 
interior  ornaments  for  the  new  Normal  school  in  DeKalb,  111.,  and  a 
marble  bust  of  one  of  the  donors  to  the  building  fund  for  said  school; 
over  one  hundred  allegorical  and  portrait  figures  for  the  new  court 
house  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  including  16  large  gable  friezes,  each  40  feet 
in  length;  models  for  granite  sculptures  in  the  Edison  Building  in 
Chicago,  also  for  the  Carnegie  Library  at  Muncie,  Ind.,  besides  a  large 
number  of  low  reliefs,  sculptured  figures  for  graveyard  monuments, 
church  ornaments,  etc. 

In  1903  Olsson  completed  a  marble  group  in  high  relief,  represent- 
ing Psyche  and  the  Zephyrs,  also  a  statuette,  entitled  "The  Whis- 
per." Both  were  exhibited  at  the  Chicago  Art  Institute,  where  they 
met  with  general  appreciation.  The  Psyche  group  had  a  place  in  the 
Art  Hall  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis  in  the 
same  year,  while  "The  Whisper"  adorned  the  art  room  of  the  Swedish 


AXEL   ELIAS    OLSSON  859 

Building.  To  the  foregoing  list  should  be  added  the  sculpture  decora- 
tions in  the  splendid  Vanderbilt  summer  home  at  Newport,  "The 
Breakers",  and  one  of  his  latest  groups,  "Friends",  a  plaster  bas 
relief,  shown  at  the  nineteenth  exhibition  of  American  paintings  and 
sculptures,  at  the  Chicago  Art  Institute  in  1906. 

An  art  critic  has  told  the  story  of  Mr.  Olsson's  Psyche  and  char- 
acterized the  work  of  the  sculptor  in  words  worthy  of  quotation : 

"His  Psyche  bas  relief  is  proof  of  the  capabilities  of  an  artist  in 
the  plastic,  if  he  possesses  the  'divine  spark'.  This  bit  of  sculptural 
decoration  is  so  charmingly  well  balanced  in  composition  and  so  truly 
tender  in  treatment,  that  one  lingers  in  its  presence,  if  but  to  admire 
the  delicacy  and  refinement  suggested.  For  all  the  nude  figures  by 
Mr.  Olsson  are  characterized  by  this  purity  of  expression.  He  believes 
in  the  beauty  of  form,  but  it  is  a  divine  beauty,  chaste  and  pure.  There 
is  quite  an  interesting  story  of  mishaps  related  by  the  sculptor  in  con- 
nection with  the  creation  of  this  delightful  mythical  creature,  that  has 
for  generations  suggested  to  sculptor,  painter  and  poet  alike  a  theme 
whereby  to  express  his  art.  When  the  idea  of  executing  such  a  work 
first  suggested  itself  to  Mr.  Olsson,  he  can  scarcely  recall,  it  was  so 
long  ago — a  sort  of  cherished  dream  that  the  time  might  come  when  he 
could  set  aside  so  much  of  the  commercial  sculptural  effects,  by  which 
he  had  been  kept  busy  and  by  which  he  existed,  and  create  something 
for  the  very  love  of  it.  In  1893  he  made  his  first  elaborate  sketch  of 
the  work  in  wax,  but  alas,  while  it  was  resting  on  a  chair,  some  one 
sat  down  on  it  and  destroyed  it.  Then  a  year  passed  away,  and  he 
began  the  modeling  in  full  size,  taking  it  to  a  place  for  final  treatment 
and  casting.  Mr.  Olsson-  in  the  meanwhile  had  to  go  to  a  terra  cotta 
factory  to  model  a  mantel.  When  he  returned,  he  found,  contrary  to 
promises  made,  the  clay  model  of  his  Psyche  relief  dry  and  almost 
ruined  by  falling  apart.  Almost  discouraged,  he  again  set  to  work  and 
restored  it  and  cast  it  in  plaster,  but  the  witticisms  indulged  in  by  the 
men  about  the  misfortunes  to  which  the  work  had  been  subjected 
made  him  abandon  it  in  disgust,  and  Psyche  was  hung  on  the  wall  of 
the  shop,  there  to  await — not  the  coming  of  Cupid — but  Fate.  Two 
fires  visited  the  building,  and  although  the  structure  was  almost  de- 
stroyed, Psyche  still  clung  to  the  wall,  but  with  her  beautiful  arms  and 
shapely  feet  amputated,  and  her  attending  Zephyrs  wafted  afar.  Dur- 
ing the  spring  of  1903  the  sculptor  was  taken  ill  and,  after  recovering, 
had  decided  to  go  upon  a  vacation  to  last  the  whole  summer  through. 
He  made  a  better  recovery  than  expected  and  the  thought  occurred  to 
him  that  he  would  spend  his  vacation  time  in  the  restoration  and 
completion  of  his  Psyche.  In  the  sculptor's  own  words:  'Now  or 
never — and  I  finished  it.  The  poor  girl  masqueraded  at  the  Art  Insti- 


Autumn.      Bas  Relief  by  Axel  E.   Olsson 


OLSSON— LINDIN  86 1 

tute  in  a  domino  of  bronze — a  mud  spot  on  the  wall,  practically  unseen 
and  unknown.  But  after  due  whitewashing  she  was  sent  to  St.  Louis 
and  considered  a  good  enough  girl  to  be  seen  there'." 

The  writer  affirmed  that  "Psyche  and  the  Zephyrs"  would  be  one 
of  the  sculptural  attractions  of  the  Exposition,  continuing : 

"How  could  it  be  otherwise?  Note  the  wonderful  beauty  of  form 
and  the  energy  displayed  by  the  Zephyrs,  or  Cupids,  as  others  might 
term  them,  while  the  figure  of  Psyche  herself  and  the  suggestion  of  air 
amid  the  bit  of  drapery  is  superb.  Mr.  Olsson  has  the  true  art  temper- 
ament, creating  his  own  art  atmosphere,  rather  than  seeking  for  it  else- 
where. ' ' 

"The  Whisper"  is  a  delicately  modeled  creation,  extremely  re- 
fined, showing  the  little  love  god  whispering  his  message  in  the  ear 
of  a  young  maiden  whose  figure,  slightly  draped  and  exquisitely  posed, 
presents  a  fine  conception  of  virgin  beauty  and  modesty. 

Carl  Olof  Eritt.   Lindin 

Carl  Olof  Erik  Lindin  is  a  landscape  painter  whose  works  have 
gained  recognition  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  in  Sweden  and 
France  as  well.  A  native  of  Fellingsbro,  Sweden,  he  came  to  Chicago  in 
the  fall  of  1888,  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  In  the  following  spring  he  got  a 
situation  with  a  Swedish  painter  and  decorator,  but  such  work  was  far 
from  a  realization  of  his  early  ambition  to  become  an  artist.  Shortly 
afterward  he  secured  a  place  as  coachman  to  a  physician  in  Wisconsin. 
Both  the  doctor  and  his  wife,  learning  of  the  young  man's  ambition, 
assisted  him  as  best  they  could,  the  former  by  giving  him  instruction 
in  the  English  language,  the  latter  by  defraying  his  expenses  at  the 
local  art  school.  After  a  year  he  was  advised  to  go  back  to  Chicago  to 
continue  art  studies.  He  entered  the  evening  school  at  the  Art  Institute 
and  besides  took  private  lessons  in  painting.  In  the  meantime  he 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  business  man  and  art  lover,  who  not 
only  encouraged  him,  but  aided  him  in  a  material  way,  making  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  go  to  Paris  in  1893  for  further  study.  From  there  he 
visited  his  native  land  before  returning  to  the  United  States.  In 
Sweden  he  now  formed  the  acquaintance  of  influential  persons,  who 
became  interested  in  his  future,  ordered  pictures  and  assured  him  of 
their  support  in  the  further  prosecution  of  his  studies.  Postponing  his 
return  to  America,  Lindin  now  went  back  to  Paris  and  spent  the  next 
four  years  studying  with  Jean  Paul  Laurens,  Benjamin  Constant  and 
Aman-Jean  in  the  winter  and  spring,  passing  the  summer  and  fall 
in  Sweden.  By  now.  Lindin 's  name  was  known  and  his  art  recognized 
in  artist  circles  there,  and  many  of  his  landscape  paintings  were  left 


862 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


behind,  in  the  possession  of  art  collectors,  when  he  returned  to  the 
United  States  in  1897. 

In  Chicago,  his  home  city,  Lindin  holds  a  prominent  place  in  art 
circles  and  his  pictures  grace  almost  every  exposition  at  the  Art  Insti- 
tute. His  works  have  been  shown  in  Philadelphia,  Detroit,  at  the  St. 
Louis  Exposition,  in  Munich,  at  the  Stockholm  Exposition  of  1.897, 
and  his  pictures  were  among  those  hung  in  the  Paris  Salon  of  1900. 


Carl  Olof  Erik  Lindin 

In  his  landscapes  Lindin  delights  in  soft,  subdued  color  effects 
and,  although  an  athlete  in  build,  he  paints  with  almost  feminine 
delicacy. 

Carl  Johan   Nilsson 

Carl  Johan  Nilsson,  who  studied  in  the  private  studio  of  Oscar 
Berg,  the  Stockholm  sculptor,  and  later  at  the  Academy  of  Liberal 
Arts,  under  the  direction  of  John  Borjeson,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  November,  1899.  His  purpose  was  to  exhibit  in  American  cities 
a  biblical  gallery,  comprising  sixteen  groups  of  statuary,  illustrating 


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864 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


incidents  in  the  life  of  Christ,  the  gallery  having  been  originally  pro- 
duced for  the  Stockholm  Exposition  of  1897.  The  gallery  was  first 
exhibited  in  Boston,  then  at  the  successive  expositions  in  Buffalo  and 
St.  Louis.  In  January,  1905,  Nilsson  removed  to  Chicago,  taking  a 
permanent  position  as  modeler  for  a  large  terra  cotta  plant.  Since 
then  he  has  executed  a  large  number  of  decorative  groups  and  reliefs 
for  architectural  purposes.  One  of  these  is  a  statuary  group  represent- 
ing " Justice,  Law  and  Bondage",  designed  for  a  new  county  court- 


Carl  Johan  Nilsson 

house  at  Greensburg,  Pa.  Another  typical  work  of  his  is  a  life  size 
bust  of  King  Oscar,  first  exhibited  in  Chicago  in  1905,  at  the  Swedish- 
American  art  exhibition.  This  included  also  a  design  for  a  proposed 
John  Ericsson  monument,  executed  by  Xilsson. 

While  in  Sweden,  Nilsson  produced  a  large  number  of  portrait 
busts  and  groups  for  the  Swedish  Panopticon  of  Stockholm,  executed 
plastic  and  sculptural  work  for  the  Northern  Museum,  the  Royal  Ar- 
mory, the  Royal  Artillery  Museum,  the  Gothenburg  Museum  and  other 
institutions.  For  two  years  he  was  assistant  to  Prof.  Borjeson,  Swe- 
den's foremost  monumental  sculptor,  in  modeling  the  statues  of  Carl 


NILSSON— RYDEN 


865 


X.  Gustaf  and  Magnus  Stenbock,  for  the  cities  of  Malmo  and  Helsing- 
borg,  respectively.  For  the  Russian  ministry  of  war  Nilsson  designed 
a  collection  of  plastic  figures  to  be  part  of  the  Russian  exhibit  at  Paris 
in  1900.  The  aforesaid  biblical  gallery,  which  was  executed  by  Nilsson 
and  his  instructor,  Prof.  Berg,  was  taken  abroad  after  the  close  of  the 
Stockholm  Exposition  and  exhibited  for  a  season  in  Helsingfors.  There, 


- 


Justice,  Law  and  Bondage.     Decorative  Group  by  Carl  J.  Nilsson 

as  in  the  Swedish  capital,  it  attracted  great  interest,  while  in  American 
cities  it  met  with  a  rather  indifferent  reception. 

Henning'   Ryden. 

Henning  Ryden,  born  in  Blekinge,  Sweden,  in  1869,  the  son  of  a 
schoolmaster,  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources  early  in  life  and 
learned  the  engraver's  art.  At  this  he  worked  in  Stockholm  and  Co- 


866  ART    AND   ARTISTS 

penhagen,  devoting  his  leisure  moments  to  art  studies.  In  1891  he 
crossed  the  ocean,  and  at  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  he  had  an  ex- 
hibition of  artistically  engraved  medals  of  the  presidents  of  the  United 
States.  Finding  little  demand  for  this  kind  of  work  in  this  country, 
Ryden  gradually  turned  his  attention  to  sculpture,  and  later  turned 
from  sculpture  to  painting.  Following  the  pursuit  of  art  studies  in 
Paris,  Berlin  and  London,  he  located  in  Chicago  and  made  a  reputation 


Henning  Ryden 

as  one  of  the  most  skillful  medal  engravers  in  the  West.  For  a  time 
he  devoted  himself  to  relief  portraiture  in  plaques  and  bronzes, 
producing  a  number  of  excellent  specimens  of  such  work. 

In  late  years  hardly  an  exhibition  has  taken  place  in  Chicago  at 
which  Ryden  has  not  been  represented  with  one  or  more  paintings. 
At  the  exhibition  of  American  painters  at  the  Art  Institute  in  1901 
three  of  Ryden 's  pictures,  "The  Edge  of  the  Woods",  "Autumn 
Tones",  and  "The  Close  of  Day",  were  the  objects  of  much  favorable 
comment.  The  summer  seasons  the  artist  spends  in  Wisconsin,  making 
sketches  for  canvases,  which  are  later  finished  in  time  for  the  winter's 
exhibitions. 


ARVID   F.    NYHOLM 
Arvid   F.  Nyholm 


867 


Arvid  Nyholm  is  a  pupil  of  Anders  Zorn,  whose  school  in  Stock- 
holm he  entered  after  studying  for  more  than  two  years  at  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  In  the  fall  of  1891  Nyholm  came  to  the  United 
States  and  located  in  New  York  City.  For  twelve  years  he  maintained 
a  studio  there,  devoting  himself  both  to  portrait  and  landscape  paint- 
ing. His  canvases  were  frequently  seen  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  New 


Arvid  F.  Nyholm 

York  Water  Color  Society  and  the  National  Academy  of  Design. 

In  October,  1903,  Mr.  Nyholm  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Here  he  has  taken  part  in  all  the  different  exhibitions 
of  water  colors  and  oil  paintings  at  the  Art  Institute.  He  is  a  popular 
member  of  the  Palette  and  Chisel  Club  of  Chicago. 

In  his  personality  Mr.  Nyholm  is  a  combination  of  northern  rigor 
and  strength  and  the  sanguine  fire  of  the  south.  The  same  traits  are 
reflected  in  his  art.  Before  leaving  Sweden,  Nyholm  was  a  skillful 


868 


ART   AND    ARTISTS 


water  color  artist,  and  to-day  he  is  a  recognized  master  in  this  line  of 
work.  His  portraits  and  landscapes  in  oil  display  the  genuine  art  in- 
stinct, coupled  with  technic  of  a  high  order. 

Arvid  F.  Nyholm  is  a  native  of  the  Swedish  capital,  where  he  was 
born  in  1866,  the  son  of  the  manager  of  the  Central  printing  establish- 


P     t*  ** 

•••>* 


"•^~ *          '    .  ^ 


ment.  Having  finished  college,  he  entered  the  Royal  Technical  High 
School  in  1886,  his  father  intending  to  make  an  architect  of  him. 
Draftsmanship  did  not  appeal  to  the  young  man's  taste,  however,  and 
in  a  year  he  left  to  enter  the  employ  of  Brolin,  a  scene  painter.  In  the 
meantime  Nyholm  took  private  lessons  in  drawing  from  Gosta  Grehl, 
preparatory  to  entering  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts. 


HUGO    VON    HOFSTEN 


869 


Hugo   von    Hofsten. 

In  1885,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  Hugo  von  Hofsten  came  to  the 
United  States,  equipped  with  an  art  education  acquired  in  the  studios 
and  art  schools  of  Stockholm.  In  1890  we  find  him  on  the  staff  of 
illustrators  of  the  New  York  Graphic.  After  three  years  he  came  to 
Chicago  and  was  successively  employed  on  the  Evening  Post,  the 


Hugo  von  Hofsten  and  Child 

Journal  and  the  Tribune,  until  1895,  when  he  took  a  position  as  head 
of  the  illustrating  department  of  the  Times-Herald.  When,  after  six 
years,  there  was  a  change  in  the  ownership  and  name  of  the  paper,  Hof- 
sten was  supplanted  by  another  man,  but  continued  as  a  member  of  the 
illustrators'  staff,  remaining  until  1906. 

Mr.  Hofsten  excels  in  the  line  of  portraiture,  of  which  he  has  made 
a  specialty.  Aside  from  the  routine  work  in  the  illustrating  depart- 
ment of  a  great  newspaper,  he  has  devoted  himself  to  legitimate  art. 
The  result  has  appeared  in  the  form  of  wash  drawings  and  oil  paint- 


870  ART    AND    ARTISTS 

ings,  shown  at  various  local  art  exhibitions.  Hofsten  has  tried  his 
hand  successfully  at  illustrating  juvenile  books.  His  pictures  for  the 
"Mother  Goose  Jungle  Book",  published  some  years  back,  betrayed  a 
sense  of  humor  as  keen  in  the  artist  as  in  the  author. 

Hugo  von  Hofsten  comes  from  a  family  ennobled  in  1726.  He  was 
born  in  Vermland,  in  1865,  his  father  being  a  large  manufacturer  in 
Karlskoga.  Many  of  the  family  have  attained  positions  of  high  honor 
in  the  state,  others  have  made  a  name  for  themselves  in  commerce  and 
the  industries.  Still  others  have  devoted  themselves  to  literary  pur- 
suits. Among  the  latter  is  J.  C.  von  Hofsten,  an  authoress  who  has  en- 
riched the  literature  of  Sweden  with  many  delightful  sketches  and 
stories  of  life  in  the  province  of  Vermland. 

Charles    Edward  Hallberg' 

Charles  E.  Hallberg  has  acquired  considerable  fame  as  a  marine 
painter  under  the  name  of  "the  janitor-artist".  In\1900  he  had  his 
first  picture  accepted  by  the  Chicago  Art  Institute,  and  since  that  time 
his  marines  have  graced  every  art  exhibition  in  Chicago. 

The  encouragement  given  him  by  two  great  artists,  Alexander  H. 
Harrison  and  Anders  Zorn,  furnished  Hallberg  the  impetus  to  take  up 
painting  as  a  profession — alongside  of  his  work  as  janitor  in  a  bank 
and  apartment  building  in  the  suburb  of  Austin. 

Dabbling  with  colors  since  a  boy,  Hallberg  sought  to  fasten  his 
memories  of  the  sea  on  canvas.  Seventeen  years  of  service  before  the 
mast  had  taught  him  all  the. moods  and  foibles  of  the  ocean.  Ambitious, 
to  earn  a  little  extra  money,  he  began  to  copy  a  little  marine  sketch 
by  the  late  Edward  Moran,  of  Philadelphia.  But  when  it  was  finished, 
the  self-taught  artist  was  sadly  disappointed  with  his  work  and,  throw- 
ing down  the  canvas,  vowed  never  to  touch  paints  again. 

Yet  the  next  day  a  newspaper  item  changed  his  purpose.  It  stated 
that  Anders  Zorn  was  visiting  the  family  of  Charles  Deering  in  Evans- 
ton.  Hallberg  at  once  determined  to  submit  his  case  to  the  great 
Swedish  master.  Putting  the  Moran  copy  under  his  arm,  with  another 
little  attempt  at  painting,  he  set  out  for  the  Deering  mansion.  There 
the  liveried  servants  informed  him  that  Zorn  was  away  for  the  day. 
While  the  two  were  talking,  a  guest  rode  up  on  a  bicycle.  "There's 
Alexander  Harrison.  He's  a  painter.  Why  don't  you  ask  him,  as  Mr. 
Zorn  is  not  here?"  urged  the  servant.  Hallberg  looked  first  at  his 
sketches,  then  at  his  mean  apparel,  and  shook  his  head  in  hesitation. 
Finally  he  consented  to  send  word  in  to  Mr.  Harrison,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  artist  came  down.  Asked  to  look  at  the  sketches,  he  said 
he  had  not  time.  Hallberg  insisted,  only  to  get  no  for  an  answer.  When 
the  little  janitor  turned  away  in  disappointment,  the  artist  finally  re- 


CHARLES    E.    HALLBERG 


871 


lented,  calling  him  back  with  the  words,  "Come  on,  then,  I'll  look  at 
your  sketches. ' '  He  looked,  not  a  second,  but  for  several  minutes,  and 
said,  "There's  good  in  this  stuff.  Go  on,  paint." 

Encouraged  by  the  commendation  of  Alexander  Harrison,  Mr. 
Hallberg  still  craved  the  approval  of  his  fellow  countryman,  the  famous 
Zorn.  Again  he  sought  the  Deering  home.  This  time  he  found  a  house 
party  in  possession.  Leaving  his  sketches  at  the  carriage  house,  Hall- 
berg  timidly  went  up  to  the  house  and  sent  in  for  Mr.  Zorn.  The  re- 
nowned artist  came  out  to  meet  the  unknown,  and  the  two  greeted 
each  other  in  the  mother  tongue. 


Charles  Edward  Hallberg 

"Would  the  great  Zorn  see  the  sketches  of  the  humble  janitor?" 
The  great  Zorn  would.  But  the  sketches  were  at  the  carriage  house. 
No  matter — the  two  went  there  together,  and  Hallberg  displayed  his 
treasured  pictures.  Zorn  looked  at  them  a  long  time,  then  said,  "There 
is  good  stuff  in  you.  Keep  on— paint. "  It  was  the  advice  of  Mr.  Har- 
rison over  again. 

Hallberg  told  of  his  rare  fortune.  It  reached  the  ears  of  a  Chicago 
editor  with  artistic  tendencies  and  human  sympathy,  and.  he  brought 
Hallberg  to  the  notice  of  the  public.  Some  of  his  pictures  were  sold 
for  small  sums,  and  finally  the  attention  of  the  Art  Institute  officials 
was  directed  to  the  artistic  janitor. 

Mr.  French,  the  director,  was  induced  to  ask  Hallberg  to  bring  in 
some  of  his  work.  He  at  once  recognized  the  merit  and  strength  of  the 
untutored  artist.  This  was  in  February,  1901.  It  was  then  too  late  to 


872 


ART   AND    ARTISTS 


include  Hallberg's  picture  in  the  annual  exhibition  of  the  Chicago 
artists,  yet  so  impressed  was  Mr.  French  with  his  canvas,  "The  Open 
Sea",  that  a  special  arrangement  was  made,  whereby  this  picture  was 
hung  in  the  room  of  old  masters.  There  it  attracted  great  attention 
and  was  finally  sold  for  $150. 


O 


With  this  impetus,  Hallberg  worked  at  his  easel  every  spare  mo- 
ment, and  the  next  spring  sent  nine  pictures  to  the  institute  for  com- 
petition. Three  of  these  were  admitted  to  the  exhibition.  They  are 
entitled,  "Dawn  at  Sea  Off  the  Coast  of  France",  painted  from 
memory,  with  the  aid  of  a  sketch  made  on  shipboard  while  Mr.  Hall- 


CHARLES    E.    HALLBERG 


873 


berg  was  a  sailor;  "A  Summer  Day  on  Lake  Michigan",  showing  the 
placid  beauty  and  vivid  coloring  of  the  great  fresh  water  sea,  basking 
in  the  summer  sun;  and  "Sunrise  on  Lake  Michigan",  a  canvas  of  del- 
icate coloring  and  deft  handling. 

"Summer  Day  on  Lake  Michigan"  was  exhibited  at  the  St.  Louis 


Exposition  in  1904.  It  was  sold  to  a  private  collector  to  be  presented 
to  the  Art  Gallery  of  Oakland,  Cal.  In  the  spring  of  1906  Mr.  Hallberg 
Had  a  separate  exhibition  of  forty-one  pictures  in  one  of  the  rooms  at 
the  Art  Institute.  They  were  all  marines — Hallberg  can  paint  water 
and,  except  for  an  occasional  fishing  smack  or  schooner,  he  paints 


874  ART   AND   ARTISTS 

nothing  else.  Here  was  a  splendid  opportunity  to  judge  of  the  artist's 
work.  The  variety  of  canvases  was  unusual,  showing  coloring  and 
light  effects  under  the  varying  aspects  of  the  day,  the  clime  and  the 
seasons.  Having  painted  entirely  according  to  his  own  art  instinct  for 
several  years,  Hallberg,  after  having  had  his  work  accepted  by  the  Art 
Institute,  set  to  work  to  gain  an  understanding  of, the  craft  of  other 
painters — Woodbury,  Homer  Richards,  Harrison  and  Whistler — as 
shown  in  their  canvases.  This  study  has  helped  him  to  a  better  defini- 
tion of  his  talent,  and  so  positive  has  been  his  own  personality,  that  in 
no  instance  may  a  picture  be  said  to  reflect  the  style  of  another 
man.  Thus,  in  a  little  over  five  years  this  artist  has  made  such 
progress  as  to  acquire  a  national  reputation.  Among  his  later  pictures, 
which  tend  to  illustrate  the  advance  made  by  him,  may  be  mentioned, 
"Summer  Morning",  a  study  in  opalescent  water  and  morning  mists, 
"Morning  After  the  Storm",  with  ragged  clouds  and  angry  breakers 
giving  way  to  approaching  calm;  "Ocean  Wave",  imparting  a  sense 
of  the  vasty  deep;  "The  Coming  Storm",  "In  the  Teeth  of  the  Gale", 
"Off  the  Isle  of  Wight",  "Returning  Fishermen",  now  owned  by  the 
Clio  Association  of  Chicago;  "Evening  at  Sea",  "Moonlight  Spin", 
"Storm  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee",  "Summer  Evening  on  the  Atlantic", 
and  "A  Northeaster  on  Lake  Michigan." 

In  1908  Mr.  Hallberg 's  paintings  were  exhibited  for  two  weeks  in 
the  art  rooms  of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.  in  Chicago.  Among  purchasers 
was  Mr.  A.  E.  Johnson,  of  New  York,  who  added  three  of  Hallberg 's 
marines  to  his  extensive  private  collection.  Another  was  purchased 
for  the  Field  art  department. 

At  the  outset,  Hallberg,  in  a  stuffy  little  basement  den,  far  from 
the  pounding  breakers  and  the  rolling  surf,  painted  the  ocean  of  his 
youth,  as  memory  brought  again  the  salt  breeze  to  his  nostrils  and  the 
dashing  spray  and  tumbling  brine  to  his  sight.  Of  late,  however,  he 
has  worked  mostly  in  the  open  air,  with  his  easel  planted  on  some 
commanding  point  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan. 

FranK   A.   Lundahl 

In  point  of  priority  among  Swedish-American  artists  of  Illinois, 
Frank  A.  Lundahl,  of  Moline,  111.,  has  a  place  next  to  the  early  artists, 
the  two  Blombergsons  and  Almini.  He  is  best  known  as  a  painter  of 
altar-pieces  being  one  of  the  earliest  in  that  class  of  artists  in  the  West. 
In  treatment  and  coloring  these  works  betray  a  generous  measure  of  tal- 
ent, but  his  figures  frequently  are  disproportionate,  showing  a  lack  of 
that  training  which  might  have  placed  him  in  the  first  rank  of  Illinois 
artists  of  the  Swedish  nationality. 


John  Paul  Jones.     Statuette  by  Jean  LeVeau 


The  Viking.     Terra  Cotta  Statuette  by  Jean  LeVean 


JANSSON— STROM 


877 


Lundahl's  work  in  crayon  and  oil  has  been  seen  at  numerous  oc- 
casions both  in  Moline  and  Chicago.  By  trade  a  decorator,  Mr.  Lun- 
dahl  displays  great  skill  in  that  line,  combining  craftsmanship  with 
genius. 

Alfred  Jansson 

Alfred  Jansson  came  to  the  United  States  and  to  Chicago  in  the 
year  1889,  equipped  with  an  art  education  acquired  in  the  schools  of 
Stockholm,  Christiania  and  Paris.  Before  long,  he  became  recognized 
in  local  art  circles  for  his  fine  landscape  work,  his  subject  being  usually 


Frank  A.  Luhdahl 


Alfred  Jansson 


chosen  from  around  Chicago.  Jansson 's  canvases  have  hung  in  many 
annual  art  exhibitions  not  only  in  Chicago  but  in  Philadelphia,  St. 
Louis,  Denver  and  elsewhere.  One  of  the  striking  pictures  in  the  local 
exhibition  in  Chicago  in  1902  was  Jansson 's  "Winter  Approaching," 
which  was  purchased  by  the  Clio  Association.  Mr.  Jansson  is  a  member 
of  several  organizations  of  artists,  including  the  Palette  and  Chisel 
Club. 

Gustaf  Adolf  Strom 

A  struggling  young  artist  of  Chicago  who  paints  wagons  for  bread 
and  pictures  to  satisfy  his  ideal  cravings  is  Gustaf  Adolf  Strom.  In 
1897  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  see  his  first  paintings  hung  in  the 
exhibition  of  American  artists  at  the  Art  Institute.  The  subjects  were, 
"The  Fisherman's  Hut"  and  "The  Suburb."  Since  then  he  has  been 
successful  in  having  his  work  accepted  for  almost  every  local  exhibition. 


878 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


The  following  named  canvases,  most  of  which  have  been  exhibited,  are 
some  of  his  best:  ''Early  Moonrise, "  "The  Old  Mansion  Gate," 
"Twilight  Tones,"  "Autumn,  the  Sad  and  the  Gay,"  "The  Home- 
stead," "The  Dreamer's  Retreat"  and  "The  Golden  Hillside."  This 
laborer-artist  has  qualities  which  have  gained  for  him  favorable  com- 
ment in  various  newspapers  and  art  journals.  Strom  is  a  native  of 


Gustaf  Adolf  Strom 

Sweden,  born  at  Skillingaryd,  Smaland,  March  2,  1872.  Not  until  he 
came  to  Chicago  in  1892  did  he  begin  to  devote  himself  to  art,  and  then 
only  in  spare  moments.  As  the  breadwinner  for  a  family  of  ten,  he  is 
compelled  to  turn  his  talent  to  practical  use,  while  following  art  merely 
for  the  love  he  bears  it. 

Other  artists  and  designers  whose  skill  may  well  be  recognized  but 
of  whom  there  is  little  to  be  said  here,  are  Gus  Higgins;  Bror  Julius 
Olson  Nordfelt,  now  on  the  staff  of  illustrators  of  "Harper's  Maga- 
zine;" August  Swenson,  who  was  in  Chicago  in  the  nineties  and  died 


88o  ART   AND    ARTISTS 

here  about  1897 ;  Jean  LeVeau,  a  sculptor,  who  spent  a  year  or  two  in 
Chicago ;  Johannes  Anderson,  Richard  Swanson  and  Elmer  C.  Blomgren, 
all  architectural  designers,  and  one  DeMare,  of  whose  art  no  data  are 
available.  One  or  two  churches  have  altar-pieces  painted  by  Higgins, 
but  his  brush  was  employed  much  more  frequently  in  rendering 
attractive  the  interiors  of  Chicago's  dram  shops  and  cheap  music  halls. 
In  the  years  just  prior  to  the  universal  reign  of  the  halftone,  Higgins 
held  lucrative  positions  on  Chicago  dailies  as  an  illustrator.  He  had 


The  Homestead.     By  Gustaf  A.  Strom 

marked  talent  as  a  sketcher  of  portraits  and  has  drawn  many  cartoons 
and  comic  pictures  of  a  peculiarly  bizarre  type.  The  picture  here 
shown,  entitled  "War  News,"  is  probably  a  specimen  of  his  most  credit- 
able work,  outside  of  portraiture. 

Were  one  to  make  note  of  all  commercial  artists  and  of  those 
persons  who  as  amateur  painters  have  attained  a  fair  degree  of  skill 
in  handling  the  artist's  brush  and  palette,  the  list  of  Swedish  artists  in 
Chicago  and  Illinois  would  be  materially  extended.  From  the  mural 
decorator  and  architectural  sculptor  it  is  not  a  far  cry  to  the  architect, 
and  in  the  field  of  architecture  the  Swedish-Americans  boast  quite  an 
arrav  of  masters  of  the  craft. 


War  News.     Wash  Drawing  by  Gus  Higgins 


882  ART    AND   ARTISTS 

TKe  Swedish-American    Art  Association 

Of  a  score  or  more  of  the  most  notable  Swedish  artists  in  the 
United  States,  the  majority  have  been  located  in  Chicago  for  a  greater 
or  lesser  period  of  time.  A  desire  on  their  part  to  conserve  their  com- 


3 


mon  interests  prompted  the  organization  of  the  Swedish-American  Art 
Association  of  Chicago.  At  the  initiative  of  Carl  Johan  Nilsson,  a 
sculptor,  the  association  was  formed  February  17,  1905,  and  Nilsson 
was  chosen  its  first  president.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  associa- 
tion felt  strong  and  confident  enough  to  arrange  an  art  exhibition  of 
its  own.  So  great  was  the  interest  in  their  enterprise,  that  the  exhibi- 
tion was  kept  open  one  week  over  the  allotted  time,  or  from  October 
23rd  to  November  llth.  It  was  a  small  but  choice  collection  that  was 
placed  on  view,  comprising  eighty  numbers  in  all,  seventy-two  of  which 
were  by  Swedish-American  and  eight  by  Swedish  artists. 


THE    LINNE    MONUMENT 


883 


The  success  attending  the  exhibition,  led  Mr.  Nilsson  and  his  col- 
leagues to  plan  their  next  exhibition  on  a  larger  scale.  An  invitation 
was  accordingly  extended  to  the  Swedish  Society  of  Artists  at  Stock- 
holm to  participate  in  such  an  exhibition,  at  the  Chicago  Art  Institute, 
in  the  fall  of  1906,  but  circumstances  placed  obstacles  in  the  way. 

The    Linne    Monument 

• 

In  the  middle  eighties,  after  the  Lincoln  statue  had  been  erected 
in  Lincoln  Park,  and  the  Chicago  Germans  had  given  like  tribute  to 


Group  of  Children.     Portrait  Plaque  by  Helming  Ryde*n 

the  memory  of  Schiller,  while  the  Danes  were  planning  a  statue  of 
Hans  Christian  Andersen,  the  idea  of  rearing  a  monument  to  Carl  von 
Linne  was  brought  up  for  serious  consideration  by  the  Swedish- 
Americans  of  Chicago.  Discussion. matured  into  action,  and  on  the  7th 
of  June,  1887,  a  meeting  was  held,  when  the  first  step  toward  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Linne  Monument  Association  was  taken.  On  this  occa- 


884 


ART    AND    ARTISTS 


sion  C.  J.  Sundell  presided  and  C.  F.  Peterson  acted  as  secretary.  At 
a  subsequent  meeting  to  complete  the  organization,  45  directors  were 
elected  and  a  constitution  and  by-laws  adopted.  According  to  a  rule 
subsequently  adopted,  any  member  became  a  director  upon  donating 
a  minimum  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars  to  the  cause.  At  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  directors,  held  July  26th,  these  officers  were  elected:  Joh. 


Linne".     Plaster  from  Marble  by  Christian  Eriksson  in   National    Museum  of 
Stockholm.      Presented  to  the  Art  Institute  of  Chicago  by  P.  S.  Peterson 

A.  Enander,  president ;  C.  J.  Sundell,  Robert  Lindblom,  P.  S.  Peterson, 
O.  G.  Lange,  P.  M.  Almini.  Andrew  Chaiser  and  P.  W.  Nilsson,  vice 
presidents ;  Lawrence  Hesselroth,  recording  secretary ;  Victor  Teng- 
wald,  corresponding  secretary ;  H.  P.  Brusewitz,  C.  Eklund,  assistant 
secretaries ;  C.  Widestrand,  financial  secretary ;  John  R.  Lindgren, 
treasurer.  Dr.  Josua  Lindahl  was  elected  the  first  honorary  member 
of  the  association. 


King  Oscar  II.     Bust  in  Plaster  by  Carl  J.  Nilsson 


886  ART    AND    ARTISTS 

A  call  for  public  contributions  was  issued  in  August,  and  10,000 
membership  diplomas  were  printed,  to  be  awarded  to  all  persons  sub- 
scribing at  least  one  dollar  to  the  monument  fund.  The  same  year 
four  of  Chicago's  Swedish  writers,  viz.,  Joh.  A.  Enander,  C.  F.  Peter- 
son, Jakob  Bonggren  and  Ernst  Lindblom,  published  a  volume  of  their 
verse,  entitled  "Linnea",  which  was  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  fund. 

The  enterprise  was  of  national  scope,  and  no  less  than  five 
hundred  solicitors  were  appointed  throughout  the  United  States.  The 
Swedish- Americans  in  the  East  wanted  the  monument  erected  in  New 
York,  those  in  the  Northwest,  in  Minneapolis,  and  other  locations  were 
suggested,  and  when  the  Swedes  of  Chicago,  who  originated  the  plan, 
and  took  the  first  active  measures  towards  its  realization,  refused  to 
yield,  it  was  left  largely  to  themselves  to  carry  the  undertaking  through 
to  success. 

The  work  of  raising  the  money  was  vigorously  pushed  in  1888. 
Three  public  entertainments,  given  in  Chicago,  each  netted  over  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  others  yielded  sums  running  into  the  hundreds. 
The  proposed  monument  was  to  be  a  replica  of  the  statue  of  Linne,. 
modeled  by  C.  J.  Dyfverman  and  erected  in  Humlegarden,  in  Stock- 
holm. In  November,  1888,  the  association  let  the  contract  to  Otto- 
Meyer  &  Co.,  of  Stockholm,  for  the  casting  of  the  main  figure  of  the 
monument.  From  the  sculptor  a  new  model,  with  such  improvements 
as  art  critics  had  suggested,  was  ordered  for  the  sum  of  5,000  crowns. 
The  bronze  figure  was  to  cost  23,000  crowns.  The  plan  was  to  sub- 
stitute jardinieres  for  the  four  allegorical  female  figures  of  the  Stock- 
holm monument,  but  this  was  abandoned,  and  the  directors  decided 
to  make  the  replica  complete.  Thereby  they  incurred  an  additional 
outlay  of  4,000  crowns  for  models  of  the  allegorical  figures  and  relief 
panels,  and  30,000  crowns  for  the  casts,  making  a  total  of  62,000 
crowns  for  the  statue  and  accessories,  not  including  the  cost  of  the 
ornate  granite  pedestal. 

In  March,  1889,  Dr.  Enander  resigned  the  presidency  and  was 
succeeded  by  Robert  Lindblom,  who  retired  one  year  later  to  go  abroad. 
Much  work  still  remained  to  be  done,  before  the  monument  could  be 
completed,  and  this  was  done  under  the  direction  of  Andrew  Chaiser 
as  acting  president. 

Finally,  sufficient  funds  were  at  hand  to  have  the  main  statue 
erected,  leaving  the  auxiliary  figures  and  decorative  details  to  be 
added  at  a  later  date.  The  heroic  bronze  figure  arrived,  was  mounted 
on  its  gray  granite  pedestal,  and  on  May  23,  1891,  the  184th  anniver- 
sary of  the  birth  of  the  Swedish  ''Flower  King",  the  monument  was 
unveiled  with  appropriate  ceremonies  in  the  presence  of  a  great  con- 
course of  Swedish- Americans. 


LINNE   MONUMENT 


887 


The  association  continued  to  raise  funds  up  to  July,  1893,  when 
the  subscriptions  had  reached  a  total  of  $18,970,  or  a  little  more  than 
70,000  crowns.  It  appears  that  by  eliminating  the  bronze  reliefs  and 
reducing  the  estimates,  the  total  cost  of  the  monument  was  brought 
within  that  limit. 

The  monument  to  Carl  von  Linne,  located  near  the  conservatories 
and  flower  gardens  in  Lincoln  Park,  is,  next  to  the  Grant  monument, 
the  most  imposing  one  in  Chicago.  A  photographic  reproduction  of 
this  fine  example  of  Swedish  plastic  art  fittingly  serves  as  the  frontis- 
piece of  this  volume. 


CHAPTER    XV 

Organizations 

Th.e   Svea   Society 

HE  pioneer  of  Swedish-American  social,  fraternal  and 
beneficiary  organizations  is  the  Svea  Society,  of  Chicago, 
which  in  January,  1907,  celebrated  its  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary. In  response  to  a  growing  demand  among  the  non- 
churchly  element  for  a  society  of  Swedish  Chicagoans, 
organized  on  a  fraternal  basis  alone,  C.  J.  Sundell,  the  Swedish  vice 
consul,  issued  a  general  call  for  a  preliminary  meeting  to  be  held 
Jan.  22,  1857,  in  Hoffman  Hall  on  North  Clark  street,  to  discuss  the 
project.  The  temporary  officers  of  the  meeting  were,  C.  J.  Stolbrand, 
chairman,  C.  J.  Sundell,  secretary,  and  C.  F.  Billings,  treasurer.  Mr. 
Sundell  called  attention  to  the  need  of  an  organization  such  as  had 
been  privately  talked  of,  the  purpose  of  which,  he  said,  should  be  to 
strive  for  the  education  and  ennoblement  of  its  members  by  means  of 
good  entertainments  and  the  collection  and  maintenance  of  a  library, 
and  to  render  every  assistance  to  the  Swedish  people  in  the  city.  Their 
plan  met  with  general  favor  and  a  society  was  immediately  organized, 
to  be  known  as  Svea.  The  temporary  officers  were  made  permanent. 
A  constitution  and  by-laws  adopted  at  a  subsequent  meeting  embodied 
the  plans  and  purposes  of  the  society  mainly  as  outlined  at  the  organ- 
ization meeting. 

In  December  of  the  same  year  the  society  arranged  its  first  public 
entertainment,  a  fair,  when  the  sum  of  $130  was  realized  for  the 
purchase  of  books.  Shortly  before,  Rev.  Unonius  of  the  St.  Ansgarius 
Church  had  donated  a  small  collection  of  books,  to  which  later  was 
added  a  collection  originally  meant  for  the  church.  Thus,  a  library  of 
four  hundred  volumes  was  secured.  The  leading  Swedish  daily  news- 


SVEA   SOCIETY 


889 


paper,  "Aftonbladet"  of  Stockholm,  was  kept  at  a  cost  of  no  less  than 
$56.00  per  year,  until  the  price  to  the  society  was  reduced  by  one-half 
through  the  kind  offices  of  Mr.  Hellberg,  Swedish  director  of  posts 
at  Hamburg.  Other  papers  from  Sweden  were  secured  at  less  cost. 

The  meetings  during  the  first  year  were  held  in  P.  M.  Almini's 
building  on  Kinzie  street,  then  for  several  years  in  the  Newberry  build- 


Charles  J.  Sundell 

ing,  at  Wells  and  Kinzie  streets,  subsequently  in  the  German  Hall  on 
Wells  street  and  in  1868  the  society  removed  to  45  N.  Clark  street, 
where  it  was  located  at  the  time  of  the  great  fire. 

During  the  first  seven  years  Stolbrand  and  Sundell  alternated 
as  presiding  officers,  while  F.  E.  af  Jocknick  served  as  librarian.  A. 
beneficiary  provision  was  early  added  to  the  by-laws,  granting  mem- 
bers a  sick  benefit  of  $5  per  week  during  illness.  In  1859  Svea  procured 
its  first  banner,  costing  $130. 


890  ORGANIZATIONS 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  a  number  of  the  members  of 
the  Svea  Society  enlisted,  joining  the  Swedish  corps  under  Captain 
Silfversparre,  known  as  the  Silfversparre  Battery.  While  encamped 
at  Savannah  after  the  victorious  battle  of  Atlanta,  the  battery  was 
given  a  furlough  and  the  Swedish  boys  went  home  for  a  brief  visit. 
They  were  given  an  enthusiastic  reception  in  Chicago,  and  a  festival 
arranged  in  their  honor  by  Swedish  ladies  was  held  at  German  Hall. 
On  this  occasion  a  flag  of  blue  satin,  on  which  was  embroidered  the 
American  eagle  and  the  names,  Shiloh,  Vicksburg  and  Atlanta,  was 
presented  to  the  battery,  the  presentation  speech  being  made  by  Miss 
Lena  Larson.  This  highly  cherished  trophy  was  burned  in  1871. 

In  1866  0.  G.  Lange  during  a  visit  to  Sweden  procured  an  addi- 
tion to  the  library,  comprising  500  volumes  and  sundry  art  portfolios, 
a  large  part  of  these  being  donations  from  the  royal  family.  The 
society  now  owned  a  library  of  one  thousand  volumes.  In  consideration 
of  his  valuable  services,  Captain  Lange  was  elected  an  honorary  member 
and  presented  with  a  jewel-studded  gold  medal.  The  greatest  loss 
sustained  by  the  Svea  Society  in  the  Chicago  fire  was  the  total  destruc- 
tion of  this  valuable  library. 

.During  the  famine  year  of  1867  in  Northern  Sweden  the  society 
sent  7,000  crowns  to  the  sufferers,  that  being  the  net  proceeds  of  a  fair 
arranged  by  Svea  in  the  face  of  considerable  opposition  from  the 
Swedish  churches  who,  while  favoring  the  cause,  disapproved  of  the 
method. 

The  same  year  Svea,  with  commendable  enterprise,  undertook  the 
founding  of  an  emigrant  hotel  or  home  for  the  care  and  protection  of 
Swedish  newcomers.  After  the  close  of  the  war  Swedish  immigration 
to  this  country  greatly  increased,  reaching  the  floodtide  mark  in  the 
years  1866  to  1870.  There  was  a  large  and  steady  influx  to  Chicago, 
which  served  as  a  distributing  point  for  the  entire  west  and  northwest. 
These  people  were  an  easy  prey  to  a  class  of  swindlers  termed  emigrant 
runners,  self-appointed  "agents,"  who  met  the  unsuspecting  newcomers 
at  the  trains  and,  representing  themselves  as  guides,  advisers  and 
friends,  sought  to  fleece  them  at  every  turn.  Some  were  the  paid 
emissaries  of  steamship  companies,  others  were  in  league  with  hotel 
and  boarding  house  keepers,  while  still  others  operated  on  their  own 
account.  Hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  innocents  were  thus  swindled 
in  the  most  brazen  fashion,  these  sharks  and  vultures  attacking  their 
victims  openly  and  fearlessly,  under  the  guise  of  officialdom  or  philan- 
thropy. 

After  flourishing  for  several  years  the  system  grew  intolerable  and 
public  opinion  was  aroused.  The  rascals  were  denounced  at  mass 
meetings  and  in  the  press,  Isidor  Kjellberg  leading  the  attack  through 


SVEA   SOCIETY  891 

his  paper,  "Justitia,"  while  "Hemlandet"  and  "Nya  Verlden"  main- 
tained a  steady  fire.  This  public  anti-runner  campaign,  however,  was 
not  started  until  about  1871.  It  devolved  upon  the  various  church 
organizations  and  the  Svea  Society  to  aid  and  protect  the  Swedish 
immigrants  long  before  that. 

The  pastors  had  taken  the  initiative  in  this  work,  Erland  Carlsson, 
Unonius  and  others  having  labored  arduously  for  the  welfare  of  the 
newcomers  ever  since  the  early  fifties.  The  Swedish  churches,  aided 
by  other  Scandinavians  and  several  Americans,  in  1867  built  an 
emigrant  home  where  newcomers  in  distress  were  lodged  and  fed  free 
of  charge.  They  also  maintained  an  agent,  invested  with  police 
authority,  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  runners  and  warn  immigrants  against 
them. 

Not  long  after,  the  Svea  Society  took  similar  measures.  The  prime 
mover  was  Charles  Eklund,  and  his  proposition  that  the  Svea  Society 
erect  and  maintain  an  emigrant  home  was  warmly  seconded.  A  cooper 
shop  at  Franklin  and  Ohio  streets  was  leased  and  remodeled  into  a 
lodging  for  Swedish  newcomers  and  S.  Tragardh  was  engaged  as  the 
society's  representative.  These  arrangements  were  merely  provisional. 
To  procure  funds  for  a  suitable  building  of  its  own  the  society  started 
a  general  subscription  which  netted  $2,500.  A  lot  was  purchased  at 
120  Illinois  street,  for  a  sum  of  $4,000  and  a  building  was  put  up  at 
an  equal  cost.  In  1869  thousands  of  immigrants  found  shelter  there. 
A  ladies'  auxiliary  was  organized  to  assist  in  raising  the  funds  needed 
to  house  and  feed  such  numbers.  During  the  same  year  seven  immi- 
grants were  provided  burial  and  87. were  sent  to  the  county  poorhouse. 

At  length  dissensions  over  this  laudable  but  expensive  enterprise 
arose  among  the  members  themselves  and  the  upshot  of  the  feud  was 
that  the  home  was  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  creditors  on  Sept.  6,  1871, 
for  the  sum  of  $6,000,  only  to  be  reduced  to  ashes  one  month  later. 
About  this  time  the  society  numbered  300  members. 

The  gala  event  in  the  history  of  Svea  was  the  reception  tendered 
Christina  Nilsson,  the  renowned  Swedish  singer,  on  her  first  visit  to 
Chicago  in  December,  1870.  In  the  evening  of  the  22nd  a  great  national 
celebration  took  place  in  the  German  Theater  at  Wells  and  Indiana 
streets,  under  the  auspices  of  Svea,  with  whose  committee  of  arrange- 
ments other  representative  persons  co-operated.  The  hall  was  crowded 
to  the  doors  by  men  and  women  who  had  cheerfully  paid  five  dollars 
for  admission.  The  great  singer  was  feted  in  splendid  style,  crowned 
with  a  golden  wreath,  given  homage  in  speech,  verse  and  song  and 
finally  toasted  at  a  banquet  board  spread  in  her  honor.  The  banquet 
was  followed  by  a  grand  ball.  Some  time  after,  the  arrangers  were 
chagrined  to  learn  that  the  wreath,  for  which  a  prominent  jewelry 
house  was  paid  $1,000,  was  not  genuine.  Nevertheless,  the  Svea  Society 


892 


ORGANIZATIONS 


had  cause  for  satisfaction  and  pride  in  the  fact  that  the  affair  proved 
a  most  brilliant  success.  This  was  the  first  great  celebration  by  the 
Swedish  population  in  Chicago. 

The  following  summer  Christina  Nilsson  gave  a  benefit  concert 
in  Chicago,  the  proceeds  of  which  were  to  be  divided  among  the  various 
Swedish  churches  and  the  Svea  Society.  The  latter,  being  allotted  only 


Christina    Nilsson 

a  twelfth  part  of  the  net  receipts,  the  directors  in  protest  against  what 
they  deemed  niggardly  and  ungrateful  treatment  refused  to  accept 
their  share. 

In  1872  Svea  rallied  from  the  stroke  dealt  it  by  the  great  fire. 
Its  meetings  were  held  in  various  halls  for  the  next  five  years,  and 
thereafter  it  secured  permanent  quarters  at  Chicago  avenue  and  Larra- 
bee  street.  By  1880  it  had  collected  a  new  library,  numbering  over 
500  volumes,  in  charge  of  Anders  Larson,  who  had  served  as  librarian 


SVEA   SOCIETY 


893 


since  1867.  The  presidents  during  the  first  quarter  century  of 
Svea's  existence,  were:  Stolbrand,  Sundell,  J.  P.  Hussander,  J.  A. 
Nilson,  Oscar  Malmborg,  C.  Blanxius,  Th.  Engstrom,  C.  Stromberg, 
C.  F.  Billings,  Gerhard  Larson,  O.  G.  Lange,  N.  Torgerson,  Konrad 
Gothe,  Berglund,  P.  M.  Almini,  J.  M.  Schonbeck,  Gylfe  Wolyn,  C.  G. 
Linderborg,  A.  Aspman,  Sven  Olin,  A.  J.  Westman  and  Knut  Nilson. 
The  Svea  Society  in  1881  provided  for  death  benefits  for  its  mem- 


Aiulers    Larson 

bers.  The  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  its  organization  was  celebrated 
with  an  imposing  festival  Jan.  22,°  1882.  Other  notable  data  of  its 
history  are,  the  sending  of  a  congratulatory  cablegram  to  A.  E.  Norden- 
skiold,  the  Swedish  explorer  and  discoverer  of  the  northeast  passage, 
upon  his  reaching  Yokohama  in  1880,  and  the  election  of  Paul  B.  Du 
Chaillu  an  honorary  member  upon  the  publication  in  1882  of  his  work 
entitled,  "The  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun."  Nordenskiold  sent  a  letter 
to  the  Svea  Society,  Avhich  is  preserved  as  a  memento.  Since  1901  the 
society  has  met  at  Schott's  Hall  on  Belmont  avenue,  where  its  library 


894  ORGANIZATIONS 

of  some  2,000  volumes  is  installed.  In  recent  years  the  membership 
has  dwindled  down  to  about  fifty. 

Among  Svea's  earliest  members  was  Anders  Larson,  one  of  the 
pioneer  Swedish  Chicagoans.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1846 
and  then  located  in  Chicago  instead  of  going  to  Bishop  Hill  with  Erik 
Jansson's  party  with  which  he  crossed  the  ocean.  He  was  a  soda  water 
manufacturer  in  the  city  for  ten  years,  subsequently  locating  at  Jeffer- 
son as  a  farmer.  Larson  served  as  librarian  of  the  Svea  Society  from 
1867  until  about  1882.  He  was  born  June  11,  1801,  at  Torstuna,  West- 
manland,  Sweden,  and  died  in  Chicago  Sept.  1,  1884.  His  union  with 
Sarah  Brita  Martensdotter,  dating  from  1829,  was  blessed  with  eight 
children,  one  of  whom  is  Mrs.  Emma  L.  Peterson,  a  singer  who  won 
repute  in  the  '70s  and  '80s.  When  Jenny  Lind  visited  America,  Mrs. 
Larson  and  Mrs.  Unonius  elicited  her  promise  to  give  a  benefit  concert 
for  the  St.  Ansgarius  Church.  Illness  prevented  the  singer  from  keep- 
ing her  word,  but  the  action  of  the  two  ladies  paved  the  way  for  Jenny 
Lind's  subsequent  generous  gifts  to  this  church.  Mrs.  Larson  passed 
away  June  18,  1898. 

The  latter  half  of  Svea's  existence  has  been  less  eventful  than  the 
first.  In  the  seventies  and  especially  in  the  eighties  quite  a  number 
of  Swedish  organizations  of  similar  character  sprung  up,  dividing  the 
field  and  thereby  decreasing  Svea's  former  sphere  of  influence. 

K.nox   Svea   Bildning'sforening' 

Knox  Svea  Bildningsforening  was  the  name  of  a  literary  society 
that  was  formed  in  April,  1858,  and  existed  about  one  year.  Its  presi- 
dent and  secretary  were,  Sven  Peterson  and  Dan  J.  Ockerson.  The 
undertaking  was  revived  in  December,  1865,  by  the  organization  of 
Svea  Bildnings-  och  Laseforening,  whose  aim  was  identical,  namely,  to 
afford  opportunity  for  self-development  through  reading  and  intel- 
lectual exercises.  Its  work  was  largely  along  popular  science  lines, 
and,  although  opposed  by  the  most  intolerant  church  members  on  this 
account,  the  society  persevered  until  1872,  when  it  succumbed.  It 
appears  that  Pehr  Mattson  was  president  and  Torkel  Nilson  secretary 
during  the  greater  part  of  its  existence. 

The    Freja    Society 

The  Freja  Society  was  organized  in  Moline  in  September,  1869,  as  a 
social  and  beneficiary  organization.  It  flourished  for  eight  years  and 
reached  a  membership  of  about  one  hundred.  In  1874,  with  $2,000  in 
the  treasury,  it  erected  its  own  building,  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  The  debt 
thus  incurred  proved  too  great  a  burden,  and  in  1877  the  hall  was 
sold  and  the  societv  dissolved.  Those  of  the  most  active  members  who 


EARLY  SOCIETIES  895 

served  as  president  were:  John  A.  Samuels,  Gustaf  Swenson,  C.  A. 
Westerdahl,  Andrew  Swanson,  F.  0.  Eklund,  and  Eric  Asp.  Under 
the  auspices  of  Freja  was  organized  the  Moline  Swedish  Band,  which 
in  its  day  was  a  popular  musical  organization  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

The    First  Swedish    Lodge   of  Odd   Fellows,  No.  479 

The  First  Swedish  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  No.  479,  was  organized 
in  Chicago,  Feb.  22,  1872.  At  the  time  only  three  of  its  ten  original 
members  were  of  Swedish  birth,  but  when  the  lodge  had  got  well  under 
way  the  others  withdrew.  The  lodge  grew  rapidly  to  an  average 
membership  of  150,  including  many  well-known  Swedish-American 
citizens  of  Chicago.  In  the  list  of  its  early  leaders  we  find  the  names 
of  P.  A.  Felt,  Henry  Allen,  J.  T.  Appleberg,  D.  W.  Modeen,  A.  L. 
Gyllenhaal,  John  Mountain,  P.  M.  Nelson,  P.  G.  Bowman,  Aug.  Nieman, 
E.  0.  Forsberg,  W.  T.  Eklund  and  Charles  J.  Strombeck. 

The  Scandinavian  Benevolent  Society 

A  beneficiary  fraternal  organization  known  as  the  Scandinavian 
Benevolent  Society,  antedating  the  Freja  Society,  was  formed  in 
Moline  in  1866  and  outlived  the  latter.  It  did  not  enjoy  so  vigorous 
a  growth,  having  attained  a  membership  of  but  70  during  the  first 
twelve  years  of  its  existence.  Its  finances  were  more  conservatively 
managed,  however,  the  funds  being  devoted  exclusively  to  the  original 
purpose  of  sick  benefits  and  funeral  aid. 

The  Independent  Order  of  Svithiod 

Organizations  similar  to  the  Svea  Society  were  formed  from  time 
to  time  among  the  Swedish  population  of  Chicago  and  other  com- 
munities in  Illinois,  but  not  until  the  '80s  did  the  idea  of  forming  a 
federated  body  of  Swedish  societies  or  lodges  patterned  after  the 
American  beneficiary  orders,  reach  the  point  of  realization. 

The  first  step  in  this  move  was  taken  by  one  Simon  Hallberg,  who 
took  the  initiative  in  the  organization  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Svithiod.  On  Dec.  3,  1880,  he  called  together  a  few  friends,  eight  in 
number,  who  took  favorably  to  the  plan  he  laid  before  them.  They 
then  and  there  constituted  themselves  into  a  society,  or  the  nucleus  of 
a  society,  which  adopted  the  name  of  Svithiod.  The  name  had  been 
borne  by  a  prior  Scandinavian  society,  then  on  the  point  of  dissolution. 
The  new  society  increased  and  prospered  and  soon  felt  the  need  of  a 
charter.  Articles  of  incorporation  were  submitted,  and  on  Sept.  2,  1881, 
the  secretary  of  state  issued  incorporation  papers  for  The  Independent 
Order  of  Svithiod.  The  charter,  granted  under  the  Revised  Statutes 


896  ORGANIZATIONS 

of  1874,  is  a  liberal  one  and  all  the  more  valuable  as  later  legislation 
has  narrowed  the  rights  and  privileges  of  similar  orders. 

The  constitution  adopted  laid  down  these  fundamental  provisions : 
The  purpose  of  the  order  shall  be  to  unite  in  brotherly  love  and  co- 
operation Swedish  men  of  sound  health  and  good  character,  to  exercise 
among  its  members  an  influence  for  moral  betterment  and  to  render 
material  benefits,  to  give  assistance  to  members  in  need  and  affliction 
and  to  pay,  upon  the  death  of  members,  certain  beneficiary  sums  to 
their  nearest  kin. 

The  aforementioned  Simon  Hallberg  was  the  first  president,  or 
Grand  Master,  of  the  order,  serving  up  to  Jan.  1,  1882,  when  he  retired 
from  office,  but  not  from  active  work  in  behalf  of  the  order.  His 
career,  however,  was  unexpectedly  cut  short  by  his  death  on  the 
following  7th  of  July,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years. 

In  spite  of  the  loss  of  its  organizer  and  energetic  promoter,  the 
order  continued  its  wholesome  growth  by  the  aid  of  other  leaders. 
Among  the  men  who  have  since  carried  forward  the  work  no  one  has 
earned  more  credit  than  Axel  Blomfeldt,  who  succeeded  to  the  post 
of  Grand  Master.  By  New  Year's,  1885,  the  Order  of  Svithiod  num- 
bered 200  members  and  its  funds  amounted  to  $4,000.  That  year  John 
P.  Johnson  was  elected  Grand  Master,  succeeded  later  by  Bernard 
Peterson,  both  of  whom  are  still  active  members  of  the  brotherhood. 

During  succeeding  years  the  members  by  removals  became  scat- 
tered far  and  wide  throughout  the  city,  making  it  less  convenient  for 
them  to  meet  in  a  common  hall.  Up  to  1889  they  had  met  in  the 
North  Side  Turner  Hall,  but  at  this  time  members  living  in  Lake  View 
and  on  the  west  side,  petitioned  for  authority  to  organize  branch  lodges 
in  their  respective  neighborhoods.  Extension  work  was  then  taken  up 
with  the  result  that  Manhem  Lodge  No.  2,  I.  0.  S.,  was  organized  Oct. 
llth,  and  Verdandi  Lodge  No.  3,  Oct.  25,  1890.  Within  the  next  three 
years  as  many  other  new  lodges  were  added,  the  first  lodge  during  that 
time  acting  as  grand  lodge,  under  which  were  subordinated  the  other 
five.  These  additions  were,  Mimer  No.  4,  Oct.  3,  1891,  Frithiof  No.  5, 
Dec.  25,  1891,  and  Gylfe  No.  6,  March  25,  1893. 

At  this  stage  of  development  the  members  began  to  realize  the  need 
of  a  representative  central  organization  or  grand  lodge,  to  transact 
the  common  affairs  of  the  order.  This  agreed,  a  committee  was  set  to 
work  revising  the  constitution  with  the  desired  end  in  view.  After 
three  months  the  work  was  completed,  and  on  June  25,  1893,  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  S.  was  organized  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  Its 
first  set  of  officers  were  the  following:  High  Grand  Master,  Axel 
Blomfeldt,  Verdandi  Lodge,  High  Grand  Secretary,  Bernard  Peterson, 
Svithiod  Lodge,  High  Grand  Treasurer,  John  Peterson,  Verdandi  Lodge. 
The  following  named  gentlemen  constituted  the  first  executive  board : 


ORDER  OF  SVITHIOD  897 

Gust.  Oman,  H.  E.  Hanson,  S.  Franson,  Frank  Lindquist  and  John  P. 
Johnson.  The  Grand  Lodge  met  in  annual  convention  in  February,  1894, 
for  the  first  time. 

The  organization  of  the  grand  lodge  marks  the  beginning  of  a 
period  of  greater  progress  for  the  order.  Up  to  this  time  the  member- 
ship had  reached  only  750,  although  the  organization  dated  its  existence 
back  a  dozen  years.  Its  growth  during  the  subsequent  period  of  almost 
fifteen  years  is  far  beyond  comparison,  as  shown  by  the  records  up  to 
November,  1908,  when  the  total  membership  exceeded  six  thousand 
and  the  number  of  lodges  had  reached  thirty-nine. 

On  July  22,  1894,  the  order  was  extended  beyond  the  limits  of 
Chicago  and  the  boundaries  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  by  the  organization 
of  the  Bjorn  Lodge  No.  7,  in  East  Chicago,  Ind.  While  the  member- 
ship grew  constantly,  no  new  lodge  was  formed  for  nearly  three  years 
from  that  time,  the  Ring  Lodge  No.  8  being  organized  May  29,  1897. 
This  was  followed  by  the  Hilding  Lodge  No.  9,  of  Roseland,  March  20, 
1898.  From  now  on  new  lodges  were  started  in  more  rapid  succession, 
namely,  four  in  1899,  two  during  each  of  the  following  two  years,  three 
in  1902,  five  in  1903,  two  in  1904,  one  in  1905,  six  in  the  banner  year 
of  1906,  three  in  1907,  and  two  in  the  present  year.  The  order  has  not 
adhered  to  the  original  practice  of  designating  its  lodges  by  names  from 
the  Norse  mythology,  but  genuinely  Swedish  names  are  commonly 
adopted,  a  few  local  names  forming  exceptions  to  this  rule. 

The  subsequent  lodges,  with  location  and  date  of  organization  of 
each,  are  as  follows : 

Odin  Lodge  No.  10,  Joliet,  111.,  Sept.  16,  1899 ;  Thor  Lodge  No.  11, 
Chicago  Heights,  111.,  Oct.  22,  1899;  Balder  Lodge  No.  12,  Cragin,  111., 
Nov.  11,  1899 ;  Stockholm  Lodge  No.  13,  Chicago,  Dec.  30,  1899 ;  Svea 
Lodge  No.  14,  West  Pullman,  111.,  May  19,  1900 ;  Linden  Park  Lodge 
No.  15,  Moreland,  111.,  Oct.  6,  1900;  Frej  Lodge  No.  16,  Moline,  111., 
March  16,  1901;  Vasa  Lodge  No.  17,  Galesburg,  111.,  May  25,  1901; 
Nore  Lodge  No.  18,  Chicago,  March  9,  1902;  Andree  Lodge  No.  19, 
South  Chicago,  111.,  Aug.  17,  1902 ;  Irving  Park  Lodge  No.  20,  Irving 
Park,  Oct.  19,  1902 ;  Linne  Lodge  No.  21,  Hegewisch,  111.,  Jan.  27,  1903 ; 
Tegner  Lodge  No.  22,  Harvey,  111.,  Feb.  7,  1903 ;  John  Ericsson  Lodge 
No.  23,  Rockford,  111.,  June  28,  1903 ;  Gotha  Lodge  No.  24,  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  Sept.  12,  1903 ;  Norden  Lodge  No.  25,  Kewanee,  111.,  Oct.  3,  1903 ; 
Gustaf  Adolf  Lodge  No.  26,  Rock  Island,  111.,  April  16,  1904 ;  Skandia 
Lodge  No.  27,  Evanston,  111.,  Oct.  28,  1904;  Monitor  Lodge  No.  28, 
Elburn,  111.,  April  1,  1905;  Brage  Lodge  No.  29,  Peoria,  111.,  Jan.  14, 
1906 ;  Thule  Lodge  No.  30,  Chicago,  May  12,  1906 ;  Valhalla  Lodge  No. 
31,  Galva,  111.,  May  30,  1906 ;  Sten  Sture  Lodge  No.  32,  Maywood,  111., 
June  9,  1906;  Ymer  Lodge  No.  33,  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  Sept.  17,  1906; 
Engelbrekt  Lodge  No.  34,  La  Grange,  111.,  Dec.  31,  1906 ;  St.  Paul  Lodge 


€ 


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ORDER    OF   SVITHIOD  899 

No.  35,  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Jan.  21,  1907 ;  Spiran  Lodge,  No.  36,  Danville, 
111.,  April  30,  1907 ;  Vega  Lodge  No.  37,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Dec.  28,  1907 ; 
Oscar  II.  Lodge  No.  38,  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  April  26,  1908 ;  Englewood 
Lodge  No.  39,  Chicago,  Oct.  23,  1908. 

Under  the  original  charter  the  order  had  no  authority  to  levy 
assessments  for  the  creation  of  a  reserve  fund.  Many  members  saw  in 
the  absence  of  such  a  guaranty  fund  a  danger,  which  ought  to  be 
removed.  This  was  done  when  on  April  17,  1901,  the  order  agreed  to 
comply  with  the  new  insurance  law  of  1893  and  thereupon  obtained 
a  license  to  do  business  under  its  provisions,  including  legal  reserve 
regulations. 

On  June  2,  1901,  the  constitution  was  so  amended  as  to  provide 
for  the  creation  of  a  reserve  fund  by  setting  aside  for  that  purpose  five 
per  cent  of  the  proceeds  of  each  and  every  assessment.  At  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge  in  February,  1903,  this  amount  was 
changed  to  ten  per  cent. 

Up  to  December,  1898,  each  member  of  the  order  was  insured  for 
$500.  At  this  time  the  amount  of  insurance  per  capita  was  raised  to 
$1,000.  In  1902  Class  B.  was  added,  for  those  desiring  to  have  $500 
insurance  policies.  Four  years  later,  in  1906,  Class  C.  was  instituted 
for  those  desiring  a  $100  policy. 

The  Svithiod  order  pursues  the  plan  of  furnishing  insurance  at 
actual  cost.  The  average  cost  per  $1,000  is  about  85  cents  per  month. 
The  current  expenses  of  the  grand  and  subordinate  lodges  are  defrayed 
by  income  from  other  sources.  The  quarterly  dues  to  lodges  average 
$1.50,  making  $6  per  year.  From  these  funds  sick  and  funeral  benefits 
and  lodge  expenses  are  paid.  The  sick  and  funeral  benefits  are  the 
same  to  all  members,  regardless  of  the  insurance  class  to  which  they 
belong.  The  amount  of  the  assessments  is  not  permanently  fixed,  but 
may  be  varied  according  to  necessity,  whereby  ample  funds  are  always 
assured.  The  privilege  of  determining  the  amount  of  sick  benefits  and 
other  aid  to  be  paid  to  members  is  vested  in  the  individual  lodges,  which 
likewise  have  full  charge  of  their  own  treasuries  and  property. 

The  most  recent  reports  show  the  following  status  of  the  order: 
Total  membership,  6,015;  insurance  in  force,  $4,746,000;  reserve  fund, 
$23,677.93;  other  funds,  $9,857.09;  cash  assets  of  subordinate  lodges, 
about  $68,000;  insurance  paid  out  during  the  existence  of  the  order,  in 
308  death  benefits,  $293,455;  sick  benefits,  about  $144,000;  funeral 
benefits,  about  $32,000 ;  charitable  donations,  about  $14,000. 

The  chief  officers  of  the  order  have  been :  High  Grand  Master — 
Axel  Blomfeldt,  John  Wolgren,  John  P.  Johnson,  Olof  Pearson,  Fred 
Franson,  H.  E.  Hanson,  Joseph  G.  Sheldon,  C.  A.  Carlson;  High  Grand 
Secretary — Bernard  Peterson,  John  Wolgren,  Hjalmar  Hedin,  John 
A.  Sandgren;  High  Grand  Treasurer — John  Peterson,  Gust  Johnson, 
Linus  Olson,  Axel  Blomfeldt,  H.  E.  Hanson. 


QOO 


ORGANIZATIONS 


The  Swedish-American  Press  Club 


In  the  year  1890  a  plan  long  talked  of  among. the  Swedish  news- 
paper men  of  Chicago  was  realized  by  the  organizing  of  a  press  club 
for  their  mutual  pleasure  and  profit.  At  a  preliminary  meeting  held  on 
May  29th,  and  attended  by  a  dozen  men,  A.  L.  Gyllenhaal  presiding 
and  Herman  Lennmalm  acting  as  secretary,  the  feasibility  of  bringing 
the  Swedish  writers  and  publishers  into  closer  social  intercourse,  was 
discussed.  The  result  of  the  deliberation  was  that  the  proposed  club 
should  be  organized,  and  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  Sherman  House  on 
the  12th  day  of  July,  1890,  Svensk-amerikanska  Publicistklubben  was 
called  into  existence.  The  members  for  a  time  fraternized  cordially 
and  for  a  period  of  three  years  or  thereabout,  the  club  held  fairly 
regular  weekly  meetings,  whereupon  meetings  grew  less  frequent  and 
ultimately  ceased  altogether.  Waning  interest  in  general  and  personal 
friction  in  particular  cases  seem  to  have  been  the  disintegrating  factors. 
Alex.  J.  Johnson,  publisher  of  "Svenska  Kuriren,"  as  said  to  have  been 
the  last  president,  and  the  last  official  act  of  the  club  on  record  was 
the  sending  of  representatives  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  colleague  in 
Minneapolis.  The  obsequies  of  the  club  itself,  however,  were  never 
held  and  it  might  be  revived  at  any  time,  without  prejudice  to  its 
constitution  and  by-laws. 

The  Independent  Order  of  ViKing's 

Second  in  size  among  the  purely  fraternal  Swedish  orders  of 
Chicago  and  the  state  of  Illinois  stands  the  Independent  Order  of 
Vikings.  It  dates  its  origin  from  the  year  1890,  when  on  June  2nd  the 
Viking  Society  was  organized  with  an  original  membership  of  eleven 
persons,  as  follows :  Charles  Carlson,  G.  A.  Carlson,  Charles  Henry, 
N.  Hallerts,  Aug.  Johnson,  Gust.  Johnson,  V.  Muerling,  Ed.  Muerling, 
C.  H.  Victorin,  R.  Walden  and  Aug.  Walden.  Their  purpose  was  no 
other  than  social  intercourse  on  the  basis  of  universal  brotherhood.  In 
a  short  time  they  added  the  sick  benefit  and  funeral  aid  features, 
realizing  the  value  of  mutual  assistance  as  a  factor  in  knitting  a  close 
fellowship. 

For  the  first  few  months  the  society  met  at  the  homes  of  members, 
but  by  October  of  the  same  year,  having  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
homes,  it  engaged  a  hall  at  Sedgwiek  and  Sigel  streets  for  the  monthly 
meetings. 

The  uniforms  and  regalia  adopted  by  the  Viking  Society  were 
patterned  after  the  costumes  of  the  Viking  age,  and  at  their  first  public 
appearance,  in  the  parade  that  took  place  on  the  day  the  Linne  monu- 
ment was  unveiled,  the  Vikings  mustered  a  large  force  and  made  a 
splendid  showing  for  a  society  but  a  year  old. 


ORDER   OF    VIKINGS  901 

When  the  membership  had  reached  four  hundred  the  society  set 
about  changing  its  organization  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  its  scope. 
The  revised  constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted  in  September,  1892, 
and  on  the  third  of  October  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Vikings  was  organized  to  become  the  central  organization  of  sub- 
ordinate lodges.  Among  its  principal  purposes  were  also  the  establish- 
ment of  a  readingroom,  promoting  the  circulation  of  wholesome 
literature  among  the  members  and  the  founding  of  a  common  death 
benefit  fund,  amounting  to  life  insurance. 

Two  months  after  the  reorganization  a  second  lodge  was  started, 
known  as  Brage  Lodge  No.  2.  During  the  course  of  the  winter  three 
other  lodges  were  organized,  namely,  Drake  Lodge  No.  3,  Angantyr 
Lodge  No.  4  and  Frej  Lodge  No.  5.  The  names  selected  were  Norse, 
and  this  system  of  nomenclature  has  been  consistently  adhered  to 
ever  since. 

When  the  time  was  ripe  for  the  establishment  of  the  insurance 
plan  it  was  found  advisable  to  secure  a  new  charter,  the  old  one  being 
deemed  inadequate  to  safeguard  the  rights  and  privileges^of  members. 
In  the  spring  of  1895  a  new  charter  was  applied  for,  under  the  insur- 
ance law  of  1893,  the  requirements  of  which  were  full  met  on  the  30th 
day  of  November  following,  when  the  Independent  Order  of  Vikings 
was  given  a  certificate  of  incorporation  as  a  legally  organized  fraternal 
beneficiary  society.  The  incorporators  under  the  new  plan  were : 
Andrew  A.  Carlson,  Otto  Anderson,  Alexander  Holm,  Nels  L.  Anderson, 
Gustavus  J.  Bird,  Gustavus  Myhrman,  Peter  G.  Almberg,  Andrew 
Sb'derlin,  John  Anderson  and  Bengt  A.  Wester.  The  new  insurance 
plan  of  the  order  was  put  in  force  Jan.  1,  1896. 

The  first  roster  of  officers  of  the  grand  lodge  was  as  follows : 
Grand  Chief,  A.  Holm ;  Vice  Grand  Chief,  C.  Victorin ;  Grand  Secretary, 
Alfred  Carlson;  Grand  Treasurer,  P.  A.  Noren;  Grand  Organizer,  G. 
Carlson. 

In  1901  the  order  extended  its  activities  beyond  the  confines  of 
Chicago  and  Cook  county  by  organizing  the  Thor  Lodge  in  Moline. 
Later  it  went  outside  the  state  and  now  extends  west  as  far  as  Omaha, 
Neb.  On  July  29,  1908,  the  thirty-first  lodge  was  organized,  completing 
the  following  list : 

Vikingarne  No.  1,  1890,  Brage  No.  2,  1892,  Drake  No.  3,  Angantyr 
No.  4,  Frej  No.  5,  1893,  Frithiof  No.  6,  Kunan  No.  7,  1899,  Odin  No.  8, 
1900,  all  in  Chicago,  Thor  No.  9,  Moline,  Svea  No.  10,  Chicago,  Norden 
No.  11,  Waukegan,  all  in  1901,  Balder  No.  12,  DeKalb,  Harald  No.  13, 
Chicago,  Gotha  No.  14,  Koseland,  Ragnar  No.  15,  Chicago,  Hilding  No. 
16,  Aurora,  in  1903,  Bele  No.  17,  Chicago  Heights,  Ring  No.  18,  Batavia, 
in  1904,  Thorsten  No.  19,  Joliet,  Bjorn  No.  20,  South  Omaha,  Valhalla 


VIKINGS— OLD  PEOPLE'S  HOME 


903 


No.  21,  Chicago,  Niord  No.  22,  Kewanee,  Hjalmar  No.  23,  Evanston, 
Orvar  Odd  No.  24,  Omaha,  in  1905,  Ellida  No.  25,  Rockford,  Yngve 
No.  26,  Chicago,  Ivar  No.  27,  Chicago,  Vasa  No.  28,  Hammond,  Ind., 
in  1906,  Thyr  No.  29,  Galesburg,  Sigurd  No.  30,  Kenosha,  in  1907, 
Brejdablik  No.  31,  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1908. 

The  men  who  have  held  the  chief  offices  in  the  order  are :  Grand 
Chief — Alex.  Holm,  Alfred  Carlson,  Eric  Forsell,  Axel  Borg,  A.  W. 
Johnson,  Herman  Carlson,  Frithiof  Malmquist;  Grand  Secretary- 
Alfred  Carlson,  Otto  Anderson,  Nils  J.  Lindskoog,  Eric  Forsell,  Anders 
Hessel;  Grand  Treasurer — P.  A.  Noren,  Gust  Bird,  N.  L.  Anderson, 
A.  W.  Johnson,  0.  F.  Sandstedt,  Eric  Forsell,  Herman  Carlson,  John 
Anderson ;  Grand  Organizer — Gustaf  A.  Carlson,  Otto  Anderson,  Alex. 
Holm,  P.  A.  Anderson,  Nils  J.  Lindskoog,  Fred  L.  Pearson,  Anders 
Hemwall. 

The  order  publishes  a  monthly  paper,  "Vikingen,"  as  the  common 
organ  of  the  lodges.  Its  first  number  was  issued  May  15,  1899. 

There  exists  a  woman's  auxiliary  known  as  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Ladies  of  Vikings  having  nine  lodges  under 
its  jurisdiction. 

The  reports  for  Oct.  1,  1908,  show  a  total  membership  of  4,538,  a 
reserve  fund  of  $6,198.06,  an  assessment  fund  of  $14,835.94  and  a  total 
balance  in  the  lodge  treasuries  of  $40,045.12. 

Tine  Swedish  Societies'  Old  People's  Home  Association 

The  initiative  to  the  formation  of  a  federation  of  Swedish  societies 
in  Chicago  for  charitable  purposes  was  taken  in  1893  by  Dr.  C.  W. 
Johnson,  a  physician,  and  Hans  Anderson,  a  jeweler.  This  was  in  the 
time  of  great  need  among  the  laboring  population,  and  after  the  definite 
organization  in  April,  1894,  of  the  federation,  which  was  named  The 
Swedish  Societies'  Central  Association,  its  first  care  was  to  provide  for 
Swedish  workingmen  who  were  suffering  want  as  a  result  of  the 
prevailing  hard  times.  On  May  19th  the  association  gave  an  entertain- 
ment at  Svea  Hall,  netting  about  $28 — the  first  money  realized  by  it 
for  benevolent  purposes.  In  August  a  state  charter  was  secured  and 
that  fall,  with  the  proceeds  of  an  excursion  to  Milwaukee  and  a  popular 
concert  at  the  Auditorium,  the  association  entered  upon  the  aforesaid 
charity  work. 

With  improved  conditions  in  1896,  the  association  began  to  map 
out  another  field  of  work,  that  of  caring  for  indigent  Swedish  people 
in  their  old  age.  For  the  purpose  of  founding  a  home  for  the  aged,  a 
fund  was  established  May  17,  1896,  starting  with  the  sum  of  $700. 
With  the  net  proceeds  of  picnics,  excursions,  concerts  and  other  enter- 
tainments, as  also  by  individual  donations,  this  fund  was  kept  growing 


OLD   PEOPLE'S    HOME 


905 


for  the  next  few  years.  In  1898  a  committee  was  appointed  to  look 
up  a  suitable  site  for  an  old  people's  home,  and  on  March  19,  1899, 
they  were  instructed  to  purchase  a  building  and  grounds  at  Park 
Ridge,  which  haVe  since  been  occupied  by  the  institution  known  as  the 
Swedish  Old  People's  Home  at  Park  Ridge.  The  deal  was  closed  April 


26th,  and  on  Oct.  7,  1900,  the  home  was  dedicated  and  in  readiness 
for  the  reception  of  occupants.  Miss  Anna  Anderson,  a  trained  nurse, 
was  engaged  as  superintendent  and  housekeeper.  The  first  inmate  was 
admitted  the  following  December,  others  being  received  from  time 
to  time  until  the  institution,  which  has  accommodations  for  a  score  of 


9o6  ORGANIZATIONS 

persons,  was  taxed  to  its  full  capacity.  The  last  payment  on  the 
property  was  made  in  April,  1905,  and  an  inventory  of  the  institu- 
tion, as  it  stands  today,  shows  a  property  value  of  about  $12,000. 

The  property  purchased  in  1900  comprised  a  two  story  brick  build- 
ing of  nineteen  rooms  and  a  block  of  ground  150  feet  square.  The 
purchase  price  was  $4,500.  Considerable  sums  of  money  were  expended 
in  renovating  and  furnishing  the  building  for  occupation  and  a  number 
of  societies  and  individuals  undertook  to  furnish  certain  rooms  at  their 
own  expense.  A  new  heating  plant  was  installed,  cement  walks  have 
been  laid  and  other  costly  improvements  made.  In  1908  about  $9,000 
for  the  home  was  realized  through  a  bazaar,  making  a  total  of  over 
$10,000  in  the  treasury  of  the  home  at  the  present  time.  Plans  are 
under  way  looking  to  the  extension  of  the  institution  either  by  building 
an  addition  on  the  present  site  or  erecting  a  structure  on  acre  property 
in  some  other  locality  near  Chicago. 

In  1908,  to  specify  the  object  for  which  the  organization  exists  and 
works,  its  name  was  changed  to  the  Swedish  Societies'  Old  People's 
Home  Association,  while  a  change  was  made  in  the  constitution  so  as 
to  admit  to  membership  not  only  societies  and  lodges  but  individuals 
of  a  charitable  bent.  Beyond  raising  funds  for  the  purpose  above 
named,  the  association  has  made  several  contributions  to  other  charities, 
including  the  sum  of  $166,  in  1894,  to  the  Pullman  Fund,  and  at  a 
subsequent  occasion  $500  to  the  Swedish  Home  of  Mercy  in  Bowman- 
ville,  Chicago. 

A  Ladies'  Guild  was  organized  in  1899,  which  has  ably  seconded 
the  efforts  of  the  main  organization. 

The  Swedish  National  Association 

The  organization  which  has  existed  for  fifteen  years  under  the 
name  of  the  Swedish  National  Association  of  Chicago  was  called  into 
existence  by  a  tragedy.  On  Christmas  eve,  1893,  Swan  Nelson,  a 
Swedish- American,  was  murdered  in  cold  blood  by  Moran  and  Healy, 
two  ruffianly  members  of  the  Chicago  police  force.  The  crime  stirred 
the  fellow  countrymen  of  the  victim,  and  a  movement  was  set  on  foot 
to  raise  funds  for  the  prosecution  of  the  culprits.  Heading  the  move- 
ment and  most  active  in  the  cause  were  F.  A.  Lindstrand,  the  publisher, 
and  Frederick  Lundin.  These  two  men  appeared  in  a  large  number  of 
Swedish  churches  and  lodge  halls  in  all  parts  of  Chicago  for  the  purpose 
of  enlisting  general  interest.  By  this  method  quite  a  sum  was  raised, 
but  it  proved  inadequate  and  other  means  had  to  be  resorted  to.  It  was 
then  that  the  plan  for  an  association  to  fight  the  battle  of  justice  took 
shape,  and  on  May  25,  1894,  the  Swedish  National  Association  was 
organized,  with  F.  A.  Lindstrand  as  chairman  and  Erik  Thelin  as 


NATIONAL   ASSOCIATION 


907 


secretary.  In  the  same  month  a  musical  festival  was  held  which  filled 
the  Auditorium  to  overflowing  and  yielded  a  substantial  addition  to 
the  fund.  After  a  long  and  costly  trial,  in  which  the  prosecution  was 
conducted  by  Luther  Laflin  Mills  and  Harry  Olson,  the  association 
triumphed  by  securing  the  conviction  of  the  criminals. 

As  a  permanent  reason  for  its  existence,  the  association  later  in 
the  year  1894  established  a  free  employment  bureau,  which  it  has  main- 
tained ever  since.  From  the.  outset  this  has  been  managed  by  Mrs.Othelia 
Myhrman.  The  organization  is  composed  of  an  active  and  executive 
membership,  together  with  delegates  from  local  organizations  in  Chi- 
cago and  Cook  county.  After  some  time  Mr.  Lundin's  interest  in  the 
association  flagged,  but  Mr.  Lindstrand  remained  its  chief  backer. 
Time  and  again  he  has  gone  down  into  his  own  pocket  to  cover  deficits 
in  its  treasury,  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that  but  for  him  the  associa- 
tion would  not  now  be  in  existence. 

Mr.  Liudstrand  served  as  president  until  January,  1897,  when, 
contingent  on  his  foreign  travels,  he  resigned  the  place  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  0.  C.  Peterson.  In  1900  he  was  again  elected  to  the  place 
and  served  until  1906.  Upon  his  resignation,  George  E.  Q.  Johnson 
served  as  acting  president  that  year  and  was  elected  for  the  following 
year.  In  1908,  Gr.  Bernhard  Anderson  succeeded  to  the  presidency. 

The  association  has  had  no  fixed  income,  depending  on  public 
festivals  for  means  to  carry  on  its  work.  A  midwinter  and  a  mid- 
summer festival  have  been  held  regularly  every  year.  The  first  winter 
festival  was  an  international  tournament  of  song,  male  choruses  of 
seven  nationalities  participating  and  the  Swedish  Svithiod  Singing 
Club  winning  the  championship.  Subsequent  winter  festivals  have 
been  of  the  following  character:  1896,  historical  tableaux;  1897,  com- 
memoration of  the  silver  wedding  anniversary  of  the  King  and  Queen 
of  Sweden;  1898-9,  historical  tableaux;  1900,  "Frithiof  och  Ingeborg," 
an  opera  presented  three  successive  evenings;  1901,  "Vermlandingar- 
ne,"  a  popular  drama,  with  Eagna  Linne  and  John  R.  Ortengren  in  the 
leading  parts;  1902,  "Engelbrekt  och  hans  dalkarlar,"  an  historical 
drama;  1903,  concert  by  the  During  Ladies'  Quintette;  1904,  dramatic 
production  of  Jules  Verne's  "Around  the  World  in  Eighty  Days;" 
1905,  concert  by  the  Swedish  Singers'  Union  of  Chicago  and  historical 
tableaux;  1906,  lecture  by  Dr.  Otto  Nordenskjold  on  his  antarctic 
explorations;  1907,  exhibition  of  Swedish  national  dances  by  a  troupe 
of  dancers  from  Skansen  in  Stockholm;  1908,  historical  drama,  "Gustaf 
Adolf  och  Regina  von  Emmeritz, "  with  John  R.  Ortengren  and  Ida 
Ostergren  in  the  title  roles.  The  midsummer  festivals  have  been  in 
the  nature  of  picnic  excursions  to  out-of-town  parks.  That  of  1907  was 
made  especially  notable  by  the  presence  of  Herman  Lagercrantz,  the 
Swedish  envoy  at  Washington.  The  foregoing  two  were  held  jointly 


908 


ORGANIZATIONS 


with  the  Swedish  Singers'  Union.  Extra  entertainments  and  concerts 
have  been  arranged  by  the  association  as  follows:  1902,  benefit  concert 
to  provide  funds  for  the  defense  of  Anton  Nelson,  arrested  for  shooting 
one  Prendergast,  indicted  for  manslaughter  and  acquitted  on  the  ground 
of  self-defense,  through  the  efforts  of  the  association ;  1905,  concerts 
by  students'  chorus  from  the  Lund  University;  1906,  concerts  by  the 
chorus  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Sweden;  1908, 
concerts  by  the  military  band  of  the  Kronoberg  Regiment  of  the 
Swedish  army. 

The  third  fight  for  justice  wherein  the  association  has  been  engaged 
was  in  the  case  of  John  Nordgren,  who,  after  having  been  sentenced  to 
thirty  years  in  the  penitentiary  for  the  alleged  crime  of  poisoning  his 
wife,  was  given  a  new  trial  and  acquitted  of  the  charge  after  having 
remained  in  jail  two  years.  In  connection  with  the  free  employment 
bureau  the  association  extends  charity  in  various  forms  to  unfortunate 
and  needy  Chicagoans  of  Swedish  extraction. 

The  Swedish-American  Republican  League 

The  Swedish-American  Republican  League  of  Illinois  was  organ- 
ized in  December,  1894,  and  incorporated  on  the  31st  day  of  the  same 
month.  Its  has  for  its  general  purpose  the  propagation  of  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party,  while  its  specific  object  is  the  political  educa- 
tion and  advancement  of  the  Swedish- Americans. 

For  years  the  Swedish-Americans,  generally  loyal  Republicans, 
performed  the  duties  of  citizenship  without  belonging  to  any  specific 
organizations  of  their  own.  In  time,  they  found  it  expedient  to  organize 
themselves  into  local  clubs  wherever  the  number  of  Swedish  voters 
warranted  such  a  step.  In  Rockford,  Moline,  Galesburg,  and  at  other 
points  such  clubs  sprang  up  and  in  Chicago  a  number  of  ward  clubs 
were  combined  into  a  central  Republican  club  of  Cook  county.  The 
suggestion  was  next  made  that  a  state  organization  be  formed,  with 
ramifications  in  the  various  counties,  this  to  be  a  representative  body 
that  might  speak  for  the  great  bulk  of  the  Swedish  voters  of  the  state. 
In  the  fall  of  1894  this  idea,  at  first  broached  tentatively,  ripened  into  ' 
action.  A  meeting  was  called  for  Dec.  4th,  and  that  day  saw  the  birth 
of  a  Swedish  state  league.  Among  those  who  were  present  and  took 
active  part  in  the  proceedings  of  the  organization  meeting  were : 
Edward  C.  Westman,  Will  S.  Hussander,  Charles  H.  Hoglund,  C.  A. 
Edwardts,  and  Gustaf  L.  Nelson,  of  Cook  county;  M.  0.  Williamson  and 
A.  W.  Truedson  of  Knox  county ;  A.  L.  Anderson  and  John  S.  Smith  of 
Henry  county ;  Rev.  C.  0.  Gustafson  of  Will  county ;  George  W.  John- 
son, Frank  A.  Landee,  Alfred  Anderson,  Frank  A.  Johnson,  C.  G. 
Carlson  and  G.  L.  Peterson,  of  Rock  Island  county,  and  A.  J.  Anderson, 


STATE    LEAGUE 


909 


L.  M.  Noling  and  Carl  Ebbesen,  of  Winnebago  county.  An  organization 
was  perfected  by  the  election  of  officers,  as  follows :  president,  Edward 
C.  Westman,  Chicago ;  vice  president,  Hjalmar  Kohler,  Moline ;  secre- 
tary, Will  S.  Hussander,  Chicago ;  treasurer,  A.  L.  Anderson,  Andover. 
The  league  was  first  planned  by  the  leading  men  of  the  central  club  of 
Cook  county,  the  most  active  and  energetic  of  whom  was  Mr.  Westman, 
and  his  election  as  the  first  president  of  the  new  organization  was 
merely  just  recognition  of  his  activity  in  bringing  it  about. 

The  league  is  a  body  made  up  of  delegates  from  local  clubs  and 
from  communities  where  a  considerable  number  of  Swedish-American 


Edward  C.  Westman 

citizens  reside.  The  basis  of  representation  is  one  delegate  for  the 
first  one  hundred  voters  of  Swedish  descent  and  one  additional  delegate 
for  every  three  hundred  such  voters.  The  representation  is  by  counties, 
and  wherever  an  organization  exists  among  them,  it  governs  the  selec- 
tion of  delegates. 

In  determining  the  time  for  holding  the  annual  convention  the 
organizers  hit  upon  the  happy  idea  of  combining  with  it  the  celebration 
of  some  memorable  event,  and  in  selecting  March  9th,  the  day  on  which 
was  fought  in  1862  the  historic  battle  between  the  Merrimac  and  the 
Monitor,  they  found  in  the  greatest  single  achievement  of  a  Swedish- 
American,  an  excellent  cause  for  celebration.  Thus  was  instituted  the 


9io 


ORGANIZATIONS 


commemoration  of  John  Ericsson  Day  among  the  Swedes  of  Illinois. 
The  sequel  to  every  convention  of  the  league,  and  the  feature  of  the 
occasion,  has  been  a  banquet  at  which  the  name  of  the  great  engineer 
and  inventor .  is  invariably  toasted.  These  banquets,  planned  on  a 
grand  scale,  are  always  largely  attended,  and  many  of  them  have  been 
brilliant  affairs,  at  which  governors,  senators,  members  of  the  Presi- 
dent's cabinet,  the  famous  orators  and  wits  of  the  nation,  and  even  rival 
candidates  for  high  offices,  have  fraternized  under  the  intertwining 
flags  of  Sweden  and  the  United  States.  Moreover,  many  favorable 
opportunities  have  been  offered  for  representative  Swedish-Americans 
to  appear,  as  it  were,  in  an  open  forum,  to  plead  their  cause  and  air 
their  grievances,  if  any,  before  men  of  large  calibre,  open  minds,  high 
station  and  a  wide  sphere  of  influence.  Generally  speaking,  the  social 
and  intellectual  intercourse  at  these  political  feasts  have  proved  profit- 
able to  both  the  hosts  and  the  guests. 

The  league  convened  for  the  first  time  on  March  9,  1895,  at  Chi- 
cago. The  business  sessions  were  held  in  an  assembly  hall  in  the 
Masonic  Temple.  One  hundred  and  nineteen  delegates  were  seated 
and  an  equal  number  of  alternates  were  accredited,  representing  the 
Swedish  voters  of  eighteen  counties  of  the  state.  The  first  officers  of 
the  league  were  all  re-elected  for  the  succeeding  year.  The  convention 
was  followed  by  the  John  Ericsson  memorial  banquet,  given  at  the 
Grand  Pacific  Hotel  under  the  auspices  of  the  Swedish-American 
Central  Republican  Club  of  Cook  County.  Subsequently  conventions 
have  been  held  in  the  following  cities  in  the  order  named :  1896,  Rock- 
ford;  1897,  Chicago;  1898,  Paxton;  1899,  Aurora;  1900,  Joliet;  1901, 
Galesburg;  1902,  Bloomington;  1903,  Princeton;  1904,  Moline;  1905, 
Peoria ;  1906,  Chicago ;  1907,  Rockford ;  1908,  Aurora. 

A  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  league  from  its  inception  follows : 
Edward  C.  Westman;  M.  O.  Williamson,  Galesburg;  Frank  G.  Stibb, 
Rockford;  Frank  A.  Landee,  Moline;  C.  A.  Nordgren,  Paxton;  Edwin 
A.  Olson,  Chicago;  A.  W.  Truedson,  Galesburg;  Carl  R.  Chindblem, 
Chicago ;  M.  A.  L.  Olson,  DeKalb  ;  Julius  Johnson,  Lynn ;  P.  A.  Peterson, 
Rockford;  Justus  L.  Johnson,  Aurora;  Oscar  D.  Olson,  Chicago. 

In  the  great  campaign  of  1896  a  committee  from  the  league  was 
in  charge  of  a  Swedish  bureau  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Republican 
national  committee  in  Chicago.  An  idea  of  the  work  accomplished  by 
this  bureau  is  gained  from  the  fact  that  from  it  were  sent  out  7,300 
letters,  789,975  books  and  documents  and  700,000  copies  of  newspapers. 
But  for  this  committee  the  Swedish  Republican  vote  in  Illinois  and 
other  states  in  that  election  doubtless  would  have  been  materially 
lessened.  In  1900  the  league  aided  in  the  election  of  M.  0.  Williamson, 
one  of  its  ex-presidents,  to  the  office  of  state  treasurer,  and  it  has  made 
its  influence  felt  in  a  number  of  instances. 


W 
3. 


O 
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P 

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9I2  ORGANIZATIONS 

At  the  outset  the  league  undertook  to  publish  a  paper  to  promote 
its  interests.  G.  Bernhard  Anderson  was  chosen  editor,  and  one  issue 
of  the  paper,  which  was  named  the  ' '  Monitor  News, ' '  was  published  in 
1895,  but  a  second  number  never  appeared.  A  few  years  ago  the  league 
began  to  plan  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  John  Ericsson,  and 
an  organization  was  formed  to  solicit  funds.  Some  progress  has  been 
made,  but  the  project  is  yet  far  from  a  realization. 

Probably  the  most  brilliant  event  in  the  life  of  the  league  was  the 
great  Ericsson  memorial  banquet  in  1906,  at  the  Auditorium  Hotel, 
Chicago,  when  about  800  persons  sat  at  table  and  Charles  J.  Bonaparte, 
secretary  of  the  navy,  graced  the  occasion  with  his  presence. 

TKe   Swedish    Historical   Society  of  America 

Cultured  Swedish-Americans  years  ago  realized  the  desirability 
of  having  the  records  of  their  nationality  written,  and  preserved  for 
posterity  and  the  need  of  an  organized  body  to  make  systematic  efforts 
to  that  end.  In  the  year  1889  a  number  of  representative  men  in 
Chicago  sought  to  fill  this  want  by  associating  themselves  into  an 
organization  which  was  named  The  Swedish-American  Historical 
Society.  Several  of  its  members  are  known  to  have  engaged  in  histor- 
ical writing  both  before  and  after  that  time,  but  the  society  as  such 
never.; went  on  record  except  in  the  list  of  Illinois  corporations. 

In  1905  other  persons,  sensible  of  the  need  of  immediate  and  active 
work  for  the  preservation  of  all  things  historical  pertaining  to  the 
Swedes  of  America,  took  up  an  identical  project.  One  or  two  of  the 
founders  of  the  first  society  joined  in  the  movement  for  a  second, 
manifestly  acting  on  the  assumption  that  the  prior  organization  had 
passed  out  of  existence.  A  preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  the  early 
summer  of  1905,  at  which  the  plan  was  outlined.  Among  the  par- 
ticipants in  the  action  then  taken  were :  Aksel  G.  S.  Josephson,  L.  G. 
Abrahamson,  J.  A.  Enander,  Louis  G.  Northland,  Anders  Schon  and 
Ernst  W.  Olson.  An  organization  committee  headed  by  Dr.  Abraham- 
son  was  appointed,  and  it  was  resolved  to  meet  again  during  the 
Swedish  singers'  convention  in  July  to  perfect  the  organization.  This 
was  done  at  a  meeting  held  on  July  22,  1905,  in  the  rooms  of  the 
Chicago  Historical  Society,  Dr.  Abrahamson  presiding  and  Mr.  Joseph- 
son  acting  as  secretary.  At  that  time  a  constitution  was  adopted, 
setting  forth  the  objects  for  which  the  society  was  formed  and  the 
mode  of  operation.  The  name  adopted  was.  The  Swedish- American 
Historical  Society.  The  objects,  as  briefly  defined  are : 

To  promote  the  study  of  the  history  of  the  Swedes  in  America  and 
their  descendants ; 

To  collect  a  library  and  museum  illustrating  their  development; 


HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

To  issue  publications  relating  to  the  history  of  the  Swedish  people 
in  Sweden  and  America; 

To  encourage  the  study  of  Swedish  history  and  literature  in  Amer- 
ican universities. 

Membership  is  conditioned  on  the  payment  of  an  annual  fee  of 
two  dollars,  and  life  membership  is  granted  upon  the  payment,  in  one 


Dr.  Josua  Lindahl 

sum,  of  fifty  dollars.  The  affairs  of  the  society  are  in  the  hands  of  a 
council  of  fifteen  members,  empowered  to  elect  among  their  number 
the  customary  officers. 

The  council  selected  on  this  occasion  first  met  on  August  29th, 
when  as  the  first  set  of  officers  of  the  society,  the  following  gentlemen 
were  elected:  President,  Dr.  Johan  A.  Enander,  Chicago;  vice  presi- 
dent, Dr.  Gustav  Andreen,  Rock  Island;  secretary,  Anders  Schon. 
Chicago ;  treasurer,  Aksel  G.  S.  Josephson,  Chicago. 

In  January,  1906,  the  council  took  action  looking  to  the  immediate 
establishment  of  a  library  in  Chicago  and  inviting  donations  of  books, 
newspapers,  manuscripts,  engravings  and  photographs  of  value  as 


914 


ORGANIZATIONS 


material  pertinent  to  Swedish-American  history  or  of  interest  for  their 
associations  with  Swedish  and  American  culture. 

The  first  annual  meeting  was  held  in  the  Chicago  Historical  Society 
building  on  March  28,  1906.  On  that  occasion  Eric  Norelius  and  Johan 
A.  Enander,  were  elected  honorary  members  in  recognition  of  their 
achievements  in  the  field  of  historical  writing.  As  a  guide  for  those 
willing  to  aid  in  building  up  the  proposed  library,  a  schedule  designat- 
ing what  it  should  contain  was  made  up  and  approved,  as  follows: 
1)  books  dealing  with  Swedish  colonization  on  and  immigration  to  the 
American  continent  and  its  adjacent  islands;  2)  books  by  Swedish- 
Americans;  3)  publications  of  Swedish- American  publishing  houses; 
4)  publications  of  Swedish- American  institutions,  churches,  schools, 
societies,  lodges,  etc.;  5)  Swedish  books  dealing  with  America; 
6)  American  books  dealing  with  Sweden;  7)  translations  of  works  of 
Swedish  authors  into  English,  and  of  works  of  American  authors  into 
Swedish;  8)  original  records,  or  manuscript  copies  of  such  records,  if 
not  already  printed,  of  Swedish-American  churches,  societies,  lodges, 
labor  unions,  etc.;  9)  photographs  of  Swedish- Americans  who  have 
made  their  mark  in  this  country,  as  well  as  of  buildings  of  interest 
on  account  of  their  associations  with  the  Swedish  people  in  America, 
such  as  churches,  school  and  college  buildings,  hospitals,  homes  of  old 
settlers,  etc. ;  10)  a  selection  of  the  most  important  works  on  Swedish 
history  and  literature,  so  that  this  library  might  in  time  become  the 
recourse  for  all  who  desire  to  make  a  study  of  the  history,  literature 
and  civilization  of  Sweden. 

A  total  of  118  members  for  the  first  year  was  reported.  Elimina- 
tions for  failure  to  fulfill  the  pecuniary  obligation,  however,  reduced 
this  number  to  a  net  total  of  about  80.  The  present  membership  is 
about  140. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1908  it  was  resolved  to  change  the  form 
of  the  name  and  to  incorporate  as  The  Swedish  Historical  Society  of 
America,  which  was  done.  There  was  then  a  nucleus  for  a  library 
which  has  since  grown  to  over  one  thousand  numbers,  inclusive  of 
smaller  pamphlets  and  periodicals.  The  first  yearbook  had  been  issued, 
embracing  the  first  two  years  of  the  society's  existence,  and  the  young 
society  was  shown  to  have  made  at  least  a  fair  start.  Hampered  by  a 
dearth  of  funds,  its  progress  heretofore  has  been  slow,  yet  there  is 
evidence  that  both  men  and  means  may  be  counted  on  for  the  further- 
ance of  a  cause  so  vital  to  the  interests  of  the  Swedish  people  every- 
where on  the  American  continent. 

As  president  of  the  society  each  of  the  following  named  persons 
have  served  in  turn:  Johan  A.  Enander,  C.  G.  Lagergren,  C.  G.  Wai- 
genius,  Josua  Lindahl ;  as  vice  president,  Gustav  A.  Andreen,  J.  S.  Carl- 


HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


915 


son,  C.  G.  Wallenius,  Ernst  W.  Olson;  as  secretary.  Anders  Schon, 
A.  G.  S.  Josephson,  Joseph  G.  Sheldon ;  as  treasurer,  A.  G.  S.  Josephson, 
John  R.  Lindgren. 

The  Swedish  Historical  Society  of  America  has  taken  up  a  field 
of  activity  as  wide  as  the  continent  and  reaching  back  almost  to  the 
beginning  of  civilized  order  in  America.  It  is  planned  on  the  broadest 
lines  and  to  it  no  political,  social  or  sectarian  boundaries  exist.  It  looks 
to  all  Swedish-American  men  and  women  of  intelligent  interest  in  the 
history  and  achievements  of  their  race  and  nationality  to  aid  in  the 
attainment  of  its  high  aims. 


91 6  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL    REFERENCES 


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Archives  of  the  Vendes  Artillery  Regiment  of  Sweden. 

Arsbok  for  Svenska  Baptistforsamlingarna  inom  Amerika. 

Bateman,  W.,  and  Selby,  P.,  Historical  Encyclopedia  of  Illinois.     1901. 

Berg,  P.  G.,  Svenska  Minnen  pa  utlandska  orter.     1874. 

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Blue  Book  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  1903,   1905. 

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Kaeding,  George,  Rockfords  svenskar,  historiska  anteckningar,   1885. 
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Lindh,  O.,  Minnen  och  iakttagelser  fran  en  forfluten    lefnad.     1907. 
Linnstrom,  Hjalmar,  Svenskt  Boklexikon.     1868. 
Lundqvist,  P.  N.,  Erik-Jansismen  i  Helsingland.     Historisk  och  Dogmatisk    fram- 

stallning  jemte  Wederliiggning  af  Laran.     Published  anonymous!}-.     1845. 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL   REFERENCES  9Iy 

Lundsteclt,  Bernhard,  Svenska  tidningar  och  tidskrifter  utgifna  inom  Nord-Ameri- 

kas  Forenta  Stater.     1886. 

Mattson,  Col.  Hans.     The  Story  of  an  Emigrant.     1890. 
Mellander,  Axel,  De  svenska  Missionsvannerna  i  Amerika.     Manuscript. 
Mikkelson,  A.,  The  Bishop  Hill  Colony.     1892. 

Minne  af  Princeton  sv.  luth.  forsamlings  5o-arsfest  den  17-19  juni,   1904. 
Minneskrift,  illustreradt  album  utgifvet  af  Sv.    Ev.    Lutherska    Immanuels-forsam- 

lingen  i  Chicago,  med  anledning  af  dess  femtioarsjubileum  ar  1903. 
Missions- Wannen . 
Montague,  E.  J.,   Directory,  Business  Mirror  and  Historical  Sketches  of  Randolph 

County.     1859. 
Nelson,  A.  P.,  Svenska  Missionsvannernas  Historia  i  Amerika.     Forsta  delen:     De 

Svenska  Kongregationalisterna.      1906. 
Nelson,  O.  N.,  History  of  the  Scandinavians,  and  Successful  Scandinavians  in  the 

United  States.     1893. 
Newman,  S.  B.     Autobiography. 

Norelius,  Eric,  De   Svenska    Luterska    Fflrsamlingarnas  och  Svenskarnes    Historia 
i  Amerika.     1890. 

Hasselquist,  T.  N.     Lefnadsteckning.     1900. 
Nya  Wecko-Posten. 

Officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  who  served  in  the  Civil  War.     Philadelphia. 
Orebro  Tidning.     November,   1894. 
Peterson,  C.  F.,  Ett  Hundra  Ar,   1892. 

Sverige  i  Amerika.     1898. 
Pierre  Menard  Papers. 

Portrait  and  Biographical  Album  of  Henry  County.     1885. 
Prarieblomman,   1900,   1902-1908. 
Proceedings  of  the  Conventions  of    the    Swedish-American   Republican   League    of 

Illinois,  I,   1896,  II,   1897,  III,   1901. 

Protokoll  6'fver  Methodist-Episcopalkyrkans  Svenska   Central-Konferens. 
Protokoll  ofver  Svenska  Evangeliska  Fria  Missionens  arsmoten. 
Reed,  Major  D.  W.,  The  Battle  of  Shiloh  and    the    organizations    engaged.     1902. 
Referat  ofver  Augustanasynodens  arsmoten. 
Referat  ofver  Illinois-konferensens  arsmoten. 

Referat  ofver  svenska  metodistkonferensernas  i  Amerika  arsmoten. 
Reports  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois,  Vol.    121. 

Report  of  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  Vol.    1-9.     1900-02. 
Rockford  i  ord  och  bild. 

Schaack,  M.  J.,  Anarchy  and  anarchists.     1889. 
Schon,  A.,  Svenska  laroverk    och    barmhertighetsinrattningar  i  Amerika.     Printed 

as  a  serial  in  Hemlandet,   1894. 

Schroeder,  Gustavus  W..  History  of  the  Swedish  Baptists  in  Sweden  and  America. 
Skarstedt,  Ernst,  Svensk-Amerikanska  Poeter  i  ord  och  bild.     1890. 
Vara  Pennfaktare.     Lefnads-  och  karaktarsteckningar.     1897. 
Skogsblommor. 
Svenska  Amerikanaren. 

Svenska  Evangeliska  Missionsforbundets  rapport  till  forsamlingarna. 
Svenska  Nyheter. 
Svenska  Tribunen. 

Swensson,  C.  A.,  and  Abrahamson,  L.  G.,  Jubelalbum,  1893. 
Transactions  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  Nos.  3,  7,  9,   n. 
Ungdomsvannen. 
Unonius,  Gustaf,  Minnen  fran  en  sjuttonarig  vistelse  i  nordvestra  Amerika.     1861. 


9i  8  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Bihang  till  "Minnen  fran  en  sjuttonarig  vistelse  i  nordvestra  Amerika."     1896. 
Valkyrian. 
Vintersol. 
Wallenius,  C.  G.,  Liljegren,  N.  M.,  and  Westergreen,  N.  O.,  Svenska  Metodistnen 

i  Amerika.      1895. 
War  of  the  Rebellion.     A  Compilation  of  the  Official   Records   of   the   Union   and 

Confederate  Armies. 

Witting,  Victor,  Minnen  fran  mitt  lif  som  Sjoman,  Immigrant  och  Predikant.     1902. 
Year-Book  of  the  Swedish  Historical  Society  of  Amerika,  1907. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The  publishers  beg  to  acknowledge  contribution  of  valuable  data  from  Mr. 
Andrew  L.  Anderson,  Rev.  C.  A.  Bjork,  Mr.  Samuel  E.  Carlsson,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Engberg,  Mr.  Olof  Forsse,  Capt.  Eric  Johnson,  Mr.  Emil  Larson,  Mr.  Oliver 
A.  Linder,  Prof.  Axel  Mellander,  Mr.  Nels  Nelson,  ex-lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  43d 
Inf.  111.,  Mr.  Gustaf  Norberg,  Dr.  Eric  Norelius,  Mr.  Emil  Olund,  Mrs.  Sarah  Corning 
Paoli,  Mrs.  Henry  E.  C.  Peterson,  Rev.  J.  G.  Princell,  Mrs.  Lottie  Rudman,  Mr. 
Ernst  Skarstedt,  Mr.  Philip  J.  Stoneberg,  Mr.  John  L.  Swenson,  Dr.  Mauritz 
Stolpe  and  Rev.  C.  G.  Wallenius. 

For  the  use  of  a  number  of  engravings  the  publishers  are  indebted  to  the 
following:  Augustana  Book  Concern,  Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  Imtnanuel 
Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  Col.  Charles  R.  E.  Koch,  A.  L.  Lofstrom,  Hon.  James 
A.  Rose,  Swedish  M.  E.  Book  Concern,  Rev.  E.  Wingren  and  Trustees  of  Chicago 
Sanitary  District. 

ERRATA 

Page 

163.     For  "Lundquist"  read  "Lundqvist." 

190.     For  "odius,"  read  "odious." 

192.     For  "eighteenth  century,"  read  "nineteenth  century." 

207,  209,  235.     Footnotes  are  quoted  from  Lundqvist,    P.    N.,    and    not,    as   stated, 

from  Landgren. 

274,  276.     For  "Kassel,"  read  "Cassel." 
413.     For  "Epicopalian,"  read  "Episcopalian." 
437.     For  "captain,"  read  "second   lieutenant." 
601.     For  "Missions  Friends,"  read  "Mission  Friends." 
729.     For  "Gustaf  Stolape,"  read  "Gustaf  Stolpe." 


INDEX 


INDEX 


921 


INDEX 


Abrahamson,  Dr.  L.  G.,  912. 

Aftonbladet,  826. 

Agrelius,  Rev,  Carl  P.,  biography  359-61. 

Akerberg,  Wilhelm,  823-24. 

Akerblom,  John,  545. 

Alberg,  Albert,  839. 

Allouez,  Claude,   n. 

Almini,  Peter  M.,  845-46. 

Almkvist,  Johan  A.,  812-13. 

Altona,  821-24;  churches  at,  323-24;  set- 
tlement, 322. 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers, 
163,  741-48. 

Andersen,  Rev.  Paul,  414,  466,  480. 

Anderson,  Rev.  Anders  Johan,  biog. 
396-98. 

Anderson,  Rev.  Carl,  594-95,  599. 

Anderson,  Hans,  903. 

Andersson,  Anders,  314. 

Andersson,  Jonas,  277. 

Andreen,  Rev.  Andreas,  484-85,  biog. 
491-93- 

Andren,  Rev.  O.  C.  T.,  460,  biog.  463- 
465- 

Ansgarius  Synod,  599-603. 

Andover,  272-79;  cholera  at,  277-78; 
churches  in,  279;  economic  conditions 
in.  278;  Esbjorn  party,  277;  first  set- 
tlers, 272-75;  Lundquist,  Johanna  S., 
272-74;  Lutheran  church,  428-35,  441 
-45;  M.  E.  church,  381-83;  New  Swe- 
den parties,  274-76;  Wirstrom  party, 
276. 

Arosenius,  Capt.  Carl,  637,  biog.  696- 
97,  780. 

Art  and  Artists,  843-87;  first  American 
artist,  843;  Almini,  P.  M.,  845-46;  Art 
Association,  882-83;  Blombergson,  Fr. 
B.,  847-49;  Blombergson,  L.  A.,  851; 
Grafstrom,  O.,  853-57;  Hallberg,  C. 
E  ,  870-74;  Hesselius,  Gustaf  and  John, 
843-44;  Hofsten,  H.  von,  869-70;  Jans- 
son,  Alfred,  877;  Lindin,  C.  O.  E., 
861-62;  Linne"  Monument,  883-87;  Lun- 
dahl,  F.  A  ,  874-77;  Nilsson,  C.  J., 
862-65;  Nyholm,  A.  F.,  867-68;  Olsson, 
A  E.,  857-61;  Peterson,  H.  E.  C., 
846-47;  Roos,  Peter,  851;  Ryden,  Hen- 
ning,  865-66;  Saltza,  C.  F.  von,  852- 
53;  Strom,  G.  A.,  877-78;  Torgerson, 
A.  W.,  849-51. 


Artillery,  Battery  H,  First  Light,  686- 
96;  Battery  G,  Second  Light,  678-80; 
Battery  H,  Second  Light,  684. 

Asplund,  John,  544. 

Association,  Linne"  Monument,  883-87; 
Swedish  National,  906-08;  Swedish- 
American  Art,  882-83. 

Astrom,  pioneer  Chicagoan,  305. 

Augustana  Book  Concern,  813-17. 

Augustana,  Band,  721;  Chapel  Choir, 
727;  Music  at,  College,  721-27;  Orato- 
rio Society,  723-26;  Orchestra,  706, 
721-23. 

Augustana  College  and  Theological  Sem- 
inary, founding  of,  436;  at  Chicago, 
469,  473-  510-13;  at  Paxton,  S^S^S; 
at  Rock  Island,  515-21;  introductory, 
508-10. 

Augustana  Hospital,  531-37. 

Augustana  Synod,  541-43,  founding  of, 
469,  510,  541. 


Ba'ckman,  Rev.  C.  A.,  457-57. 

Bankson,  Andrew,   174. 

Baptist  Choirs,  735-736. 

Baptist  Church,  Swedish,  544-82;  Chi- 
cago, First  Church,  569-75;  Conference, 
General,  582;  earliest  known  Swedish 
Baptists,  544;  early  churches,  551;  Ed- 
gren,  Rev.  J.  A.,  biog.,  563-67;  found- 
er of,  in  America,  545;  Galesburg, 
550-51;  Home  of  Rest,  581;  Lindh, 
Rev.  Olof,  549,  biog.,  576-78;  Nilson, 
Rev.  Fr.  O.,  546-48,  biog.,  559~63; 
Palmquist,  Rev.  Gustaf,  founder,  545- 
48,  biog.,  552-54;  pioneer  work  in 
Sweden,  546-47;  Ring,  Rev.  John, 
biog.,  576;  Rock  Island,  547-50;  Schroe- 
der,  Gustavus,  544 — 46,  biog.,  568-69; 
statistics,  581-82;  Theological  Semin- 
ary, 578-80;  Wiberg,  Rev.  Anders,  554- 

59- 

Batavia,  341-42. 
Beaver  M.  E.  Church,  393. 
Bengtsson,  Olaus,  286. 
Benson,  Christian,  1761 
Benzon,  Oscar  M.,  837. 
Bergenlund,  Rev.  B.  G.  P.,  434-35. 
Bergenskold,  Rev.,  593-94. 
Bergland,  Maj.  Eric,  biog.,  670-72. 


922 


INDEX 


Berglund,  Andrew,  becomes  head  of 
Bishop  Hill  colony,  243-44;  biog.,  268; 
deposed,  244;  M.  E.  preacher,  266. 

Bethany  Home,  M.  E.,  406-08. 

Bethel  Ship,    179. 

Bishop  Hill  Colony,  223-70;  accounts 
involved,  263;  adminstration  of  trust- 
ees, 248-66:  celibacy  edict,  235, 
250,  conspiracy  of  malcontents,  251, 
expulsion  of  Norberg  and  others,  253, 
financial  condition,  256,  heavy  debts 
incurred,  256,  legislators  "fixed,"  254, 
material  prosperity,  248,  million  dollar 
railway  contract,  255,  new  grafts  on 
Janssonist  faith,  250,  Olof  Johnson's 
speculations,  255,  open  revolt,  253, 
petition  for  revocation  of  charter,  253, 
religious  waning,  249,  social  conditions 
investigated,  251,  speculative  enter- 
prises, 250;  Andrew  Berglund  succeeds 
Eric  Jansson,  243;  answer  to  bill  of 
complaint,  260-63;  assessments  for 
debt,  259-62;  banking,  262;  Bishop 
Hill  Colony  case,  259-66;  charter,  247; 
colony  debt,  260-62;  daily  life,  228-39; 
agriculture,  232-33,  ban  on  marriage, 
235,  cholera  scourge,  236,  defection  to 
Methodism,  234,  fisheries,  233,  grow- 
ing discontent,  237,  instruction,  230, 
250,  linen  industry,  233,  marriage  epi- 
demic, 235,  milling,  230-32,  ravages 
of  disease,  234,  subsistence,  230,  wor- 
ship, 228-29;  decree:  rendered,  263, 
reversed,  264;  democracy  in  name  es- 
tablished, 245;  division  of  property, 
257;  end  of  colony  corporation,  264; 
fiftieth  annivsrsary,  266;  final  fate  of 
Janssonisrn,  266;  fire  losses,  229,  261; 
founded,  225-26;  goldseekers'  expedi- 
tion, 241;  incorporation,  247;  individu- 
alization,  258;  Johnson  party,  257; 
leadership  assumed  by  Jonas  Olson, 
245;  monument  to  pioneers,  266;  nu- 
merous lawsuits,  261;  Olson  party,  257; 
Olson,  Jonas,  last  days  of,  268;  parties 
to  the  suit,  260;  retrogression,  255-59; 
Supreme  Court  decision,  264;  trustees  of 
the  colony,  247;  value  of  the  common 
estate,  257. 

Bishop  Hill,  Co.  D.,  57th  Inf.,  655-33; 
prize  drill  flag,  666-67. 

Bishop  Hill  M.  E.  Church,  395-96. 

Bjorkman,  Edwin.  SIO-H. 


Black  Hawk  War,  46. 

Blombergson,  Frederick  B.,  847-49. 

Blombergson,  Lars  A.,  851. 

Bockman,  Rev.  P.  W.,  192. 

Bohman,  Gustaf  A.,  776. 

Bond,  Shadrach,    36-40. 

Bonggren,  Jakob,    808-09. 

Book  pyres  in  Helsingland,   211-14. 

Bredberg,  Rev.  Jacob,  biog.,  390,  421. 

Bremer,  Fredrika,    visit   to   Pine    Lake, 

190-92. 

British  conquest  and  occupation,    27-29, 
Brown,  Rev.  John,  biog.  358-59. 

Cabet,  Etienne,  50-52. 

Cahokia,  24,  41. 

Canal:  Illinois  and  Michigan,  43,  Drain- 
age, 168-70,  Hennepin,  170-71. 

Capitol  buildings,  41-42. 

Carlson,  Amanda,  716-17,  753. 

Carlsson,  Rev.  Erland,  biog.,  474-79; 
editor,  816;  organizer  of  churches: 
Geneva,  480,  Rockford,  484;  pastorate 
in  Chicago,  466-71;  publisher,  763,  772; 
mention,  308,  444,  496. 

Carlsson,  Samuel  E.,  708,  721-23,  755-56, 

794- 

Carlsson  Trio,  755-56. 

Cartier,  John,   10. 

Cassel,  Rev.  Peter,  274,  biog.,  363. 

Cedergren,  Anna,  717. 

Cederstam,  Rev.  P.  A.,  453,  481. 

Central  Conference  statistics,  411. 

Cervin,  Dr.  A.  R.,  453,  771-72,  816. 

Chaiser,  Andrew,    791-94,   biog.,  796-97. 

Challman,  Rev.  Peter,  363-66,  leads  party 
of  gold-seekers,  364-65. 

Champlain,  Samuel,  10. 

Charles  XV.,  donation  of  library,  465,  512. 

Christenson,  Rev.  C.,  483. 

Chicago-Bladet,  817-18. 

Chicago,  City  of,  86-171;  anarchistic 
propaganda  in,  114-121;  Art  Institute, 
125;  charter  granted,  100;  early  devel- 
opment of,  99;  early  history  of,  86- 
100;  early  shipping  at,  100;  facts  and 
figures  of,  121-28;  Field  Columbian 
Museum,  125;  fire,  story  of  the  great, 
104-11;  first  railroads,  101-02;  Fort 
Dearborn,  founding  of,  88;  Fort  Dear- 
born massacre,  94-97;  growth  of  grain 
trade  at,  101;  Historical  Society,  125; 
incorporation  of,  100:  intellectual 


INDEX 


923 


progress  of,  102;  John  Crerar  Library, 
124;  later  development  of,  113-14; 
manufactures,  126-27;  name,  origin  of, 
86;  Newberry  Library,  124;  North- 
western University,  129-36;  packing 
industry,  102;  park  system  of,  121; 
population  of,  128-29;  public  and  pri- 
vate schools  of.  123;  public  library  of, 
123;  Pullman  strike  at,  121;  shipping 
and  commerce,  127-28;  town  and  city, 
100-04;  transportation  system,  122; 
University  of  Chicago,  137-47;  water 
works  system,  122;  World's  Fair  in, 
147-64. 

Chicago, 'Swedes  of,  301-12;  arrival  of 
emigrant  party,  306;  as  fire  victims, 
311-12;  charitable  institutions  of,  304; 
church  affiliations  of,  303;  First  Bap- 
tist Church,  569-75;  fraternal  organ- 
izations of,  304;  Immanuel  Lutheran 
Church,  466-74;  institutions  of,  302-04; 
M.  E.  Church,  386-93;  Mission  move- 

.  ment  begun,  584-88;  musical  organ- 
izations of,  304-05;  newspapers  of,  305; 
Oak  Street  Swedish  Mission,  615-17; 
occupations  of,  301;  pioneers,  305-06; 
political  status  of,  302;  population  of, 
301;  publication  houses  of,  305;  relief 
work  done  by  Schneidau,  U nonius, 
Carlsson  and  Newman,  307-08;  schools 
of,  304;  stricken  by  cholera,  306-09; 
"Swedish  Town"  and  environs,  309-10, 

Chicago   Theological   Seminary,   621-23; 

Churches,  Swedish:  Baptist,  544-82;  Con- 
gregational, 617-23;  Episcopal,  412-22; 
Free,  613;  Lutheran,  423-543;  Method- 
ist-Episcopal, 356-411;  Mission,  583- 
624. 

Civil  War,  Swedes  in,  625-702;  Arosen- 
ius,  Capt.  Carl,  637,  biog.  696-97; 
Bergland,  Maj.  Eric,  670-72;  Eckdall; 
Lieut.  Jonas,  701-02;  Eckstrom,  Capt. 
Axel  F.,  699;  Edvall,  Capt.  Olof  S., 
632,  637;  Ekstrand,  Lieut.  John  H., 
biog.  697-99;  Engberg,  Private  John  J., 
700-01;  enlistments  from  Illinois  dur- 
ing Civil  War,  626-31;  Erickson,  Lieut. 
Oliver,  701;  Fifty-fifth  111.  Infantry, 
643-55;  Fifty-seventh  111.  Infantry, 
Co.  D.,  655-63;  First  Light  Artillery, 
Battery  H.,  686-96;  Forsse,  Maj.  Eric, 
biog.,  663-65;  Forty-third  111.  Infantry, 
Co.  C.,  632-43;  Illinois  State  Memorial 


Temple  at  Vicksburg,  655;  Johnson, 
Capt.  Eric,  665-6;  Larson,  Corp.  Peter 
B.,  692;  Lempke,  Capt.  Jonas  F.,  699; 
Lindroth,  Lieut.  John,  699;  Lund, 
Capt.  Herman,  699;  Malmborg,  Col. 
Oscar,  643-55;  Names,  Distortion  of 
Swedish,  627-28;  Nelson,  Lieut.  Nels, 
700;  Officers  and  men,  various,  699- 
702;  Osborn,  Lieut.  Joseph  E.,  biog., 
682-84;  prize  drill  flag,  666-67;  roster 
of:  Battery  H,  First  artillery,  694-96, 
Co.  C.,  Forty-third  111.  Inf.  640-43; 
Co.  D.,  Fifty-seventh  111.  Inf.,  660-63; 
Swedish  men  in  Stolbrand's  battery, 
678;  Second  Light  Artillery,  Battery 
G.,  678-80;  Shiloh,  battle  of:  Co.  C., 
43d  Inf.,  633-37,  Co.  D.,  57th  Inf., 
656-57,  Fifty-fifth  Inf.,  645-46;  Silfver- 
sparre,  Capt.  Axel,  biog.,  685-90,  693- 
94;  Sparrestrom,  Capt.  Frederick,  678- 
80;  statistics  of  enlistments,  628-29; 
Stenbeck,  Capt.  Andrew,  biog.,  684-85; 
Stillhammer,  Lieut.  Charles,  700;  Stol- 
brand,  Brig.  Gen.  C.  J.,  672-78;  Warner, 
Capt.  Andrew  G.,  biog.,  669-70;  Wick- 
strum,  Capt.  Peter  M.,  667-68;  Wyman, 
Sergt.  Peter  S.,  690-93;  Youngberg, 
Adj.  John  E.,  699. 

Clark,  Gen.  George  Rogers,  32,  36. 

Cole,  Gov.  Edward,  56. 

College  and  Theological  Seminary,  Au- 
gustana,  508-21. 

College,  North  Park,  607-10. 

Communion  service  donated  by  Jenny 
Lind,  416,  421. 

Conference  of  Baptist  Church,  582. 

Conferences,  M.  E.  Church,  408-11. 

Conferences,  Lutheran    Church,    524-31. 

Congregationalists,  Swedish,  606-07,  617 

-23- 

Constitutional  history  of  state,  53-55. 
Conventicle  Placard,  198. 
Council  of  Revision,  53. 
Covenant  Hospital  and  Home  of  Mercy, 

610-13. 

Covenant,  Swedish  Ev.  Mission,  603-07. 
Craelius,  Otto,  824. 
Crogan,  George,  29. 
Cronholm,  N.  N.,  841. 
Cronsioe,  S.,  779-80. 

D'Ailly,  715. 
Dablon,  Claude,  n. 


924 


INDEX 


Dahlsten,  Rev.  A.  W.,  454-55,  486. 
DeKalb,  336-37;   settlers,  336. 
Douglas  University,   137. 
Drainage  Canal,   168-70. 

Ebbesen,  Carl,  836. 

Eckstrom,  Capt.  Axel  F.,  699. 

Ecknian,  David,   175. 

Eckdall,  Lieut.  Jonas,  701-02. 

Edgren,  Rev.  Johan  A.,  biog.,  563-67. 

Edstrom,  Aron,  778. 

Educational  system  of  Illinois,  68-85. 

Edvall,  Capt.  Olof  S.,  632-637. 

Edwards,  Gov.  Ninian,  39. 

Eklund,  Charles,  891. 

Ekstrand,  Lieut.  John  H.,  biog.,  697-99. 

Ekstrom,  Inga,    716-18. 

Elmblad,  Magnus,  784,  biog.,  789-91. 

Emigrant  hotel,  890-91. 

Emigration  of:  Esbjorn  and  his  party, 
427;  Erik  Jansson  and  his  part}7,  222- 
23;  Hasselquist  and  his  party,  447;  Lin- 
jo  G.  Larsson  and  his  party,  224-25; 
Jonas  Olsson  and  his  party,  225;  Uno- 
nius  and  his  party,  186-87. 

Enander  and  Bohman,  773-74. 

Enander,  Johan  A.,  772-73,  biog.,  774- 
76,  912-14. 

Engberg,  Private  John  J.,  700-01. 

Engberg,  Jonas,  early  choir  leader,  705 
-06;  publisher,  763-64;  biog.,  766-68; 
editor,  771-72;  mention,  505,  816. 

Engberg-Holmberg  Publishing  Company, 
764-66,  814. 

English,  literary  work  in,  838. 

Engstrom,  Gustaf,  755. 

Enlistments  from  111.  in  Civil  War, 
Swedish,  626-31. 

Episcopal  Church,  Swedish,  412-22; 
Bredberg,  Rev.  Jacob,  421;  Commun- 
ion service,  416;  first  Scandinavian 
church  in  Chicago,  413;  Hedman,  Rev. 
John,  422;  Lindskog,  Rev.  Herman, 
422;  St.  Ansgarius  Church,  415-22;  St. 
Barnabe's  Mission,  421;  U  nonius,  Rev. 
Gustaf,  first  Episcopal  clergyman, 
412-20. 

Ericsson  (John)   Day,  909-12. 

Erickson,  Lieut.  Oliver,  701. 

Ericksson,  G.  A.,  322-23. 

Ericson,  Rev.  Albert,  404. 

Ericson,  Rev.  Andrew,  biog.,  361-62. 

Eriksson,  Erik,  344. 


Erixon,  Bertha,  716-17. 

Ersson,  Karin,  209. 

Ersson,  Matts,  277. 

Esbjorn,  Rev.  Lars  Paul,  biog.,  424-28 
436-38;  career  at:  Augustana  Seminary, 
510-13,  Illinois  State  University,  510, 
512;  early  writer,  761-62;  founder  and 
pioneer,  423;  mention,  454,  467-68; 
pastoral  work  at:  Andover,  428-36, 
Galesburg,  452,  Moline,  458,  Prince- 
ton, 496-97. 

Evald,  Rev.  C.  A.,  471-72. 

Evangelisten,  780. 


Falstrom,  Jacob,   175-76. 

Fifty  fifth  111.  Infantry,  643-55. 

Fifty-seventh    111.  Infantry,  Co.  D.,  655- 

63- 

First,  in  state,  American  settlement,  36; 
courts  of  law,  29-30;  known  Swedish 
pioneer,  172;  railroad,  44;  Swedes,  172, 
Swedish  clergyman,  176;  Swedish  Epis- 
copal clergyman,  412;  Swedish  farmer, 
176;  Swedish  printery,  761-63. 

First  in  Chicago:  Scandinavian  church, 
413;  Swede,  182. 

First  Light  Artillery,  Battery  H,  686-96. 

Fjellstedt,  Dr.  Peter,  439,  465-66,  475, 
512,  526. 

Flack,  Gustaf,   185. 

Florine,  J.  W.,  274. 

Forsse,  Maj.  Eric,  biog.,  663  65;  com- 
mands 57th  Inf.,  659;  fights  at  Shiloh, 
656-57;  organizes  Bishop  Hill  com- 
pany, 655-56. 

Fort:  Chartres,  25,29-30;  Crevecoeur,  18; 
Dearborn,  88-91;  Dearborn  massacre, 
94-97;  second,  Dearborn,  99;  Massac, 
36;  Miami,  18:  Sackville,  34;  St.  Louis, 
20. 

Forty-third  111.  Infantry,  Co.  C,  632-43. 

Fosterlandet,  SiS. 

Fox  Indian  massacre,  26. 

Fredrickson,  Prof.  A.  \V.,  610. 

Free  Church,  Sw.  Ev.,  or  Free  Mission 
Friends,  613-17. 

Freja  Society,  Chicago,  714;  Moline, 
894-95. 

French  and  Indian  war,  27. 

French,  explorations,  9-23;  forts  in  111., 
18-25;  niissions  and  colonies,  23-26. 

Frihetsvannen,  780. 


INDEX 


925 


Galesburg,  281-85,  church  at:  Baptist, 
550-51,  Lutheran,  447~49>  452-57.  M. 
E.,  383-85,  Mission,  593-95;  cradle  of 
Swedish-American  press,  284,  451;  first 
settler  at,  283-84. 

Galva,  337-40;  Bishop  Hill  people  in, 
338;  newspapers,  339. 

Gamla  och    Nya    Henilandet,   451,    473, 

771-74- 

Garret  Biblical  Institute,   131. 

Geneseo,  335-36- 

Geneva,  333-35;  churches,  334-35;  Luth- 
eran church,  480-83. 

Gibault,  Father,  34. 

Graf strom,  Olof,  853-57. 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  66-68,  646. 

Granville,  Trued  Persson,  317. 

Green  Bay  settlement,   n. 

Gunnar  Wennerberg  Memorial  Choruses, 

735- 

Gyllenhaal,  A.  Leonard,  774,  784,  biog., 
802-03,  900. 

Hallberg,  Charles  E.,  870-74. 

Hallberg,  Simon,  895. 

Hallin,  John  and  Andrew,   175. 

Handel  Oratorio  Society,  726. 

Haralson,  Paul,   174. 

Hasselquist,  Rev.  Tuve  N.,  biog.,  445- 
51;  career  at  Augustana  College,  511- 
14,  519;  founded  churches  at:  Chicago, 
466,  Geneva,  480;  founder  of  Swedish- 
American  press,  284,  451,  761-63,  771; 
editor,  816;  mentioned,  496,  725,  727; 
pastoral  work  at  Galesburg,  452-54. 

Haterius,  Rev.  C.  J.  E.,  457. 

Haymarket  tragedy,   117-18. 

Hedenskog,  Sven,  346. 

Hedin,  Nils,  apostle,  243,  250. 

Hedman,  Rev.  John,  422. 

Hedstrom,  Rev.  Jonas,  biog.,  179-82; 
mention,  234,  428,  430,  452;  pastoral 
work  at  Victoria,  356-58. 

Hedstrom,  Rev.  Olof  G.,  biog.,  176-80; 
converts  Olof  Olsson,  221. 

Hellstrom,  Jonas,  280. 

Helm,  Capt.,  34. 

Hemborg,  Rev.  C.  A.,  463. 

Hemdahl,    Rev.  G.  E.,  501. 

Henilandet,  Det  Ratta,  771-72,  816. 

Henilandet,    Gamla    och    Nya,  284,  451, 

473.  771-4- 
Hennepin  Canal,  170-71. 


Hennepin,  Louis,  15,   18. 

Henschen,  Dr.  Wm.,  782. 

Hessel,  Theo.,  826-27. 

Hesselius,  Gustaf  and  John,  843-44. 

Heyne,  Alfred,  777-78. 

Higgins,  Gus,  825-26. 

Historical  Society  of  America,  Swedish, 

912-15. 

Hockert,  Bruno,  836-37. 
Hokanson,  Rev.  M.  F.,  453. 
Hofsten,  Hugo  von,  869-70. 
Hogfeldt,  Otto,  811-12. 
Holmberg,  Charles    P.,    764,   biog.,  769. 
Holmberg,  Major,  343,  632. 
Holmes,  Rev.  Ludvig,  835-36. 
Holmquist,  Gustaf,  752. 
Home  of  Rest,  581. 
House  of  Representatives,  53. 
Humoristen,  825. 
Hussander,  Will  S.,  908-09. 
Hvass,  Andrew  G.,  736-37. 
Hvassman,  Axel  L.,  736. 


Icarian  community,  50-52. 

Illini,   13. 

Illinois,  American  occupation  of,  30-37; 
ceded  to  England,  29;  a  county  of 
Virginia,  36;  discovery  of,  u;  first 
higher  institution  of  learning,  72;  a 
territory,  39;  normal  schools  of,  84; 
population  of,  68;  public  schools  of, 
72;  statehood  granted,  39;  early  state 
period,  40-47;  under  English  rule, 
26-30. 

Illinois  Conference,  524-31. 

Illinois  State  Memorial  Temple  at  Vicks- 
burg,  655. 

Illinois  State  University,  Springfield,  435, 
509-10,  512. 

Illinois  Swede,  the,  791. 

Immanuel  Church  Choir,  706-08. 

Immanuel  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
Chicago,  466-74. 

Indiana  Territory  organized,  38. 

Infantry,  111.,  Fifty-fifth,  643-55;  Fifty- 
seventh,  Co.  D,  655-63;  Forty-third, 
Co.  C,  632-43. 

Ingemanson,  Anders,  352. 


James,  E.  J.,  83-84. 
Jansson,  Alfred,  877. 


926 


INDEX 


Jansson,  Erik,  accused  by  Karin  Ersson, 
209;  acquittal,  213;  apostolic  pilgrim- 
ages, 207;  arrested  for  burning  books, 
212;  arrival  in  Illinois,  224;  assassin- 
ated by  Ruth,  242;  assumes  title  of 
prophet,  208;  attempt  at  miracles,  206 
-07;  audience  before  king,  213;  burns 
Lutheran  books,  211-14;  choice  of  new 
"mother  in  Israel,"  236;  conflict  with 
authorities,  206;  dealings  with  "Dr." 
Foster,  235.  death  of  Mrs.  Jansson, 
236;  delivered  from  jail,  216;  despotic 
rule,  237.  dissent  from  state  church, 
203;  early  life,  200-01;  excerpts  from 
catechism,  218-19;  forms  church  sect, 
208;  flees  country,  222;  flight  to:  Da- 
larne,  216,  St.  Louis,  242;  in  New  York 
city,  223-24;  journey  to  Helsingland, 
203;  martyrdom,  213;  meeting  with: 
Jonas  Olsson,  203,  Olof  Olsson,  224; 
perfectionism,  207;  portrayed,  211;  re- 
lations with  women,  209-10;  sanity 
test,  213;  style  of  preaching,  211-12; 
trial  for  heresy,  215;  writings,  217-18. 
Jansson,  Jan,  225,  306. 
Jansson,  Nils,  314. 

Janssonisni,  Erik,    196-220;    communism 
adopted,  221-22;   modification  of   doc- 
trines, 249;  rise  of,  197. 
Janssonists,  Eric,  emigrant   parties:   be- 
ginning, 220,  Andersson  and  Hammar- 
back,  226-27,  Johnson-Stoneberg's,  227 
-28,    Larsson's,    224,     Nylund's,    227, 
Olsson's,    225,  that  of    1845,  223;   per- 
secution of,  210,  215;  tilt  with  Unonius, 
414-15;  total  emigration,  228. 
Jewett,  Anna  Fr.  Magnusson,  711-12. 
Jochnick,  Bvt.  Maj.  Axel  af,  702-3. 
Johansson,  Carl,  287. 
Johnson,  Alex.  J.,  821. 
Johnson,  Dr.  C.  W.,  903. 
Johnson,  Capt.  Eric,  as    publisher,  791- 
92;     biog.,     795-96;     military     record, 
665-66;   part   taken  in  colony,  243-45, 
259-60. 

Johnson,  Rev.  John,  biog.,  501-04. 
Johnson,  Olof,  becomes  colony  trustee, 
247;  biog.,  268;  business  head  of  col o- 
ny>  255-56;  conducts  party  of  emi- 
grants, 227-28;  death,  266;  deposed 
and  reinstated,  257;  faction  divides 
holdings,  258-59;  mention,  244,  250- 
51,  261-63,  265. 


Johnston,  Rev.  L.  A.,  463,  489-90. 
Joliet,  Louis,   11-15. 
Josephson,  Aksel  G.  S.,  841,  912-15. 
Jubilee  Chorus  of  Chicago,  Sw.  Baptist, 
736. 

Kaskaskia,  24,  32,  39,  40. 

Kewanee,  344~45- 

Kihlberg,  N.  M.,  276,  320. 

Kinzie,  John,  91-92,  98. 

Kjellberg,  Isidor,  827-28. 

Knoxville,  317-19;  Ansgarius  College  at, 

318-19;     early    settlers     at,,      317-18; 

Lutheran  church  at,  483-84. 

Labor  troubles  in  Chicago,  114-21. 
Ladies'  Octette,  Swedish,  753. 
Ladies'  Quartette,  Original,    720-21. 
Ladies'  Quartette,  Swedish,  754. 
Lady  Quartette,  Swedish,    715-19. 
Lafayette,  visit  of,  45. 
Lagergren,  Alfred,   714-15. 
Lancaster,  Rosalie  Magnusson,   713. 
Lange,  Olof  G.,  biog.,   182-84;  mention, 

783,  788,  890. 
Larson,    Andeis,    biog.,    894;     mention, 

415,  892. 

Larson,  Emil,  726-27,  733-34,  735,    737- 
Larson,  Emma,  717,  719-20. 
Larson,  John  A.,  274-75. 
Larson,  Corp.  Peter  B.,  692. 
Larson,  Oliver,  709-10. 
Larson,  William,  838. 
Larsson,  Jonas,  329. 
La  Salle,  Robert  de,  15-23. 
"La'sare,"   198-99. 
Laurin,  Sigfrid,  756. 
Legislature,  first  territorial,  38. 
Legislative  council,  53. 
Lempke,  Capt.  Jonas  F.,  699. 
Lennmalm,  Herman,  841,  900. 
Liljencrantz,  Ottilie  A.,  840. 
Liljenstolpe,  Bvt.  Lieut.  Col.  C.  A.  W., 

702-04. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  60-65. 
Lind,  Jenny,    894,    donations,    416,    431, 

512. 

Lindahl,  Rev.  C.  J.,  584-85,  600. 
Lindahl,  Rev.  S.  P.  A.,  456,  815-16. 
Lindblom,  Ernst,  825. 
Lindeblad,  Rev.  Henry  O.,  463-64. 
Lindell,    Rev.    Carl    O.,    biog.,    769-71; 

mention,  481,  764,  816. 


INDEX 


927 


Linder,  Oliver  A.,    809-10. 
Linderborg,  Carl  G.,  biog.  800;  mention, 

793-94- 

Lindgren,  Capt.  Charles M.,  biog.,  387-89. 

Lindh,  Rev.  Olof,  biog.  576-78;  mention, 
549-50. 

Lindin,  Carl  O.  EM  861-62. 

Lindroth,  Lieut.  John,   699. 

Lindskog,  Rev.  Herman,  422. 

Lindstrand,  Frans  A.,  805-06,  906-07. 

Linne"  Monument,  883-87. 

Lofgren,  Ingeborg,  716-17. 

Logan,  Gen.  John  A.,  66,  653,  674,  677. 

Lovejoy,  Elijah  P.,  57-59. 

Lovejoy,  Owen,  60. 

Lund,  Capt.  Herman,  699. 

Lund  Students'  Chorus,  748-49. 

Lundahl,  Frank  A.,  874-77. 

Lundin,  Frederick,  906. 

Lundquist,  J.  E.,  272-73. 

Luther  Readers,  425,  552,  583.     See  also 
"Lasare,"  198-99. 

Lutheran  choirs,  737. 

Lutheran  Church,  Swedish;  Augustana 
Synod:  foundation,  510,  541,  progress 
of,  541-43;  early  churches:  Andover, 
428-35,  441-45,  Chicago,  Immanuel 
Church,  466-74,  Galesburg,  447-49, 
452-57,  Geneva,  480-83,  Knoxville,  483- 
84,  Moline,  458-63,  Princeton,  495-501, 
Rockford,  First  Church 
clergymen:  Andreen,  Rev.  Andreas, 
491-93,  Andre"n,  Rev.  O.  C.  T.,  biog., 
463-65,  mention,  460,  511;  Carlsson, 
Rev.  E.,  444,  466-71,  Esbjorn,  Rev.  L. 
P.,  biog.,  422-38,  452,  454,  Hasselquist, 
Rev.  T.  N.,  biog.,  445-52,  Johnson, 
Rev.  John,  biog.,  501-04,  Norelius, 
Rev.  E.,  504-07,  Olsson,  Dr.  Olof, 
biog.,  521-24,  Peters,  Rev.  G.,  biog., 
493-95,  Swensson,  Rev.  J.,  435,  biog., 
438-44;  historic  bodies  of:  Chicago 
Conference,  Mississippi  Conference  and 
Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  524-26, 
Illinois  Conference  524-31;  institutions 
in  state:  Augustana  College  and  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  descriptive,  508-10, 
at  Chicago,  510-13,  at  Paxton,  513-15, 
at  Rock  Island,  515-21,  Augustana 
Hospital  531-37,  Orphans'  Home, 
Andover,  537-38,  Orphans'  Home, 
Joliet,  539-40,  Salem  Home  for  the 
Ag 


Lutheran  Publication  Society,  473,  763-64. 

Mack,  Stephen,  325. 
Malmborg,  Col.  Oscar,  acts  as  engineer 
officer,    646,    648-49,    654;    commands 
55th  Inf.  at:  Arkansas  Post,  648, 
tanooga,     650,     Chickamauga     Creek, 
650,    Mission     Ridge,     650,     siege    of 
Vicksburg,     649-50;     commands    55th 
Inf.  at  Shiloh,  virtually,  645-46;  com- 
missioned:    colonel,     651,    colonel 
Veteran     Army     Corps,    654;    comp 
mented,  646,  648,  650,  651;  death,  655; 
fails  of  reelection,  653;  military  educa- 
tion, 643;  retires,  655;  serves  in  Mexi- 
can War,  644;  trains  55th  Inf.  644-45. 
Malmquist,  Frithiof,    811. 
Marquette,  Father  Jacques,   11-15,  23- 
Martenson,  John,  817. 
Mattson,   Hans,  782,  biog.  784-86. 
Mattson,  Bvt.  Maj.  M.  Theo.,  703. 
Melin,  P.  E.,  836. 
Mellander,  Carl  A.,  802. 
Mellgren,  Rev.  C.  P.,  595-96. 
Methodist-Episcopal    Church,    Swedish, 
356-411;  Agrelius,  Rev.  C.  P.,  359-61; 
Anderson,  Rev.  A.  J.,  396-98;  Brown, 
Rev.    John,    358-59;    Bethany    Home, 
406-08;    Cassel,    Rev.  P.,    363;    Chall- 
man,  Rev.  P.,  363-66;  churches,  early, 
379-96:     Andover,  381-83,  Beaver,  393, 
Bishop  Hill,  395-96,  Chicago,  386-93, 
Galesburg,  383-85,  Moline-Rock  Isl'd, 
385-86,    Rockford,    393-95,     Swedona, 
395,  Victoria,  380-81;  conferences,  408 
-n;     eminent    workers     of,     3*96-404; 
Ericson,    Rev.    Albert,    404;    Ericson, 
Rev.  Andrew,  361-62;    first  church  in 
West,  181,  356;  growth,  408-11;    Hed- 
strb'm,    Rev.    Jonas,    biog.,   179-82,  co- 
workers  of,  358-79;  fundamental  work, 
356-58;     Newberg,    Rev.    P.,     371-73; 
Newman,  Rev.  S.  B.,  369-71;  Shogren, 
Rev.     Erik,     366-69;      statistics,     411; 
Swedberg,  Rev.  A.  G.,    362-63;    theo- 
logical seminary,  404-06;  Westergreen, 
Rev.  N.  O.,  400-403;  Wigren,  Rev.  J., 
398-400;  Witting,  Rev.   V.,  373-79. 
Minnesota- Posten,  763,  767,  771. 
Mission  choirs,  736-37. 
Mission    Church,    or    Mission     Friends, 
583-624;    Ansgarius    College,    599-600; 
beginning   of   movement,  583:  in  Chi- 


928 


INDEX 


cago,  584-88;  early  churches:  Gales- 
burg,  593-95,  Princeton,  595-96,  Rock- 
ford,  596-97;  prominent  preachers: 
Anderson,  Rev.  Carl,  594-95,  599, 
Bergenskold,  Rev.,  593-94.  Bjork, 
Rev.  Carl  A.,  587,  597,  603,  611,  Lin- 
dahl,  Rev.  C.  J.,  584-85,  600,  Mell- 
gren,  Rev.  C.  P.,  595-96>  Peterson, 
Rev.  J.  A.,  biog.,  59O-9I>  Princell, 
Rev.  J.  G.,  603,  616-17,  Sanngren,  Rev. 
J.  M.,  biog.,  589-90,  Skogsbergh,  Rev. 
E.  A.,  591-92,  Sundberg,  Rev.  S.  W., 
593,  597,  Undeen,  Rev.  P.,  596-97, 
Wedin,  Rev.  P.,  596;  Mission  Cove- 
nant, 603-13:  Fredrickson,  Prof,  A. 
W.,  610,  Hospital  and  Home  of  Mercy, 
610-13,  North  Park  College,  607-10. 
Nyvall,  Prof.  D..  609-10,  requirements 
for  membership  in,  605;  Synod:  Ans- 
garius,  599-603,  Swedish  Lutheran 
Mission,  597-99,  605,  differences  be- 
tween Ansgarius  and  Mission,  599-602; 
Sw.  Ev.  Free  Church  or  Free  Mission, 
613-17;  Sw.  Congregational,  606-07, 
617-23;  Scandinavian  Alliance  Mission, 
620;  statistics  of  all  three  church 
groups,  623-24. 
Mission  Synod,  Swedish  Luth.,  597~99> 

605. 

Missions- Wannen,  811-12. 
Mississippi  River,  discovery,   12. 
Mix's  place,  Captain,  382,  428,  431. 
Moline,  285-91;  churches,  289-90;  church: 
Lutheran,  458-63,  M.  E.,  385-6;  early 
settlers,  286-89;  "Old  man  of  Stenbo," 
287-89;  Swedish  publications  in,    290- 
291. 

Monmouth,  342-44. 
Mormons,  47-48. 
Munter,  Magnus,  334,  485. 
Music  and  Musicians,  705-759;  American 
Union  of  Swedish  Singers,  741-48; 
Augustana  College,  music  at,  721-27; 
Augustana:  Band,  721,  Orchestra,  706, 
721-23,  Oratorio  Society,  723-26,  Chapel 
Choir,  727;  Wennerberg  Chorus,  727; 
Baptist  choirs,  735-36;  Jubilee  Chorus, 
736;  Carlsson,  S.  E.,  721,  755-56; 
Carlsson  Trio,  755-56;  Engstrom,  G., 
755;  Smith,  A.  D.,  755-56;  D'Ailly, 
715;  early  days,  music  in,  704-05;  Eng- 
berg,  Jonas,  705-6;  Freja  Society,  714; 
Gunnar  Wennerberg  Memorial  Chorus, 


735;  Holmquist,  Gustaf,  752;  Immanuel 
Church    Choir,    706-08;    Jewett,   Anna 
Fredrika  M.,  711-12;  Ladies'  Quartette, 
the  Original,  720-21 ;  Ladies'  Quartette, 
Swedish,  754;  Ladies'  Octette,  Swedish, 
753;  Lady  Quartette,  Swedish,  715-19; 
Lagergren,  Alfred,  714-15;    Lancaster, 
Rosalie    M.,  713;    Larson,  Emil,    726- 
27>  733-34;  Larson,  Emma,  717,  719-20; 
Larson,  Oliver,  709-10;  Laurin,  Sigfrid, 
756;    Lund    Students'    Chorus,  748-49; 
Lutheran  choirs,  706-08,  737;  Mission 
choirs,    736-7;    Hvass,    A.    G.,  736-37; 
Hvassman,  A.  L.,    736;    Olsson,    Olof, 
723;    Orion   Quartette,    752-53;    Orten- 
gren,  John   R.,  740,    744,  746-48,  758; 
Osborn,    Joseph    E.,  706,    710-11,  725; 
Owen,    Benj.,  715;    quartettes,  715-20, 
752-54;    Stolpe,  Gustaf,  721,  723,  725- 
26,  biog.,  729-33;    Svea   Male   Chorus, 
Moline,    751-52;    Svenska    Sangforen- 
ingen,  714-15;  Svithiod  Singing  Club, 
738-40;  Swedish  Festival    Chorus,    734 
-35;  Swedish  Glee  Club,  740-41;  Swen- 
son,  John  L.,  714,  738-40,  744;  Swed- 
ish Y.  M.  C.  A.  Chorus,  749-50;  Wim- 
merstedt,    Edw.    A.,    708-09;    World's 
Fair  concerts,  744-46. 
Myhrman,  Othelia,  907. 

Nad  och  San n ing,  766. 

National    Association,    Swedish,    906-08. 

Nelson.  John,  Rockford,  328. 

Nelson,  Lieut.  Nels,  700. 

Nelson,  Sven,  185. 

Newberg,  Rev.  Peter,  biog.,  371-73. 

Newman,  Rev.  Sven  B.,  biog.  369-71. 

Newspapers  (see  Press) 

New  Sweden  colony,  9. 

Nilson,  Rev.  F.  O.,  546-48;  biog.,  559-63. 

Nilsson,  Carl  J.,  862-65. 

Nilsson,  Christina,  at  Chicago,  719-20, 
891-92;  at  Sycamore,  352-53. 

Norberg,  Eric  U.,  attempts  to  have 
charter  revoked,  253-4;  and  five  others 
bring  suit  against  trustees,  259-60; 
biography,  269-70;  defies  trustees  and 
is  banished,  253;  is  offered  bribe,  254; 
joins  Lutheran  church  at  Andover, 
430-31;  opposes  trustees,  246-48,  251; 
protests  against  Janssons  extravagance, 
237,  239. 

Nordin,  Robert,  544. 


6RW 

iTPFfU 


INDEX 


929 


Norelius,  Rev.  Anders,  504,  507,  551. 
Norelius,    Rev.   Eric,    biog.,    504-07;    as 

editor,  763,  767,  771,  776-77,  816. 
Norman,  Carl  G.,  838. 
North  Park  College,  607-10. 
Northwest  Territory  37-38. 
Northwestern  University,   129-36. 
Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren,  784. 
Nya  Verlden,   791-92. 
Nya  Wecko-Posten,  781. 
Nyholm,  Arvid  F.,  867-68. 
Nyvall,  Dr.  David,  609-10;  biog.,  832-34. 

Oak  Street  Swedish  Mission,  615-17. 

Odd  Fellows,  First  Swedish  Lodge,  895. 

Ohio  Company  chartered,   27. 

Old  People's  Home  Association,  903-06. 

Old  People's  Home;  Baptist,  581;  Luth- 
eran, 540-41;  M.  E.,  406-08;  Mission 
Friends,  610-13. 

Olson,  Rev.   Hakan,  484. 

O  son,  Ernst  W.,  794,  818,  912-15. 

Olson,  Jonas,  becomes  Jansson's  active 
adherent,  204;  death,  268;  deposes 
Berglund  and  assumes  leadership  of 
colony,  244-45;  drafts  charter  appoint- 
ing trustees,  246-47;  faction,  258;  heads 
gold  seekers'  party,  241;  hides  Jansson, 
215,  meets  Erik  Jansson,  203;  men- 
oned,  237,  248,  250-51,  255,  263; 
modifies  religious  teachings,  249;  turns 
Adventist,  266. 

Olsson,  Anna,  834-35. 

Olsson,  Axel  E-,  857-61. 

Olsson,  Jon,  of  Stenbo,  241,  287-89. 

Olsson,  Olof,  converted  to  Methodism  by 
O.  G.  Hedstrom,  221;  emissary  of 
Janssonists,  220-21;  mention,  280;  pur- 
chases first  parcel  of  land  for  Jansson- 
ists, 225;  shelters  Jansson  and  is  re- 
converted by  him;  224;  urges  Jansson- 
sts  to  settle  in  111.,  221. 

Olsson,  Dr.  Olof,  biog.,  521-24;  mention, 
723;  musical  pioneer,  723. 

Oneida,  340-41. 

Organizations,  888-915;  Freja  Society, 
Moline,  894-95;  Odd  Fellows,  Swed- 
ish, 895;  Old  People's  Home  Associa- 
tion, 903-06;  Scandinavian  Benevolent 
Society,  895;  Svea  Bildningsforen- 
ing,  Knox,  894;  Svea  Society,  888-94: 
emigrant  hotel,  890-91;  Larson,  A., 
892,  894;  Svithiod,  Ind.  Order  of, 


895-99;  Swedish  Historical  Society  o* 
America,  912-15;  Swedish  National 
Association,  906-08;  Swedish-American 
Press  Club,  900;  Swedish- American 
Republican  League,  908-12;  Vikings, 
Ind.  Order  of,  900-03. 

Orion,  312-13;  Janssonists  in,  312;  Pike's 
Peak  party  from,  313. 

Orion  Quartette,  752-53. 

Orphans'  Home:  Andover,  537-38,  Joliet, 

..539-40. 

Ortengren,  John  R.,  163,  740,  744,  746- 
48,  758,  907. 

Osborn,  Lieut.  Joseph  E.,  biog.,  682-84; 
musical  career,  706,  710-11,  725. 

Owen,  Benj.,  715. 

Pallin,  Otto,  823. 

Palmquist,  Gustaf.biog.,  552-54;  mention, 

293,  434,  452,  545-48. 
Paxton,  346-48,  Augustana  Seminary  at, 

346,  5i3- 

Peck,  Rev.  John  M.,   72-74. 

Perrot,  Nicholas,   n. 

Person,  Johan,    825. 

Peters,  Rev.  G.  biog.,  493-95;  mention, 
486,  489. 

Peterson,  Carl  Fr.,  biog.,  797-99,  mention, 
791-94,  826. 

Peterson,  Emma  L.,  717,  719-20. 

Peterson,  Henry  E.  C.,  846-47. 

Peterson,  Rev.  J.  A.,  biog.,    590-91. 

Petrelli,  Mme.  E.,  757- 

Petterson,  P.,  322-23. 

Petterson,  Sven,  317. 

Pietists,  425,  552. 

Pine  Lake  Settlement,  185-92,  413. 

Pollock,  Sophia,  237,  243-44,  251. 

Polygamy  at  Nauvoo,  48. 

Pontiac,  Chief,  28. 

Press  Club,  Swedish  American,  900. 

Press  and  literature,  760-842;  Aftonbla- 
det,  826;  Akerberg,  W.,  823-24;  Alm- 
kvist,  J.  A.,  812-13;  Augustana  Book 
Concern,  813-17;  Bjorkman,  Edwin, 
810-11;  Bohman,  G.  A.,  776;  Benzon, 
Oscar  M.,  837;  Bonggren,  Jakob,  808- 
09;  Carlsson,  Erland,  763,  772,  816; 
Chaiser,  Andrew,  791-94.  796-97;  Chi- 
cago-Bladet,  817-18;  Crselius,  Otto, 
824;  Cronsioe,  S.,  779~8o;  early  publi- 
cations, 761-62;  Ebbesen,  Carl,  836; 
Edstrom,  Aron,  778;  Elmblad,  Magnus, 


930 


INDEX 


784,  789-91;  Enander  and  Bohman, 
773-74;  Enander,  Johan  A.,  772-73, 
774-76;  Engberg-Holmberg  Publishing 
Company,  The,  764-66,  814;  Engberg, 
Jonas,  763-64,  766-68,  771-72,  816; 
English  literary  work,  838;  Evange- 
listen,  780;  first  printing  office,  761- 
63;  Fosterlandet,  818;  Frihetsvannen, 
780;  Gyllenhaal,  A.  L.,  774,  784,  802 
-03;  Hasselquist,  T.  N.,  761-63,  771, 
813;  Hemlandet,  Det  Ratta,  771-72, 
816;  Hemlandet,  Gamla  och  Nya,  451, 
473)  77I~774!  Henschen,  Dr.  William, 
782;  Hessel,  Theodore,  826-27;  Heyne 
Alfred,  777-78;  Higgins,  Gus,  825-26; 
Hockert,  Bruno,  836-37;  Hogfeldt, 
Otto,  811-12;  Holmberg,  Charles  P., 
764,  769;  Holmes,  Dr.  Ludvig,  835-36; 
Humoristen,  825;  Illinois  Swede,  791; 
Johnson,  Alex  J.,  821;  Johnson,  Eric, 
791-92,  795-96;  Kjellberg,  Isidor,  827 
-28;  Larson,  William,  838;  Liljen- 
crantz,  Ottilie  A.,  840;  Lindahl,  S.  P. 
A.,  815-16;  Lindblom,  Ernst,  825;  Lin- 
dell,  Carl  O.,  764,  769-71,  816;  Linder, 
Oliver  A.,  809-10;  Linderborg,  Carl 
G.,  793-94,  800;  Lindstrand,  Frans  A., 
805-06;  Malmquist,  Frithiof,  811;  Mar- 
"tenson,  John,  817;  Mattson,  Hans,  784 
-86;  Melin,  P.  E.,  836;  Mellander,  Carl 
A.,  802;  Minnesota-Posten ,  763,  767, 
771;  Missions-Wannen,  811-12;  Nad 
och  Sanning,  766;  Norelius,  Eric,  763, 
767,  771,  776-77,  816;  Norman,  Carl 
G.,  838;  Nya  Svenska  Amerikanaren, 
784;  Nya  Verlden,  791-92;  Nya  Wecko- 
Posten,  781;  Nyvall,  David,  832-34; 
Olsson,  Anna,  834-35;  Pallin,  Otto, 
823;  Person,  Johan,  825;  Peterson,  C. 
F.,  791-94,  797-99,  826;  producing 
center,  literary,  760-61;  Publication 
Society,  Swedish  Lutheran,  763-64; 
Roos,  Herman,  782,  786-88;  Sande- 
budet,  781-82;  Schon,  Anders,  778-79; 
Sjostrom,  Gustaf,  778;  Skandia,  826; 
Skarstedt,  Ernst,  806-08;  Stenquist, 
Charles  J.,  784;  Stromberg,  Rev.  Leo- 
nard, 831-32;  Sundelius,  Peter  A.,  772, 
784,  788-89,  792,  804;  Svenska  Ameri- 
kanaren, I.,  783-84;  Svenska  Ameri- 
kanaren, II.,  805-06;  Svenska  Kuriren, 
820-21;  Svenska  Nyheter,  825-26; 
Svenska  Republikanen,  779-80;  Sven- 


ska Tribunen,  791-95;  Sward,  Axel  A., 
828-29;  Swenson,  Johan  P.,  801-02; 
Swensson,  Rev.  Carl  A.,  818-19; 
Thornmark,  Charles  E.,  837-38;  Tor- 
sell,  J.  Valdemar,  801;  Vart  Land  och 
Folk,  766;  Wserner,  Ninian,  829-31; 
Wicklund,  Gustaf,  822;  Wingren,  Rev. 
Eric,  781;  Zilliacus,  Konni,  803-04. 

Princeton,  295-301;  churches,  300;  early 
settlers,  295-98;  Lutheran  church, 
495-501;  Mission  church,  595-96. 

Prize  drill  flag,    666-67. 

Publication  Society,  Sw.  Luth.,  473, 
763-64. 

Quartettes,  715-20,  752-54. 

Randolph  county  organized,  38. 

Readers,  468,  552,  583,  585;  see  "Lasare" 
and  Luther  readers. 

Republican  League  of  111.,  Sw.- American, 
908-12. 

Revolution,  Swedes  in  American  War 
of,  625. 

Ring,  Rev.  John,  biog.  576. 

Risberg,  Prof.  Fridolf,  606,    620-21. 

Rocheblave,  last  British  governor,  30. 

Rockford,  324-33;  cholera  victims,  331; 
churches,  333;  First  Lutheran  Church, 
484-91;  M.  E.  church,  393-95;  Mission 
church,  596-97;  numerous  Swedish 
element  in,  328;  pioneers,  328-30; 
status  of  colony  in,  327-28. 

Rock  Island,  291-94;  churches,  293-94; 
educational  center,  294,  515;  pioneer 
Baptist  church,  293,  547-50. 

Rock  Spring  Seminary,    72. 

Roos,  Herman,  782;  biog.,  786-88. 

Roos,  Peter,    851. 

Root,  John,  264,    339. 

Roque,  Fr.  de  la,   10, 

Roster  of:  Battery  H,  First  Light  Ar- 
tillery, 694-96;  Co.  C,  Forty-third 
111.  Inf.,  640-43;  Co.  D,  57th  111. 
Inf.,  660-63;  Swedish  men  in  Stol- 
brand's  battery,  678. 

Ruth,  John,  239-43;  "abducts"  his  wife; 
240;  slays  Erik  Jansson,  242;  threatens 
violence,  241. 

Ryde"n,  Henning,   865-66. 

Salem  Home  for  the  Aged,  Joliet,  540-41. 
Saltza,  C.  F.  von,  852-53. 


urn  fir 


INDEX 


931 


Sandahl,  Rev.  S.  A.,  500. 

Samuelsson,  Carl  Johan,  276. 

Samuelsson,  Johannes,  276. 

Samuelsson,  John,  313. 

Sandebudet,  781-82. 

Sangforeningen,  Svenska,    714-15. 

Sanngren,  Rev.  J.  M.,  biog.,  589-90. 

Scandinavian  Alliance  Mission,  620. 

Scandinavian  Benevolent  Society,  895. 

Schneidau,  P.  von,  biog.,  193-95,  a 
founder  of  St.  Ansgarius  Church, 
414-16,  419. 

Schon,  Anders,  778-79,  912-15. 

Schroeder,  Gustavus,  biog.,  568-69; 
mention,  544-46. 

Second  Light  Artillery;  Battery  G,  678- 
80;  Battery  H,  684. 

Seedoff,  Rev.  J.  F.,  490. 

Setterdahl,  Rev.  A.  G.,  461. 

Setterdahl,  Rev.  Victor,  444. 

Settlements,  early  Swedish,  193-355;  Al- 
tona,  321-24;  Andover,  272-79;  Bata- 
via,  341-42;  Chicago  (Swedish  colony), 
301-12;  DeKalb,  336-37;  Galesburg, 
281-85;  Galva,  337-40;  Geneseo,  335- 
36;  Geneva,  333-35;  Kewanee,  344-45; 
Knoxville,  317-19;  Moline,  285-91; 
Monmouth,  342-44;  Oneida,  340-41; 
Orion,  312-13;  Paxton,  346-48;  Prince- 
ton, 295-301;  Rockford,  324-33;  Rock 
Island,  291-94;  St.  Charles,  313-17; 
Swedona,  320-21;  Sycamore,  348-53; 
Victoria,  279-81;  Wataga,  319-20;  mis- 
cellaneous, 353-55. 

Settlers,  character  and  condition  of, 
271-72. 

Shenlund,  A.  A.,  299,  783. 

Sherman,  Gen.  W.  T.,  654,  674. 

Shiloh,  battle  of:  Co.  C,  53d  Inf.,  633 
-37;  Co.  D,  57th  Inf.,  656-57;  Malm- 
borg  and  the  55th  Inf.,  645-46. 

Shogren,  Rev.  Erik,  biog.,  366-69. 

Silfversparre's  battery,  890. 

Silfversparre,  Capt.  Axel,  685-90,  693- 
94;  captured  by  the  enemy,  690;  career 
in  Sweden,  685-86;  checks  enemy's 
advance  at  Shiloh,  687;  civil  career, 
693-94;  drillmaster  at  Ft.  Pickering, 
687-88;  drills  and  equips  battery  H, 
686-87;  recruits  company  and  is  elected 
captain,  686. 

Sjo'n,  Sophia,  210. 

Sjostrom,  Gustaf,  778. 


Skandia,  826. 

Skarstedt,  Ernst,  806-08. 

Skogsbergh,    Rev.  E.  A.,  biog.,    591-92. 

Slavery,  55-60;  introduced  by  French,  26. 

Smith,  Axel  D.,  755-56. 

Smith,  Gustaf,  413-14. 

Smith,  Joseph,  47;  murder  of,  50. 

Snygg,  Anders,  322. 

Sodergren,  Rev.  C.  H.,  481-82. 

Spanish-American  War,  Swedes  in,  702 
-04. 

Sparrestrom,  Capt.  Frederick,  678-80. 

Starved  Rock,  20-22. 

Stenbeck,  Capt.  Andrew,    biog.,  684-85. 

Stenquist,  Charles  J.,  784. 

Stillhammer,  Lieut.  Charles,  700. 

Stirling,  Capt.,  29. 

Stolbrand,  Gen.  Charles  John,  biog.,  672 
-78;  captured,  677;  career  in  Sweden, 
672-74;  estimate  by  Sherman,  674; 
final  career  in  So.  Carolina,  676;  men- 
tion, 350,  888-89;  military  career,  de- 
tails, 677-78;  promoted:  major  and 
chief  of  artillery,  674,  brigadier-gene- 
ral, 674-76,  678;  raises  two  companies, 
674. 

Stolpe,  Dr.  Gustaf,  biog.,  729-33;  career 
in  Sweden,  729-30;  founds  Augustana 
Conservatory  of  Music,  730;  list  of 
compositions,  732-33;  mention,  721, 

725- 

Stoneberg,  Olof,  becomes  trustee,  247; 
biog.,  268;  conducts  party  of  emi- 
grants, 227-28;  faction,  258;  mention, 
244;  preacher:  colony,  249,  M.  E.,  266; 
search  party  at  home  of,  210. 

Strom,  Gustaf  A.,  877-78. 

Stromberg,  Rev.  Leonard,  831-32. 

Stuart,  Col.  David,  643-46;  defense  of 
Malmborg,  650-51. 

St.  Ansgarius  Church,  415-22. 

St.  Barnabe's  Mission,  421. 

St.  Charles,  313-17;  cholera  victims  at, 
316;  churches  in,  316-17;  first  settlers, 

314. 

St.  Clair,  Gov.  Arthur,  37. 

St.  Clair  county  organized,  37. 

St.  Francis  Xavier  Mission,  n. 

Sundberg,  Rev.  S.  W.,  593. 

Sundelius,  Peter  A.,  biog.,  788-89;  men- 
tion, 772,  784,  792,  804. 

Sundell,  Chas.  J,,  717,  783,  888-89. 

Svea  Bildningsforening,  Knox,    894. 


932 


INDEX 


Svea  Male  Chorus,  Moline,  751. 

Svea  Society,  888-94. 

Svedberg,  pioneer  Chicagoan,  305. 

Svenska  Amerikanaren,  I.    783-84. 

Svenska  Amerikanaren,  II.,  804-05. 

Svenska  Kuriren,   820-21. 

Svenska  Nyheter,  825-26. 

Svenska  Republikanen,  779-80. 

Svenska  Sangforeningen,  714-15. 

Svenska  Tribunen,  791-95. 

Svensson,  Pehr,  277. 

Svithiod,  Ind.  Order  of,  895-99. 

Svithiod  Singing  Club,  738-40. 

Swanson,  Swan,  biog.,  268. 

Sward,  Axel  A.,  828-29. 

Swedberg,  Rev.  A.  G.,  biog.,  362-63. 

Sweden's  exhibit  at  World's  Fair,  1893, 

1 60. 
Swedish  American  Art  Association,  882- 

83. 
Swedish-American  Linne  Monument  As 

sociation,  883-87. 

Swedish-American  Press  Club,  900. 
Swedish-American    Republican    League, 

908-10. 

Swedish  Baptist:  Church,  544-82,    theo- 
logical seminary,  578-80. 
Swedish     day     at    World's    Fair,     1893, 

161-63. 

Swedish  Episcopal  Church,  412-22. 
Swedish  Festival  Chorus,  734-35. 
Swedish  Glee  Club,  740-41. 
Swedish  Historical  Society  of    America, 

912-15. 

Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  423-543. 
Swedish   Lutheran   Publication   Society, 

473,  763-64- 

Swedish  M.  E.:  Church,  356-411,  theo- 
logical seminary,  404-06. 

Swedish  Methodism,  cradle  of,   182. 

Swedish  Mission  Church,  583-624. 

Swedish  names  in  early  records,  174-75. 

Swedish  National  Association,  906-08. 

Swedish  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Chorus,  749-50. 

Swedona,  first  Swede  in,  320-21;  M.  E. 
Church,  395. 

Swenson,  Johan  P.,  801-02: 

Swenson,  John  L.,  708,  714,  738-40. 

Swensson,  Dr.  Carl  A.,  biog.,  818-19. 

Swensson,  Rev.  Jonas,  435,  biog.,  438-44. 

Sycamore,  348-53;  Christina  Nilsson's 
visit  to,  352;  first  settlers,  350. 

Synod,  Ansgarius,  599-603. 


Synod,    Augustana,    founding     of,     469, 

510,  541;  statistics,  541-43. 
Synod,  General,  600,  602. 
Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  524,  595,  599. 
Synod,  Sw.  Luth.  Mission,  597-99. 

Thelin,  Erik,   906-07. 
Thornmark,  Chas.  E.,  837-38. 
Todd,  John,  36. 
Toffteen,  Dr.  Olof,  841. 
Tonti,  Henri,  15,  18. 
Torgerson,  Axel  W.,  849-51. 
Torsell,  J.  Valdemar,  801. 
Turner  education  bill,  74-76. 

Udden,  Dr.  John  A.,  840-41. 

Undeen,  Rev.  P.,   596-97. 

University  of  Chicago,  137-47;  educa- 
tional plan,  143-44;  Harper,  W.  R., 
141,  143,  147;  Judson,  H.  P.,  147;  new 
university  planned,  141-42;  old  univer- 
sity, 137-40. 

University  of  Illinois,  74-85;  Agricultural 
Experiment  Statiou,  79;  College  of 
Dentistry,  78;  College  of  Medicine,  78; 
College  of  Pharmacy.  78;  Engineering 
Experiment  Station,  80;  James,  E.  J., 
83,  84;  Laboratory  of  Natural  History, 
81;  Library,  78;  presidents,  83;  School 
of  Law,  78;  State  Chemical  and  Bio- 
logical Survey,  81;  State  Entomologists' 
office,  81;  State  Geological  Survey,  82. 

Unonius,  Rev.  Gustaf,  builds  church, 
417;  career  in  Sweden:  early:  185-86, 
later,  420;  emigrates,  186-87;  encount- 
ers Janssonists,  414;  founds  St.  Ans- 
garius Church,  415;  relieves  cholera 
victims,  307,  417;  removes  to  Chicago, 
192;  secures  donations  from  Jenny 
Lind,  416;  settles  at  Pine  Lake,  188- 
90;  studies  for  ministry,  413. 

Valentin,  C.  J.,  433,  459-6o,  495~96- 

Vandalia,  40. 

Vart  Land  och  Folk,  766. 

Verrazani,  John,   10. 

Victoria,  279-81;   M.  E.  church,  380-81. 

Vikings,  Ind.  Order  of,  900-03. 

Vincennes,  34,  38. 

Vossner,  Rev.  C.  J.,  498-99. 

Waerner,  Ninian,  829-31. 
Waldenstrom,  P.  P.,  512-13,  601. 


INDEX 


933 


Warner,  Capt.  Andrew  G.,  biog.,  669-70. 

Wataga,  319-20. 

Wedin,  Rev.  P.,  596. 

Wennerberg  Chorus,  727. 

Wester,    Erik,    190,  295-97,  496,  498-99. 

Westergreen,  Rev.  N.  O.,  biog.,  400-03. 

Westerlund,  Peter,  313. 

Westman,  Edward  C.,  908-10. 

Williamson,  M.  O.,  320,  908-10, 

Wiberg,  Rev.  Anders,  biog.,  554-59. 

Wicklund,  Gustaf,  822. 

Wickstrum,  Capt.    Peter  M.,  250,  biog., 

667-68. 
Widen,    Raphael,  justice   of  the   peace, 

172;    legislator    and    president   of   the 

senate,  173-74. 

Wigren,  Rev.  John,  biog.,  398-400. 
Wikstrand,  Rev.  ].,  499-500. 


Wilkins,  Col.,  29. 

Wimmerstedt,  Edward  C.,  707-09. 

Wingren,  Rev.  Eric,  781. 

Winquist,  Rev.  N.  Th.,  456. 

Wirstrom,  Capt.  P.  W.,  273-74,   427-28, 

430. 

Wistrand,  J.  H.,  291,  346. 
Witting,  Rev.  Victor,  biog.,  373-79. 
World's   Fair,    147-64;   concerts,  744-46; 

Sweden's  exhibit  at,  160;  Swedish  day 

at,   161-63. 
Wynian,  Sergt.  Peter  S.,  690-93. 

Yates,  Richard,  65. 
Youngberg,  Adj.  John  E.,  699. 

Zilliacus,  Konni,  803-4. 
Zion  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,    Rock- 
ford,  488. 


wuiitJ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


HISTORY  OF  THE  SWEDES  OF  ILLINOIS  CHGO 


